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European Vacations -
Belgium Vacation Packages &
Travel Information |
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Overview |
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Brussels is an exciting, modern
city, yet it is rich in strikingly
beautiful medieval and art nouveau
buildings. It has outstanding
museums and galleries and a vibrant
cultural life. The heart of the
capital city of Belgium lies inside
a circle of main roads. The inner
city can easily be explored within
this circle on foot, by bus, or by
tram. For areas outside it, there is
an excellent subway system.
Over the centuries, Brussels (Bruxelles
in French; Brussel in Flemish) has
been ruled by every major power at
or near its boundaries from the
Romans to the Spanish to the
Germans. Its colonial history
provided a fitting prelude to its
current status. Brussels has become
an international business community
composed of diplomats, lobbyists,
and euro-politicians connected with
NATO and the European Union.
International business arrived in
the past three decades, resulting in
blocks lined with steel-and-glass
office buildings. However, these
modern edifices are only a few steps
from the cobbled streets, splendid
cafés, and graceful art nouveau
architecture that speak to the
city's eventful past.
Belgium's unique languages date back
to the time when the Franks were
forcing Celts and Gauls into the
land's southern regions, making an
early form of the Dutch language the
norm in the north. French (with
Dutch influence), is the accepted
language in the south. Brussels,
located in the middle, is one of the
world's few officially bilingual
capitals. Residents of Brussels tend
to be politically and religiously
conservative and to cling to family
and national traditions. The vast
majority of Belgians are Roman
Catholics, and despite a decline in
church attendance, religious customs
still flavor much of Belgium's daily
life.
Until the late 19th century,
Brussels was a riverside city, built
along the banks of the River Senne.
At that time, a decision was made to
brick over the river and thus
eliminate it as a source of flooding
and any other annoyance it might
cause. The river still flows under
the bricked boulevard that covers
it. In order to photograph the
Senne,however, one must travel
outside the city.
Early Belgian artists are credited
with inventing oil painting, and the
country has produced many
masterpieces. The Flemish primitive
Jan Van Eyck started the tradition
in the 15th century. Pieter Brueghel
followed with his portrayals of
peasant life in the 16th century,
and Pieter Paul Rubens dominated
early 17th century art as the
leading artist of the Baroque
period. For most of the 18th
century, while Brussels was under
Austrian rule, buildings were
designed in a modest rational,
neoclassical style. After the war of
independence ended in 1831 Brussels
built with a new exuberance in an
effort to catch up with and surpass
the extravagant structures of London
and Paris. The first covered
shopping gallery was a product of
this period. The glass covered
Galeries Saint Hubert is still open
today, and is as astounding as when
it was built!
The most dramatic post World War II
structure is the Atomium, which is
modeled on a molecule of iron. It
was built for the Belgian metal
industry as the showpiece for the
1958 World's Fair. The 300 foot tall
steel structure consists of nine
separate spheres linked by
cylindrical columns.
Throughout the years Brussels has
been a world leader not only in
architecture but also in literature,
music, dance, painting, sculpture,
and of course textiles. The city
contains a wealth of examples
showing excellence in each of these
areas.
"One of the most beautiful town
squares in Europe, if not in the
world", is a phrase often heard when
visitors in Brussels try to describe
the beauty of this central market
square. French speakers refer to it
as the 'Grand-Place', and in Dutch
it is called 'de Grote Markt'.
Writers over the years, including
Victor Hugo and Baudelaire were
struck by the charm of the market
square with its rows of guild houses
set against the backdrop of the Town
Hall and the king's house.
The origins of the Grand-Place were
humble. The site began as a sand
bank between two brooks that ran
downhill to the river Senne. The
"niedermerckt", or 'lower market'
was built along it first. By the
12th century, Brussels had become a
commercial crossroads between Bruges
(in Flanders) , Cologne , and
France. English wool, French wines
and German beer were sold in the
harbour and at the market.
During the early Middle Ages small
wooden houses were scattered around
the market. Beginning in the 14th
century, wealthy families
constructed stone mansions.
Gradually the market turned into the
main commercial and administrative
center of the city. Between 1402 and
1455 the Town Hall was built. The
square had by then become the
political center where meetings were
held, where executions took place
and where dukes, kings and emperors
where officially received. In the
centuries that followed most wooden
houses where replaced with
beautifully decorated stone ones,
owned by the powerful Brussels trade
guilds.
The Grand Sablon is an elegant
square surrounded by restaurants,
cafés, and exclusive antique shops.
Every Saturday and Sunday morning a
lively antiques market takes over
the upper part of the square. The
petit Sablon, the other half of the
square, is surrounded by a
magnificent wrought-iron fence
topped by 48 small bronze statues
representing the city's guilds.
Belgian food is highly regarded
throughout Europe. Some say it's
second only to French cuisine.
Combining French and German styles,
meat and seafood are the main raw
ingredients. The Belgians claim to
be the inventors of frites (potato
chips, or fries), and judging by
availability, it's a claim few would
contest. These crisp delights rank
in popularity with Belgian chocolate
and Belgian beer. Mussels are
another favorite.
There are many attractions the whole
family will enjoy. One that is sure
to please is Brupark, an outstanding
theme park in the city's northern
suburbs. There the Atomium can be
viewed from the ground by going
inside the structure. There is a 24
theater complex, a planetarium, a
water park, and a miniature
re-creation of Europe that has
several hands - on components.
Shopping in Brussels is a favorite
occupation. Though there are no
longer 22,000 lace makers as there
were in the 17th century, visitors
will have at least 40 lace makers'
shops from which to choose. Much
lace is now machine made, but
handmade lace can still be found.
Art and antique shops are also
abundant. Boutiques feature the
latest fashions on several of the
city's streets.
Popular sports to be enjoyed in
Brussels are soccer (voetbal in
Flemish), archery, horse-ball, golf,
and tennis. Nightly entertainment
offers everything from discos to
classical music to jazz and rock.
Some clubs feature Latin music.
Opera, ballet, and theater are all
part of the cultural life of this
outstanding city. |
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Facts |
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Population:
950.597
Location:
Brussels is in the valley of the
Senne River in southeastern Belgium
in Flemish Brabandt Province.
Time zone:
Belgium's clocks are 6 hours ahead
of Eastern Standard Time in the
United States, and 1 hour ahead of
Greenwich mean time in the winter
and 2 hours ahead in the summer
under daylight saving time.
Average Temperatures (In
Fahrenheit):
High Low
January - March 51F 30F
April - June 72F 41F
July - September 73F 51F
October - December 60F 32f
When to go:
Many residents of Brussels take
vacations in July and August. This
makes the city less crowded, but
also means that some shops and
restaurants will be closed.
Belgium's climate is temperate:
never too hot or too cold; never too
wet or too dry. Spring and autumn
are cooler than summer and more
changeable. A shower can spring up
at any time.
Packing:
It is advisable to bring a wool
sweater, even in summer; if you
happen to be there duirng a rainy
spell, a raincoat and umbrella will
be essential. Practical walking
shoes are important, for rough
cobblestones or for forest trails.
Women wear skirts more frequently
than do women in the United States,
especially those over 35. Men would
be wise to include a jacket and tie,
especially if planning to visit one
of the better restaurants.
Useful measurements:
Equivalent weights and measures
1 cm - 0.39 inches
1 meter - 3.28 feet / 1.09 yards
1 km - 0.62 miles
1 liter - 0.26 gallons
1 inch - 2.54 cm
1 foot - 0.39 meters
1 yard - 0.91 meters
1 mile - 1.60 km
1 gallon - 3.78 liters
Telephones:
local calls
Pay phones work with telecards,
available in a number of
denominations, starting at bf200.
These cards can be purchased at any
post office and at many newsstands.
Most phone booths that accept
telecards have a list indicating
where cards can be bought.
International calls
Telephones are operated by Belgacom.
The country code is 32.
The Brussels city code is 02.
To dial abroad, 00+ the country code
+ the area code, + subscriber
number.
Information 1207/1307 (local) or
1204;1304 (International.)
The least expensive way is to buy a
high-denomination telecard and make
a direct call from a phone booth.
Most hotel rooms are equipped with
direct-call telephones, but nearly
all add a service charge that can be
substantial. It's better to ask
beforehand what service charges are
applied.
Tipping:
A service charge is included in
restaurant and hotel bills, and tips
are also included in the amount
shown on the meter in taxis.
Additional tipping is unnecessary
unless you wish to say thank you for
very good service
Visitor information:
Tourist information Brussels (TIB:
tel. 02/513-8940 in the Hôtel De
Ville On The Grand'place, is daily
9-6 during the main tourist season
(off-season, Sunday 10-2; December
through February, closed Sunday).
Religion:
Belgium is a predominantly
Roman-Catholic country. Most
churches in Brussels are
Roman-Catholic. In the
Saint-Nicholas church off
Grand'place services are held in
other languages than French and
Dutch. Most other religions also
have prayer houses in Brussels.
Check the phone directory to find
the nearest mosque, synagogue,
pPotestant church, orthodox church
that is closest to your hotel or
apartment.
Films:
Most movies in Brussels run in two
different versions. 1. The original
version with Dutch subtitles, 2. The
version dubbed in French. If you
want to see the original version
look out for the films marked VO
(version originale) at the entrance
of the movie theaterue
Newspapers:
Most international newspapers are
available in Brussels on the day of
publishing. The largest choice will
be available in the newspaper shops
around the Grand'place, stock
exchange and Place de Brouckère.
The local press consists of
French-language and Dutch-language
newspapers and magazines. There is
an English-language magazine about
Brussels called The Bulletin . It is
published weekly and focuses on
'political, cultural and social news
about Belgium and Brussels' for
English-speaking residents. It also
comes with a list of the TV programs
on the Brussels cable network.
Internet access:
Cyber Theater Avenue de la
Toison-d'Or is a large café where,
for a fee, you can access the
internet. Some hotels have internet
access also.
Electricity:
To use U.S. purchased electric
powered equipment, bring a converter
and an adapterue The electrical
current in Belgium is 220 volts, 50
cycles alternating current (AC);
wall outlets take continental-type
plugs, with two round prongs.
Passports:
All U.S. citizens, even infants,
need a valid passport to enter
Belgium for stays of up to 90 days.
Visas:
U.S. and Canadian residents do not
require visas to visit Belgium for
pleasure or business trips not
exceeding three months.
Embassies:
U.S. Embassy (Boulevard du régent 27
tel. 02/513-3830
Holidays:
January 1 - New Year's Day
March or April (varies) - Easter and
Easter Monday
May 1 - Labor Day
May (varies) - Feast of the
Ascension,
May (varies) - Whitsunday, Pentecost
Monday
August 15 - Assumption of the Virgin
December 25 - Christmas day
December 26 - St. Stephen Day
Emergencies:
police 101;
accident and ambulance 100
Doctor 02/479-1818.
Dentist 02/426-1026.
Late-night pharmacies:
One pharmacy in each district stays
24 hours; the roster is posted in
all pharmacy windows. In an
emergency call 02/479-1818.
Language:
Brussels is the official bi-lingual
capital of Belgium. All official
notices such as names of streets and
traffic indications, fire prevention
notices, fire exits, etc...are given
in two languages: French and Dutch.
The majority of the people in
Brussels speak French. The French
language in Brussels has sometimes
been influenced by Dutch
phase-structures that the people in
France wouldn't understand.
The other language is Dutch. Dutch
in Belgium is also sometimes called
Flemish but it is the same language
as the one spoken in Holland, with
differences in accent, vocabulary
and influences from French phrase
structures. Visitors will have no
problem finding English speakers.
Money:
Currency is the Euro (EUR). The
notes are in denominations of 500,
200, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 euro.
The denominations of coins are 2
euro, 1 euro, 50 euro cent, 20 euro
cent, 10 euro cent, 5 euro cent, 2
euro cent, and 1 euro cent.
VAT:
In Belgium, VAT ranges from 6% on
food and clothing to 33% on luxury
goods. Restaurants are in between;
21% VAT is included in quoted
prices. Many shops advertise that
goods are available tax-free. At the
time of purchase, by credit card,
you pay the price without VAT and
you also sign a guarantee in the
amount of the sales tax. You are
given two invoices: one is your
record and the other must be stamped
by customs when you leave Belgium
(or the last EU country on your
itinerary). You must return the
stamped invoice to the store within
three months, or you forfeit the
guarantee.
Arriving in Brussels:
By air Most flights arrive at and
depart from Zaventem 02/732-3111
Brussels's national airport.
Belgium has two international
airports, the main one being
Zaventem, 14km northeast of
Brussels. The other one, Deurne, is
close to Antwerp and has less
frequent flights to Amsterdam,
London, Liverpool and Dublin only.
Depending on when you leave, flights
to London can be cheaper from
Deurne. If you're in Europe already,
a bus or train is the best option.
Eurolines and Hoverspeed Citysprint
operate international bus services
to and from Belgium.
Brussels has three main railway
stations and is the central hub,
with lines in all directions. Two
companies operate car/passenger
ferries to and from Britain: north
sea ferries (overnight from
Zeebrugge to Hull) and Ostende
lines/ ferries (six boats daily
between Ostend and Ramsgate).
Sample flying times are as follows:
6 hours, 50 minutes from New York to
Brussels; seven hours from boston to
Brussels. Return flights are about
an hour longer
Getting around:
Courtesy buses serve airport hotels
and a few downtown hotels. Inquire
when making reservations.
Express trains leave the airport for
the Gare Du Nord and Gare Centrale
stations every 20 minutes (one train
an hour continues to the Gare du
Midi). The trip takes 20 minutes The
trains operate from 6 am to
midnight. Taxis are plentiful. A
taxi to the city center takes about
half an hour . You can save 25% on
the fare by buying a voucher for the
return trip if you use the Autolux
taxi company. Beware of freelance
taxi drivers. You have to go to a
taxi stand (taxi's won't stop for
you if you try to make them stop by
waving in the middle of the street)
Taxi's can be of all different
colors and car makes. Official taxis
have an illuminated panel on top of
the roof (called 'sputnik' by the
cab-drivers) with the slogan "
Brussels gewest - taxi - région de
Bruxelles". There is a starting
price (which depends on the time of
day). If you go outside of the city
limits, the rate goes up.
By car
Belgium is covered by an extensive
network of four-lane highways.
Brussels is 122 miles from Amsterdam
on E19; 138 miles from Düsseldorf on
E40; 133 miles from Luxembourg City
on E411; and 185 miles from Paris.
Brussels is surrounded by a beltway,
marked "The Ring." Exits to the city
are marked "center." There are
several large underground parking
facilities The one close to the
Grand'place is particularly
convenient for patrons of downtown
hotels.
Drivers must carry a warning
triangle, to be placed well behind
the car in case of a breakdown.
There are emergency telephones at
intervals along the motorways. The
speed limit is 130 kph (80 mph) on
highways, 90 kph (56 mph) on
secondary roads, and 50 kph (31 mph)
in built-up areas. Driving with the
flow may mean higher speeds than
most U.S. drivers are accustomed to.
At intersections, always check
traffic from the right even if
you're on a thoroughfare; Belgian
drivers can be reckless in insisting
on "priority on the right." Gas
costs about the same as in other
European countries, which means
quite a bit more than in the United
States.
Requirements: Your own driver's
license is acceptable. An
international driver's permit,
available from the American or
Canadian Automobile Association, is
a good idea.
By Bus
Eurolines offers up to three daily
express bus services from Amsterdam,
Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, and
London. The Eurolines coach station
is located at CCN Gare du Nord Rue
du progrès 80 tel. 02/203-0707.
The metro, trams, and buses operate
as part of the same system. All
three are clean and efficient, and a
single ticket can be used on all
three. The best buy is a 10 trip
ticket or a one day card. You need
to stamp your ticket in the
appropriate machine on the bus or
tram; in the metro, your card is
stamped as you pass through the
automatic barrier. You can purchase
these tickets in any metro station
or at newsstands. Single tickets can
be purchased on the bus.
Detailed maps of the Brussels public
transportation network are available
in most Metro stations and at the
Brussels tourist office in the
Grand'place 02/513-8940. You get a
map free with a tourist passport
(also available at the tourist
office), which, for bf220 allows you
a one-day transport card and bf1000
worth of museum admissions.
By train
Eurostar trains from London
(Waterloo) use the channel tunnel to
cut travel time to Brussels (Gare du
Midi) to 3 1/4 hours. Trains stop at
Ashford (Kent) and Lille (France).
There are seven daily services.
First and second class seats are
available. A number of promotional
fares are offered. Brussels is
linked with Paris, Amsterdam, and
Liège by new high-speed trains,
which operate at full TGV speed on
French tracks. In Belgium and
Holland, until new tracks have been
laid, they provide a slower but
comfortable ride. Belgian National
Railways (SNCB; tel. 02/203-3640 is
the National rail line.
Some travel times:
Brussels-Bruges = 1h, Brussels-Ghent
= 40 min, Brussels - Antwerp = 35
min, Brussels - liège = 1 h,
Brussels - Amsterdam = 3h, Brussels
- Cologne = 2h.
Toilets:
There are very few public toilets in
Brussels. If you find one, expect to
having to pay a fee, so always carry
some small change with you. You can
always find public toilets in the
train stations and in some metro
stations.
Smoking:
Quite a few people smoke in Belgium
in general and in Brussels in
particular. Smoking is forbidden in
public spaces (trams, buses, railway
station, airport, metro, churches,
..) In most cafés and restaurant
there are separate sections for
smokers and non-smokers.
Souvenirs:
The most frequently purchased
souvenirs are : chocolates, beer,
and lace.
Beer:
Belgium is the best beer country in
the world. There are nowadays
numerous beer shops around the
'Grand'place' where you can buy most
of the Belgian beers. Sample packs
of beer are available which contain
a few bottles of one specific kind
of beer together with the matching
beer glass ( in Belgium every beer
has its own specially designed
glass. It is said that Belgian beers
do not taste good when drunk from a
non-matching glass. Fruit beers
(cherry, raspberry, peach, etc.) are
specialties of the Brussels region. |
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Attractions |
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The Art and History Museum:
Jubelpark / parc du cinquantenaire,
10
1040 Brussels
Metro station: schumann or merode
From 9.30 - 5 pm (closed on Mondays)
From 10 -5 on Saturdays, Sundays and
public holidays
Admission charged
This Museum has an important
collection of art objects from
civilizations all over the world. It
offers an overview of the history of
human settlement in the five
continents from prehistoric times
until today. The Museum was founded
in 1835 and was located in the
Hallepoort/Porte de Hal, one of the
last remaining medieval city gates
of Brussels. In 1889 it was
transferred to the newly built
pavilions in the Cinquantenaire
Park.. The Museum is part of the
Royal Museums of Art and History.
Autoworld Museum:
Jubelpark / Parc du Cinquantenaire,
11
02-736-4165
Metro station: Schumann or Merode
10- 5 (closed on Mondays) (November
-March)
10 - 6 (closed on Mondays) (April -
October)
Admission charged
The more than 400 cars in this
museum comprise one of the world's
top collections of vintage and
classic cars. On display also is the
history of the automobile from 1886
up to the 1970's. There is, first of
all, an exhibit of Belgian
automobiles. Belgian car
manufacturers no longer exist, but
names such as Minerva, FN, Imperia,
Nagant, Germain and Vivinus are
names that are familiar to those who
are lovers of the automobile. These
cars came out of Belgian factories
in the pre-world war II era. There
are also cars from the United
States, Germany, France, Italy, and
the United Kingdom. There are also
special models which belonged to the
Belgian royal family and to US
presidents Franklin Roosevelt and
J.F.Kennedy.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart:
Blvd. Leopold II near the Bruparck.
8-5 daily
Metro: Simonis; then bus 87.
For a fee, climb up into the dome
for a spectacular view of the city.
When standing on one of the hills
surrounding the center of Brussels,
one can always see the dome of the
Basilica to the west. The Basilica
was built to commemorate the 75th
anniversary of Belgian independence.
In 1905 king Leopold II laid the
first stone. According to the plans
of architect Langerock it was to
become a gigantic neo-Gothic church.
The initial plans were stopped at
the beginning of World War I. By the
time construction resumed, a new
architect, named Van Nuffel, was
asked to construct a modern house of
prayer. He changed the style from
neo-Gothic to art deco. The result
seems discordant to many.
Construction of the church depended
entirely on donations made by
believers and these donations did
not always yield the expected funds.
The church was eventually finished
in the late 1960's with the
construction of a dome and dedicated
to the War Victories of 1918 and
1944.
The Belgian Center for Comic Strip
Art:
Center Belge De La Bande Dessinée
Rue des Sables 20
tel. 02/219-1980.
Admission charged.
Tues.-Sunday 10-6.
Metro: Rogier/Botaniqu
Trams 90 92 and 93; bus 38.
An art nouveau building houses the
world's first Comic Strip Museum
which exhibits over 400 original
Tintin plates created by Hergé, as
well as 25, 000 other cartoon works.
The Waucquez warehouses are
considered to be one of the
masterpieces of the famous Belgian
art nouveau architect, Victor Horta.
Horta built the house in 1906 for
the Waucquez family who used it for
a wholesale cloth business. The
building illustrates the principles
of Horta's architectural style:
sunlight filters from the glass
ceiling into the central hall,
lighting the rest of the warehouse
in a natural way. One of the most
popular new art forms for Belgium is
the comic strip. Since World War II,
most Belgians have grown up with
Belgian comic strips. Herge stands
out as the most important writer He
is the father of the best known
Belgian comic strip: Tintin. Tintin
has been delighting children since
1929, when he began his adventures
as a boy reporter traveling the
world and setting wrongs to right.
Tintin's adventures became one of
the greatest early examples of the
European strip cartoon. Willy
Vandersteen is the best known name
of the Flemish school. His most
important creation is Suske and
Wiske (in English known as Willy and
Wanda). Since the 1950's, however,
the entire comic strips scene has
boomed in Belgium. This museum
illustrates this "9th Art" in
Belgium, with sets of enlarged
drawings, three-dimensional
recreations, etc. One can also learn
everything about the birth and the
development of a comic strip series.
The Museum also has a shop with
albums and memorabilia of the
different Belgian comic strip
heroes.
Cathédrale Saint-Michel et
Sainte-Gudule (Cathedral of Saints
Michael and Gudule):
Parvis Ste-Gudule
tel. 02/217-8345
Nov.-March, daily 7-6; April-Oct.,
Mon.-Sat. 7-7 Sunday 8-7.
The city's principal church is a
13th-century edifice with twin
Gothic towers and outstanding
stained-glass windows. This church
can be found at the Treurenberg hill
on the edge between lower and upper
town. Already at the beginning of
the 11th century a church was
situated here. In 1047 the duke of
Brabant, Lambert II, had the relics
of Saint Gudula transferred from the
Saint Gorik church in downtown
Brussels to the new church at
Treurenberg hill. From that moment
on the Saint Gudula and Saint
Michael church took the lead over
all the other churches in Brussels.
Lambert II also gave the church a
chapter of 12 canons (= priests who
took care of the services and
possessions of the church).
Because of its growing importance,
the first St. Gudula church
originally built in romanesque style
was transformed in Gothic style as
from the 13th century. The
foundations of the first church can
still be seen under the crypt of the
Gothic cathedral. The Gothic choir
was constructed between 1226 and
1276 nave and transept in the middle
of the 15th century. The western
facade, completed between 1450 and
1490 follows the example of the
French Gothic facades. Via a large
staircase (built in 1861 the three
gates of the entrance can be
reached. Inside, 12 pillars clearly
determine the interior of the
cathedral, whereas the triforia and
glass-stained windows accentuate the
later Gothic style which allowed
more light to fall in to the church.
The choir is darker because of the
smaller window openings. In the
northern chapel on the left side of
the choir, one can see the portraits
of several kings and emperors who
bestowed the richly decorated
glass-stained windows: Joao III of
portugal, Louis of Hungary, François
I of France and Ferdinand I. In the
choir the windows of the following
rulers can be seen: Maximilian of
Austria, Philip the Beautiful,
Charles V, Philip II of Spain,
Philibert of Savoy with his wife
Margaret of Austria. All through the
20th century the cathedral was
almost continuously renovated. The
renovation was completed in December
1999 when the marriage of the
Belgian crown prince Philippe with
his bride Princess Mathilda took
place there, on the 4th of December.
The Chinese Pavilion and The
Japanese Tower:
Avenue van Praet/ van Praetlaan 44
02-268-1608
Tues-Sun. 10-5 Closed Monday
Admission charged.
The two monuments are located on the
northern corner of the Royal Park
.After his visit to the 1900
universal exhibition in Paris king
Leopold II decided to have his park
embellished with exotic monuments.
He ordered the Parisian architect
Alexandre Marcel to construct the
Japanese tower and the Chinese
pavilion. The entrance to the
Japanese tower was built as a
replica of the Japanese Pavilion at
the Paris exhibitionthat had been
constructed by a Japanese carpenter.
The woodwork of both buildings was
constructed by specialists from
Yokohama and Shanghai.
The Heysel Exhibition Park
(Bruparck):
A theme park in Brussels' northern
suburbs.
Metro 1A (Heizel/Heyzel)
In the 1930's Belgium wanted to
organize a world exhibition to show
its prosperity after the disasters
of World War I and also to celebrate
the centenary of its independence.
The exhibition surface in the
Central Cinquantenaire Park had
become too small. Therefore, it was
decided that the Expo of 1935 was to
take place north of the center of
Brussels, in the Heizel/Heysel
plains. This major event took 10
years to organize. The results were
impressive. More than 20 million
visitors came to Brussels, 182
buildings were constructed, 25
countries participated. More than
300 congresses, parades, festivals
and concerts were organized. Each
country was represented in a
National pavilion where national
products and accomplishments were
shown to the rest of the world.
Belgium also built a colonial
pavilion to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the foundation of the
Congo freestate. A giant attraction
park and a reconstruction of "old
Brussels" drew large crowds to the
Heysel. The result of restoration
and additions to the site is
Bruparck
Among its components are:
Kinepolis
Bruparck
02-474-2600
Daily shows: 258,10:30pm
Admission charged.
Said to be the world's largest
cinema complex, Kinepolis has 24
wide screen theaters and an IMAX
screen seven stories high. All have
a THX sound system. Films are shown
in their original language (usually
English) with Dutch and French
subtitles.
Mini-Europe
Bruparck
02-478-0550
March 25-June 30 and Sept.
1-November 1: 9:30-6 daily.
July 21-August 20 9:30-midmight
daily.
July 1-August 31: 9:30-8 daily.
November 7-January 7 10-6 daily.
Admission charged.
A miniature world displaying models
of major events in the history of
Europe. Some are hands-on such as
the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and
the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Visitors can make it happen. There
are even scaled down replicas of the
Channel Tunnel and the Ariane
rocket.
Oceade/Oceadium
Bruparck
02-478-4320
April-June Tues-Thurs. 10- 6
Friday-Sunday 10-10
July and August: daily 10-10
Sept.-March Wed-Fri. 10-6 Sat., Sun.
10-10
Admission charged.
An indoor and outdoor aquatic
paradise with giant flumes, wave
machine, plastic beaches and palm
trees. While in the area, the
visitor pretends to be on a two hour
Carribean holiday. Even in winter;
swimming in a heated pool is offered
while snow falls outside the fantasy
world. Children seem to love it at
any time of the year Adults can also
relax in the sauna complex.
The Village
Bruparck
Open daily
Free.
An imitation Flemish style village.
There are restaurants, cafés, all of
which are convenient to Bruparck's
many attractions. there is also a
well appointed children's playground
and a full program of events for
families.
The Planetarium
Avenue de Bouchout/Bouchoutlaan 10
02-478-9526
Call for hours.
Admision charged.
Situated just outside the Bruparck.
The Atomium
Bruparck
Blvd. du Centenaire
02-474-8977
Daily (Summer) 9-8
Fall and winter: Daily 10-6
Metro: Heizel/Heysel
This monument from 1958 has become
the Eiffel tower of Brussels. The
Atomium is the visual representation
of the concept of an "atom". It
symbolizes an elementary iron
crystal with its 9 atoms and
magnified 150 billion times. It
honored the metal and iron industry
and the belief in atomic power. The
architect was André Waterkeyn. It
took 18 months to conceive and
another 18 months to construct. The
monument is coated with aluminum,
weighs 2.400 tons and is 102 meters
high. Each sphere has a diameter of
18 meters. An elevator takes
visitors to the upper sphere where
one can enjoy a panoramic view of
the Heysel area and (if the weather
is clear) the city of Brussels.
The Guild Houses:
In medieval Belgium, traders and
craftsmen formed groups known as
guilds in order to set standards for
their craft and establish a trade
monopoly in their geographic area.
The guilds were run by wealthy
families who also tried to exert
political influence and control town
or city governments. During the 16th
century, they began building
headquarters, first of wood and then
of stone. The guild leaders met
regularly in these houses to discuss
new rules or regulations within
their specific trade or area of
commerce.
In Brussels the guilds built their
houses around the main town square.
After the French bombardment of
August 1695 the city ordered the
guilds to submit the restoration
plans of the houses before a final
approval could be given for the
construction. Because of this
decision, the unity of style has
been preserved and former
irregularities done away with. In
the Middle Ages no house numbers
were given, only names. There were
so few stone houses that most people
could locate a house just by its
name. On the Grand-Place the names
of the houses are often indicated by
a little statue or some part of the
decoration. Here follows a list of
the houses with their names and
eventual specific historic details.
The list starts at the group of
houses on the left side of the Town
Hall and continues clockwise: The
mountain of Thabor - the rose -the
golden tree - the swan (now an
upscale restaurant "La Maison du
Cygne (House of the Swan). The star
(in the middle ages this house was
occupied by the amman, the duke's
representative in the city. Under
the arcade is a statue of Everard 't
Serclaes, a medieval Brussels hero.
Legend has it that hitting the arm
of the statue brings luck. ) (The
Town Hall)- the fox (house of the
Traders Guild with the statue of St.
Nicolas on top) - the horn (House of
the Sailors. The upper floor looks
like the rear end of a ship) - the
She-wolf - the Sack - the
Wheelbarrow The King of Spain (house
of the Guild of the Bakers ) - the
Mule - Saint Barbara - the Samaritan
- the oak - the peacock - the helmet
- (the king's house) - - the
Merchand of Gold - the pigeon - the
golden sloop - the angel - Joseph
and Anna - the deer
The Horn
This house of the Sailor's Guild has
a gable that is in the form of the
stern of a 17th century sailing
ship.
Brewers' Guild House
Grand-Place/Grote Markt 10
02-511-4987
Daily 10-5
Admission charged.
The headquarters of the brewers'
trade association and their guild,
the Knights of the Marsh Staff.
There is also a museum of brewing.
Belgium poroduces more than 400
kinds of beer. For a small entrance
fee, a tour is given and beer can be
sampled.
The Pigeon
Grand-Place 26-27
Victor Hugo lived here in 1851 above
what is now a shop selling lace.
Horta Museum
Amerikaanse straat / Rue américaine,
23-25
From 2pm to 5.30pm (closed on
Mondays and holidays)
Admission charged
tram 91 or 92 to Ma Campagne
This is not a Museum in the
traditional sense. It is not a
building in which the objects
displayed draw all the attention. In
this case, the building itself is
the object displayed. The Horta
Museum was actually the house that
Victor Horta built for himself in
the late 1890's. It provides an
excellent example of the style that
made Horta one of the most acclaimed
architects in Belgium.
The art nouveau style was popular in
Europe, and especially in Brussels,
between 1893 and 1918. The
characteristics are: the use of
industrial materials like steel and
iron in the visible parts of houses,
new movement of design asinspired by
nature (e.g. the famous whiplash
motive, which occurs very often in
the Art nouveau style and especially
in the work of Horta), decorative
mosaics or sgraffito on the façades
of houses, etc... Most of these
principles can be seen applied in
the Horta Museum's structure. This
house also shows one of the great
innovations of Horta: the rooms are
built around a central hall. From
the beautiful glass ceiling light
falls into the house thereby
creating a much more natural
illumination of the building than
was the case in the traditional late
19th century houses in Brussels and
Belgium.
The King's House
Grand-Place
32(022794350 fax: 32(022794362
Admission charged.
Mon -Thurs 10 - 12:30, 1:30 - 5 ( 1
October - 31 March until 4)
Closed on Fridays and bank holidays
Saturday and Sunday: 10 - 1
At the market place, opposite the
Town Hall, stands another of the
remarkable historical buildings of
Brussels. The beautiful neo-Gothic
building with its many decorative
statues is the "Maison du roi" in
French or "Broodhuis" in Dutch. It
contains the City Museum.
The Dutch name "Broodhuis" (I.e.
bread house) clearly shows the
origins of this building. In the
beginning of the 13th century a
wooden building stood in this spot
from which the bakers sold their
bread. In 1405 a stone building
replaced the original wooden bread
hall. During the early 15th century
the bakers turned to selling their
products from house to house, and
the ancient bread hall was used more
and more for administrative purposes
by the duke of Brabant. It became
known then as "Maison du roi" (the
King's House). During the reign of
Emperor Charles V, the king's house
was rebuilt in Gothic style from
1515 until 1536.
After the French bombardment of 1695
the building was restored only as
far as was necessary to keep it from
collapsing. In the following
centuries it was used for different
purposes. In 1860 the mayor of
Brussels, Jules Anspach convinced
the city authorities to buy the old
king's house which by then was in a
sorry state. The entire building had
to be rebuilt. The restoration was
done in the then fashionable
neo-Gothic style. On June the 2nd
1887 the king's house became the
city Museum of Brussels. On
exhibition are original statues from
the Town Hall, as well as paintings,
wall tapestries and artifacts which
relate to the history of the city.
The City Museum:
Monday - Thursday (April to
October): 10 -12.30 and 1.30 - 5
(Nov.-Mar.until 4pm)
Weekends 10 - 1
Admission charged
Grote Markt / Grand'place
32 -02-279 43 58
The City Museum is situated in the
king's house on the Grand'place of
Brussels. In 1884 Brussels
established a museum dedicated to
presenting details of the city's
rich past. The Museum opened in
1887. The beginnings were modest.
The small collection was housed on
the second floor of the building.
The collection has continued to grow
over the intervening years. . A plan
to use the entire building for the
City Museum collection in 1935 was
interrupted during World War II.
Finally, in 1960, the City Museum
space was enlarged to utilize the
entire building. On the ground level
is a collection of art objects
showing: wall tapestries (some based
on paintings made by Barend Van
Orley and Peter Paul Rubens): The
typical elements of a Brussels wall
tapestry are the use of the colours
red, blue and brown and the presence
of a border which was decorated with
fruits or plant motives. The scenes
represented could be religious as
well as historical. The tapestries
were woven based on sketches made by
important painters (e.g. Van Orley,
Rubens, etc) Sometimes the Brussels
origin of a tapestry can be detected
through the presence of the initials
b.b on the lower border. This
initials were used as the Brussels
trade mark and meant 'Brussels in
Brabant', Brabant being the dukedom
of which Brussels was the capital.
Brussels wall tapestries are now
spread all over the world.
Tapestries wereoriginally meant for
the decoration (and also insulation)
of the immense, drafty rooms in the
different European castles and
courts.
In addition to tapestries there are
also many paintings displayed (among
them a Wedding Procession attributed
to Brueghel the elder), altar
pieces, and goldsmith work. On the
second floor one can see a
collection of documents and
miniature scale models which outline
the development and growth of the
city. The third floor shows the
cultural, economic and social
development of Brussels through
historical documents, paintings,
engravings, scientific documents and
manuscripts. On this floor the
wardrobe of Manneken pis can be
seen. The little boy already
possesses a collection of more than
650 costumes.
The David and Alice Van Buuren
Museum:
Avenue Léo Errera, 41
02/343.48.51
House and garden : Sunday 1 -5.15
Monday 2 - 5.15
Garden only : Daily 2 -5
Admission Charged
The museum is located in the house
in which David and Slice Van Buuren
lived. It opened in 1973. In 1970
Mrs.Van Buuren had established the
"Friends of the Museum of David and
Alice Van Buuren" society, to which
she left by will the house, the
garden, the works of art as well as
a substantial donation which would
serve as an endowment to insure the
continued availability of funds in
years to come. During his life, Mr.
David Van Buuren, was a fervent
collector of fine works of art. The
Van Buurens turned their property
into a living museum. The house
itself was built in 1928. It was
constructed in a typical Dutch style
and decorated by well known Belgian,
French and Dutch designers. In the
various rooms of the house the
visitor can view the sculptures and
paintings displayed within an
exquisite setting of rare and
precious furniture, luxurious
woodwork and signed tapestries. The
entire "art deco" setting in which
the Van Buurens lived,has been
carefully preserved. The surrounding
gardens never ceases to amaze the
visitor. The gardens are laid out in
three sections. First, there is the
"picturesque garden" designed by
Jules Buyssens (1924 ). A
masterpiece of art deco design, it
recalls the spirit of the "roaring
twenties". Second, the "labyrinth"
by René Pechère, constructed in
1968. Its 300 elms lead to 7 rooms
of plantings selected to illustrate
the "Song of Solomon". The last
section is the "garden of the heart"
by René Pechère, built in 1969-1970.
The Grand'place:
(Grote Markt - Market Square)
The Grand-Place is the main tourist
attraction of the city of Brussels.
All through the year it is visited
by thousands who like to spend some
time wandering around and admiring
the beautiful buildings, or sitting
down on one of the many terraces
having a good Belgian beer Concerts
and musical happenings are organized
all through the year on the square.
The most famous events that take
place here are the annual Ommegang
(an historical procession at the
beginning of July) and the biennial
flower carpet.
Manneken pis. (Also known as Petit
Julien):
Corner of Rue de l'etuve and Rue du
chêne.
This small bronze statue of a chubby
boy urinating into a fountain is
known as "Brussels' oldest citizen."
The first mention of the statue came
from documents dating back to about
1377, but the current version is a
copy; the original was kidnapped by
French soldiers in 1747. In
restitution King Louis XV of France
presented the statue with a
gold-embroidered suit, the first of
a collection of ceremonial costumes
that now numbers over 500.
Musée d'Art ancien (Part of the
Royal Museums of Fine Arts):
rue de la régence 3. This Museum
lies next to the Museum of Modern
Art.
Tues.-Sunday 10-noon and 1-5.
(closed on Mondays)
Admission charged. Artists united to
form powerful guilds in the 15th
century. They turned the cities in
the low countries into centers of
European Art. Most of their work was
done using wooden panels. After
having made the representation on
the panel, they applied the
colourful paint. Through this
procedure thin layers of unmixed,
pure mineral paint were applied on
top of each other. These optically
mixed colours gave their work a
unique depth as can be seen in the
works of Van Eyck, Rogier Van der
Weyden, Dirk Bouts, Hugo Van der
Goes, Petrus Christus, Gerard David
and Hans Memling. They also
experimented with perspective. In
many of the earliest works of the
15th century perfection had not been
achieved. Also the setting of the
(mostly) religious scenes started to
change. Until the beginning of the
15th century, most religious scenes
were set against a colored
background. In the first decades of
the 15th century, the divine
personae were painted against a
contemporary and very realistic
background (such as typical Flemish
landscapes, typical Gothic
living-rooms and church interiors).
This Museum contains an extensive
collection of excellent paintings
from the low countries and the
world. In the entrance hall several
sculptures can be seen of Belgian
and international sculptors (for
example: Meunier, Lambeau, Rodin,
etc.) The main accent, however, is
on the collection of old masters
with its 1200 paintings. On the
first floor are the masterpieces of
the 15th and 16th century. Among the
famous names are: the Master of
Flémalle, Rogier Van der Weyden, the
Master of Aix, Barend Van Orley,
Dirk Bouts, Hieronymus Bosch, Lucas
Cranach and Quentin Metsys. The
pride of the Museum is the Bruegel
collection, of which the "Landscape
With the Fall of Icarus" is
considered to be one of the seven
wonders of Belgium. Most visitors go
directly to the Bruegel and Rubens
rooms, but there are also works by
Van Dyck, Bosch, the great Flemish
primitives of the 15th century, and
a fine collection of 19th-century
works.
The Museum of Modern Art (Part of
the Royal Museums of Fine Arts):
Koningsplein / place royale, 1-2
1000 Brussels.
Admission free.
Tues.-Sunday 10-1 and 2-5. (closed
on Mondays and public holidays).
Admission charged
Housed in a building that is an
amazing feat of modern architecture
that burrows seven floors
underground around a central light
well, this collection holds mainly
Belgian and French Art of the past
100 years. Highlights include works
by the Belgian surrealists Delvaux
and Magritte. In 1984 a new Museum
complex was opened near the royal
square. In this complex, the
collection of modern masters of the
Museum of the fine arts is now
housed. The entrance, situated in a
neo-classical building at Place
Royal, leads to the underground
Museum, built around a central light
well, where the displays are
arranged in chronological order.
The 'modern masters' of the 19th
century are located on the ground
level of the Museum of Ancient Art ,
which can be reached via an
underground passage between the two
Museums. In the collection of the
20th century the following are
represented : fauvism ( Wouters,
Spilliaert, Auguste Oleffe,
Ferdinand Shirren, Jean
Brusselmans), surrealism: (Rene
Magritte with 26 major works, Paul
Delvaux, Max Ernst, Francis Picabia,
Tanguy, etc), Futurism
(Schmalzigaug, Prosper de Troyer),
abstractionism (Peters, Victor
Servranckx, Flouquet), young Belgian
painters: (Louis Van Lint, Bonnet,
Mendelson, Mortier, Delahaut), the
Cobra Movement (with Karel Appel,
Pierre Aleschinsky) and others such
as Pol Dury, Christian Dotremont,
Lacomblez. Among the modern
sculptors whose works are displayed
are: Wouters, Jespers, Cantré,
Puvrez, Bury, Leplae, George Segal,
Tony Cragg, Strebelle, Ubac.
Natural Science Museum:
rue Vautier 29
02-627-42-38
9:30-4:45 Tues-Sat 9:30-6 on Sunday
Admission charged.
Bus 34,80
The Museum of the Royal Institute
for Natural Sciences of Belgium
gives a fascinating overview of
natural life over the course of
time. This large complex is on a
hill overlooking Parc Léopold. It is
an excellent place to visit with
children. The major attraction of
the Museum is its collection of the
so-called "iguanadons of
Bernissart". Skeletons of these
dinosaurs were found in the late
19th century in the small village of
Bernissart in the south of Belgium.
The beautifully reconstructed
skeletons draw many people every
year This is an ideal Museum to
visit with children.
Other permanent collections are:
The inhabitants of the seas of the
jurassic and cretaceous eras; "Of
Men and Mammoths" - The evolution of
mankind, with special focus on
ice-age men and their environment;
The insect world (e.g. an animated
termite mound); Whales - 18
skeletons; Mammals - on display are
80 of the 107 existing mammal
families; The fauna in Belgium -
with dioramas; Mineralogy - (also
fragments of moon rock and
meteorites). The new Arctic and
Antarctic galleries are well
presented and lead into the whale
room where the skeleton of a blue
whale is suspended from the ceiling. |
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