The floral carpet is one of those things that most visitors to Belgium see on every single…read morepostcard, but rarely get to experience live. It takes a certain degree of planning - first of all, you have to go in an even year (there was one this year, the next is in 2010), then there are the exact dates of the carpet as it only lasts for two weeks. And just when you've cracked all that, turning up to Grand Place and looking at a sea of petals from ground level isn't particularly impressive, so you need to go the final mile and pay EUR3 or so to get into the Town Hall, queue up patiently, climb the steps to the tower and view it from above on the balconies (though to be fair, you pass some excellent and interesting rooms in the Town Hall as you wait to get to a balcony). It's worth it though. The 2006 carpet had rotating flowerbeds on, and when you consider just how many thousands of flowerheads have been diligently pressed into moss, it makes Derbyshire well dressing look like child's play.

É lindo da mais !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!read more

This historic central square is probably one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. What an amazing…read moreplace to feel what it must have been like centuries ago, eat lunch, or people watch. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's pedestrian only. We've hung out and strolled through in the early morning, afternoon, late evening, and even after dark well after midnight. Every two years in August, a floral carpet is installed in the middle of the centre. It's a ginormous arrangement of breathtaking flowers. A Christmas tree and lights go up every year. The neo-gothic architecture is outstanding from the kings's house to the town hall. Such an amazing piece of history that should be on everyone's sightseeing list.

The Grand Place is absolutely stunning and lives up to its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site…read more The gold-trimmed architecture of the guildhalls and the Town Hall will leave you in awe. It's worth visiting twice--once during the day to see the intricate details, and again at night when everything is beautifully lit up. While it is usually packed with people, if you come very early in the morning, you can enjoy the square almost entirely to yourself. The surrounding area is full of shops and food, though it is very touristy, so keep that in mind. If you're lucky enough to visit during the holidays, the festive decorations are spectacular!

Lovely old 'Art Deco' pool. Clean water. Not much lane discipline. You need speedo type swimwear…read moreand a hat (lifeguards lent me the latter). €3.50 good value for a visiting Londoner.

If you love comics then Brussels is the city to see them. You will see characters like Tintin,…read moreSpirou, Smurfs and so many more. They are all over the city and there is a comic strip route you can take and discover them all. Places I saw them in my trip were buildings, walls, museums, galleries, comic book shops etc. We actually found the history behind the comics in our walking tour. The tour guide highlighted them and stopped to discuss some of them. If you do not want to do a walking group tour related to comic books etc...You can discover them on your own or check out all the locations with their visiting Brussels website - https://www.brussels.be/comic-book-route It's definitely a fun visual way to see this city. Side Note- Don't forget to buy classic comic books. Ton of book stores sell them throughout the city.

Another large and beautiful church we saw on our visit to Brussels…read more The church was massive and magnificent! The stained glass windows were beautiful. We came at the perfect time to see some light peeking through the glass into the pews. It was an amazing part of our journey. This is why we stop into churches and take a moment to look around.

This is a beautiful Gothic cathedral. I had the pleasure of visiting for an event called…read moreLuminescence. It had two showings at night, and it was a beautiful lightshow accompanied by music along with the retelling of its history. Truly a magical experience. A live orchestra played as the lights danced and illuminated the architecture. I would love to come back and see the stain glassed windows in all its glory in the daytime. But overall, it is obvious in its grandeur and beauty it also holds a great historical significance to Brussels.

I came for a quick panoramic view of the city from the top, which was extremely nice, and instead…read morefound myself lingering to check out the delightful little museum housed here, all for the great price of only 5 Euro. The audio guide is included in the price, and you will want to get it as there are not many signs here, and the history is interesting. There is an English audio guide. You aren't forced to listen to everything, as you can just type in the buttons for what you want to hear. The staff were extremely friendly and encouraged me to try on the pieces of armour they had in the main floor, I had thought they were only for kids to check out and had passed by. The Porte de Hal was built in 1381 as one of six gateways which were part of the second set of defensive walls enclosing Brussels. This gate only survived because it was used as a prison, then later as a customs house, a grain storage, and even a Lutheran church. Between 1868 and 1870, the building was restored to what you see today. They took the medieval tower and touched it up with some romantic Neo Gothic extras. The entrance facing Saint- Gilles, is closest to the original appearance, and the entrance facing Brussels has the updated touches including the circular tower with a conical roof and turrets. It is this tower that houses the beautiful spiral stair case that you climb to reach the different levels of the museum and the ultimate panoramic view from the top. I would have just been happy to see the view and staircase, the rest was bonus. The other floors of the museum have a unique collection on information regarding the history of Brussels fortification system, the role of the trade guilds in Brussels (interesting after seeing all the Guild Houses in the Grand Place), and some armour including the parade armour of Archduke Albert of Austria. This was fascinating as it included the actual preserved hides of Albert's horses. You could even see the bullet wound that had killed one of the horses in battle. Per the audio guide these are some of the best preserved horses in the world. Whether you are a history buff or not, there is a bit of something here for everyone. Definitely a pleasant surprise.

Some very interesting history surrounding this building and the last 700 years of Brussels…read moreHowever the elderly staff are quite rude and unhelpful and offer no advice on how to tour the building. (You can get an audio guide to listen to but some friendly information wouldn't go astray) The building seems to be undergoing some refurbishment so level three was completely empty (no mention of this from the staff) but the view from the top was spectacular! Be warned this is near a dodgy part of town so keep an eye on your personals. One piece of advice; the tour is 5 euro however it's only 1.50 euro if you are under 26 so if you have a fresh looking face say you're only 25 and save yourself some cash because it isn't worth 5 euro!