Heart of Europe. Gastronomic paradise. Colorful thanks to the comic heroes. Capital of Belgium. And only a train ride away for me.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is that travelling has to be expensive. These days you can travel in true luxury but you can also travel as a backpacker. Many cities provide you with metros or rent-a-bike so I believe going on a citytrip has never been easier. The budget for a citytrip depends on what you want to spend on it. And you don’t even need a flight ticket. Because in most countries there is much to see in your own backyard. Since summer of 2018 is so hot I wanted to go on holiday. But because I didn’t have a lot of time, I decided to go on a holiday in my own country. Destination: the capital, Brussels.

I went to Brussels for the weekend. Starting on saturday afternoon I had a nice walk through the city center. Temperature was rising so it was a relief to come at the Fish Market (Vismarkt/Marché aux Poissons) where Cokes were given for free for all the people walking by. The Fish Market is al large place were at the opposite sides are large areas with water. In one of them there’s a large obelisk fountain. Many people were sitting at the sides, most of them with there feet in the cold water. It was really refreshing and I really felt like being in a tropical city and not like being in rainy Belgium. Afterwards I continued to Brussel Bad – a large open air, beachlike and free festival where you hear music, where kids can play and where you can experience all kind of food from around the world.

After having my instant  holiday-feeling I returned to the center. Not only did the streets get smaller but the crowd in the street was growing. Still I could have a look at the symbol of Brussels, the little fountain of a boy peeing, Manneken Pis. It is really small but extremely popular by locals and by tourists. The statue also has a large garderobe of outfits that it wears on special days or occasions. Very close to the statue is the Grand Square (Grote Markt/Grand-Place), the most famous sight of Brussels and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Grand Square is really beautiful to see and every building looks just as beautiful as its neighbour. You should really take your time to admire the buildings. I was there at sunset and it made the place even more magnificent. The orange sky gave the perfect backdrop of these architectural beauty.

I stayed the night at a hotel at De Brouckere Place which was a good place to explore Brussels. It doesn’t have the noise of the center but you’re close to almost everything.

Next day I went to the other part of Brussels. I started with visiting the royal palace. It’s not the palace where the royal family lives (that’s the palace of Laeken) but it is the palace that is used for official ceremonies so it’s kind of the workplace for the king. It’s good to know that the 21st of July Belgium has its national holiday. The royal family have a break afterwards so they open the palace during the summer months fort he public… for free.

Obviously it’s not as huge or as luxurious as Versailles but I should definitely recommend this place. Not only are the rooms that are open still very impressive but it’s a special feeling to walk through a place that’s still used and where so many important people have been (and some not so long ago). Not only does the palace open it doors but it also wants to inform the visitors. In every room you have information about what the rooms are used for and you can see photos of some of the key moments in the history of the palace. And you might even recognize some international famous faces like Obama, Poetin and the Queen. Although very nice to have the information, it also make the places a little les visible. The readers with information but also the art constructions take a lot of space. This means that in some rooms you can’t see the whole seize of it which I think is as missed oppurtunity.

From the Palace it was a small walk to the Egmontpark where I had a brunch and to the Zavel where there was an antiques market. After having a nice walk through the center – and keep your eyes open for the churches, beautiful buildings, comic walls where the most famous Belgian heroes from comics decorate the walls and street musicians, I returned to the Grand Place. At the Brussels Town Hall there are often exhibitions, this time about posters of the Belle Epoque. Glorious to see the posters as well as the Town Hall itself.

Before returning home I went for dinner at the Rue des Bouchers (Beenhouwersstraat) which is full of restaurants with their terrasses on the street. If you go for dinner I recommend you to try something typically Belgian. During summer you have the opportunitry to try mussels – with obviously the belgian fries and mayonaise – which is a real delight. And if you liked Manneken Piss you should search its sister statue Jeanneken Pis, in a little side street called Impasse de la Fidélité (Getrouwheidsgang) but beware that Manneken Pis is much more beautiful – Manneken stands in his own corner of two streets and Jeanneken is in a dead end small street  and behind bars.

Of course a weekend is not enough to fully explore Brussels (and I was only in the center of the city) but a weekend is enough to have a real good time in the Belgian capital and to have some good meals.

Some tips when you visit Brussels:

• Plan beforehand: check out what you want to see. In the center you can see everything by foot or by renting a bike, but if you like to see some more (like The Atomium for example you should go for public transportation).
• Bilingual: Brussels is officially bilingual in Dutch and French. This means that almost every sign has the Dutch and French name of the place, even on tourist maps. So beware that everything has two official names.
• Which season: depending on your own interests, you should search for what Brussels has to offer each season. Cause some times visits, like the royal palace, and expositions are for free.
• Look around in the streets for the comic walls: belgian comics are big. Some of them are ever world famous. Tintin, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke,… they all started in Belgium. To honor the belgian comics, the streets are decorated with painted mural walls. Allmost every big comic series of Belgium has its own wall.
• Have a good meal: Belgians like to have a good meal and drink. Try some typical belgian food and while at it, try our famous beers.