Brussel/Brussels, the capital city of Belgium, and one of the most accessible cities in Northern Europe.
Those who travelling from countries which border België need no instructions from Hector. International travel must be a breeze, and with Schengen in place, no passport required.
Ferries to/from Oostende and Zeebrugge offer the option of bringing one’s car across the Channel / North Sea.
Eurostar from London – St. Pancras is the simplest and possibly most civilised means of reaching Brussel from the south of England. For those who live further north in the UK, Scotland even, train may just be an affordable luxury. The train goes to Brussels Midi / Brussel Zuid, choose your own language, the Hector prefers to avoid French. Brussel Zuid is adjacent to Anderlecht to the south of the tourist city centre which is served by Brussel-Centraal. One needs to buy an extra train ticket.
From the UK, flying with Ryanair is often the cheapest option – not to the main Brussel Airport north of the city, but Brussels South outside Charleroi.
Flibco are a major presence at Brussel South running regular buses to destinations all over België and south to Luxembourg. One can book in advance on their app, but if one’s flight is delayed, who knows?
Taking the train up to Brussel-city firstly requires the TEC bus, either the A1 to Charleroi, or better still, the A3 to Luttre, which being north of Charleroi, means one is not doubling back on oneself. This story has lots of norths and souths.
The TEC bus stands lie beyond the shiny new Flibco ticket office. It is poorly signed, I wonder why? Cash only, otherwise there is a TEC app which is particularly useful if one does not have change.
The SNCB app is useful for planning train journeys around België, there is an international version for trains leaving the country.
For those of us who are over 65, there is a €8.50 price cap on any single journey or day return within the country.
Unlike Deutschland where Inter City (IC) trains are priced higher than local trains, in België, one ticket does all.
Getting around Brussel
There are plenty of buses, with different companies of course, trams and Metro. With little sign of trams or Metro around Grand Place, some have been known the to miss the underground Metro running from the low level at Brussel Zuid to La Bourse where the action begins.
Purchases a 24 hour – day STIB card for use on the Metro, trams and buses marked with the blue STIB logo. Available at train and Metro stations, one cannot go wrong, unless one tries to use it on a TEC / De Lijn bus.
According to the STIB website, one can tap on/off with a bank card. This is not recommended on the Metro, unless one wishes to take the risk of being trapped in a dark, empty station late at night when the barrier does not let you out.
Buy a paper ticket, simples. Buy more than one, such that at the end of the 24 hour period, one is ready to go with the next.
A bit of culture
Architecturally, the majority of buildings in the outskirts of Brussel are red brick a la south of England, and therefore nothing to become excited about. This makes the Grand Place and surrounding streets, featuring La Bourse, stand out from its surroundings.
The Grand Place, Manneken Pis and Atomium are the three oft listed highlights. Try and find the Zinneke Pis. The European Parliament lies to the east of the city centre, the UK was once a member. Then the English let the idiots vote. Who was taking the pis? Scotland did not vote to leave Europe!
It is worth also pointing out that Brussels is a good place to dine, after years of effort, a decent Curry House – CHILLI Grill – has even been discovered close to the Brussels Beer Project, at Porte de Flandre, just one. For a cross section of cuisine, the streets to the north of the Grand Place in particular, are lined with restaurants. When temperatures permit, outdoor eating. A few minutes outwith this area to the west in the direction of St. Catherine, is a restaurant that is highly recommended – Spinnekopke – booking advised.
This site is about Bier, Bière even, so let’s get down to business.
Brewery Taps
Brasserie Cantillon et Musée Bruxellois de la Geuze – Rue Gheude 56, 1070 Anderlecht, Brussel
Brasserei de l’Ermitage – Rue Lambert Crickx 26, 1070 Anderlecht, Brussel
Brussels Beer Project – BBP – Dansaert – Rue Antoine Dansert 188, 1000 Brussel
La Source Beer co. – Rue Dieudonné Lefèvre 4, 1020
Brasserie de la Senne – Anna Bochdreef 19/21, 1000 Brussel
Brasseries Surrealiste – Place du Noveau Marché aux Grains 22-23, 1000 Brussel
Brasserie de la Mule – Rue Rubens 95, 1030 Schaerbeek, Brussel
Beerstorming – Chau. d’Alsemberg 75, 1060 Saint-Gilles Brussel
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen – Molenstraat 47, 1651, Beersel Brussel
Craft Beer Bars
Delirium Café – Imp. de la Fidélité 4, 1000 Brussel
Little Delirium – Rue du Marché aux Fromages 9, 1000 Brussel
Le Barboteur Bierotheque – Av. Louis Bertrand 23, 1030 Schaerbeek, Brussel
Python – Beer Cellar – Av. Emile Max 55, 1030 Schaerbeek Brussel
Moeder Lambic Fontainas – Place Fontainas 8, 1000 Brussel
La Porte Noire – Rue des Alexiens 67, 1000 Brussel
GIST – Place de la Vieille Halle aux Blés 30, 1000 Brussel
Monk – Rue Sainte-Catherine 42, 1000 Brussel
Le Cercueil – Rue des Harengs 10/12, 1000 Brussel
Brussels Beer Project – BBP Bailli – Rue du Bailli 1/A, 1000 Brussel
L’Ermitage Saint-Gilles – Rue de Moscou 34, 1060 Saint-Gilles, Brussel
Moeder Lambic Original – Rue de Savoie 68, 1060 Saint-Gilles, Brussel
Dynamo – Bar de Soif – Chau. d’Alsemberg 130, Saint-Gilles, Brussel
Traditional Belgian Bars/Brasserie
Café Mort Subite – Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères 7, 1000 Brussel
Toone – Imp. Schuddeveld 6, 1000 Brussel
Poechenellekelder – Rue du Chêne 5, 1000 Brussel
Restaurants
In ‘t Spinnekopke – Place du Jardin aux Fleurs 1, 1000 Brussel (closed Sunday, Monday)
CHILLI Grill – Rue Antoine Dansert 172, 1000 Brussel