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

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.

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!

Ornate city hall that offers hour long tour's during the week. Inside city hall the Mayor's…read moreoffice, City Council Room, All ceremonial offices, Maximilian Board Room, Wedding Hall, Gothic Hall, Portrait & Grange Gallery can be found. City hall was built in the early 1400's and is the only remaining medieval building of the Grand Place. The Grand-Place was damaged during the bombardment of Brussels in 1695. The 315 ft tall in Brabantine Gothic style tower was completed in 1455. Above the roof is pinnacled octagonal openwork. At the summit is a 16 ft tall gilt metal statue of Saint Michael, the patron saint of the City of Brussels, slaying a dragon.

My BFF's civil wedding was held here in May, and I was positively delighted to enjoy the…read moreopportunity to step inside for an enchanted European-style wedding. It was absolutely stunning inside, and beyond my wildest expectations!

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.

Brussels has a sculpture of a pissing boy and a sculpture of a pissing girl, so it's no surprise…read morethere's a sculpture of a pissing dog! Erected in 1999, Zinneke Pis, by artist Tom Frantzen, is the third pissing sculpture in Brussels. (Per Wikipedia, Zinneke means "mutt" or "bastard".) Even though I don't like dogs, this is my favourite of the pissing sculptures -- it's whimsical but not gross. The bronze sculpture depicts a dog with its leg held up against a bollard and it was not far from the laundromat and my hotel. [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Brussels, Belgium; Public Art]

If you've already seen the Manneken Pis statue then take a 9 minute walk and see man's best friend…read moreif you have the time. The dog was immortalized in the ready position but no continuous flow or large crowds like Manneken Pis.

The peeing boy fountain sculpture is meant to promote fun and humor of the city that is Brussels…read more He's been around since 1619 when he was created by Jerome Duquesnoy, and he still stands and pees proudly today. Manneken is absolutely worth seeing whilst in Brussels. His counterpart, Jeanneke Pis is also worth visiting. Manneken has different ensembles for holidays and celebrations throughout the year.

3.5. This was my…read moresecond visit to Brussels--on my prior visit, I basically states in the Grand Place, but unbeknownst to me, was the attraction. Someone I met in Paris informed me about this place, and I had no idea, it was so popular, or why. On my final day in Brussels, I came early morning to take some photos. Many people were there and I was still equally confused as to what's the big deal but nonetheless, this place remains as one of their greatest attractions.

Royal palace in Brussels. About a 10 walk from the grand place plaza and gare centrale. Very well…read moremaintained Royal residence. The self guided tour is free and takes about 45 minutes. Well worth the stop and also diversion from the summer heat for some air conditioning if needed.

Today was a sunny Sunday... so we decided to take a stroll in Brussels…read more We were just passing by the Royal Palace (like we usually do) but this time we decided to stop by for a curious tour within the walls of this majestic place. Luckily it's summer time and the Royal Palace opens for a couple of weeks (July 22 - September 6) which is a great initiative to make the locals and tourists discover a part of the Belgian heritage and a bonus point for everyone, the entrance is free! This is my very first visit (after being in Belgium for 20 years) and it was about time. The ambiance in and out of the Palace was relaxed but a bit crowded due to the massive number of visitors (Sunny Sunday). A guided map is available for only a Euro at the main hall. There isn't really a starting point of the tour, you can just go with the flow as you'll be following the movement of those in front of you. We passed by different rooms where some numbers are attached to the portraits, rugs, etc. (detailed info might have been mentioned on the guided map that I didn't bought). There were guards everywhere mainly to remind the visitors to not use their camera flashes. The place was quite clean and tidied up, all the lights were lit for the occasion which really shows how grandiose this place is. From the salon room through the passageway, the back halls to the prestige ballrooms, an attention to details is required and that is from the floor up to the ceiling. The Royal Palace has been well preserved for all these years and hopefully for many more to come as this shows the history of Belgium and where the Belgian's should be proud of !!! A good place to go if you want to discover a bit of Belgium's history.