Brussels : A day trip

IMPORTANT NOTE

I must say Brussels has beautiful architectural buildings and people too...

But when we visited there (May 2018) I have seen lots of Syrians were there , with there extended families... on roads... at train stations... bust stops... almost everywhere ...

That gave me bad impression of the city.... This people were begging on road and following travelers to get some money from them. This was horrified experience and First time I was afraid in Europe to go out at night time.

THINGS TO DO IN BRUSSELS:

Brussels is known for its cuisine and gastronomy, as well as its historical and architectural landmarks; some of them are registered as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Main attractions include its historic Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Atomium, and cultural institutions such as La Monnaie and the Museums of Art and History.

Up to 63% of Brussels inhabitants speak French as (one of their) native language(s), while Arabic speakers represent 21.1% of the population, Dutch speakers 19.6% and English speakers just 2.5% of Brussels' population.

POINT OF INTERESTS

Grand Place

The Grand Place or Grote Markt is the central square of Brussels. It is surrounded by opulent guildhalls and two larger edifices, the city's Town Hall, and the King's House or Bread house building containing the Museum of the City of Brussels. The square measures 68 by 110 meters. Great place to buy original Belgian Chocolate and souvenirs. There's also good food.

The place itself is picturesque with amazing scenery for photo lovers.

Almost all tourists who go to Brussels visit this place so it is sometimes a little crowded.

Manneken Pis

Manneken Pis is a landmark 61 cm bronze sculpture in the centre of Brussels, depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain's basin. It was designed by Hiëronymus Duquesnoy the Elder and put in place in 1618 or 1619. The current statue is a replica which dates from 1965.
If you've seen a picture of this you've seen it, no need to visit an area that is mobbed by tourists when you could be doing something more interesting. If you do want to visit I'd advise planning only a quick walk past but don't get your hopes up.

Atomium

The Atomium is a landmark building in Brussels, originally constructed for the 1958 Brussels World Expo. It is located on the Heysel Plateau, where the exhibition took place. It is now a museum. Designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn and architects André and Jean Polak, it stands 102 m tall.

An impressive structure, though a bit out of the way from down town (accessible by metro). We didn't go inside (read some pretty bad reviews about that experience) but it was still cool to look at from the outside. It does seem a bit out of place for a historic city with historic buildings, but that's probably why its not near down town. Cool landmark!

Mini-Europe

Mini-Europe is a miniature park located in Bruparck, at the foot of the Atomium, in Brussels, Belgium. Mini-Europe has reproductions of monuments in the European Union on display, at a scale of 1:25. Roughly 80 cities and 350 buildings are represented.

Royal Palace of Brussels

The Royal Palace of Brussels is the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capital Brussels. However it is not used as a royal residence, as the king and his family live in the Royal Palace of Laeken on the outskirts of Brussels.

I enjoyed the atmosphere around the royal palace area. It's about a 20 min climb from the grand place. Tip, up top look for the yellow waffle truck to the right side of the palace. Only 2 euro for a sweet plain waffle to fuel up after the hike. Plus you will get a great view of Brussels.

Parc du Cinquantenaire

Parc du Cinquantenaire or Jubelpark is a large public, urban park in the easternmost part of the European Quarter in Brussels, Belgium.

Belgian cuisine:

6 typical Belgian dishes and where to try them

1. Mussels
2. Fries
3. Meatballs
4. Flemish Stew
5. Grey Shrimp Croquettes
6. Waffles
7. Eel in the green
8. Rabbit with prunes
9. Sausage and mash
10. Steak tartare and martino sandwich
11. Ham and endive in the oven
12. Vol-au-vent
13. Speculaas
14. Jenever
15. Asparagus Flemish-style

SOME PHOTOGRAPHS