Brussels

I have always had a curiosity about Belgium, as a country that seemingly flies under the radar quite often, to me there was so much to discover.  My knowledge of Belgium as a country was limited to its portrayal in films such as ‘In Bruges’ or conversations with expats.  One of the best things is to sometimes go explore somewhere with no expectations, or a laundry lists of sites to see, and just kind of let the wandering happen.  In Brussels, I found a charming city, with a mix of old and new.  My experience is that most of Brussels can be explored in a few days, without feeling like everything has been packed in. 

Firstly, one of the great things about Brussels is that is it reachable by train, something that makes travel a bit more enjoyable and less daunting.  Exploring Europe by train has been one of my favorite things.  Make sure you check out some sights such as the Royal Palace of Brussels, Eglise Notre Dame du Sabon, Mount of the Arts, Manneken Pis, Grand-Palace and lastly the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral.  I did not utilize and public transport whilst here, and I really enjoyed exploring by foot, this did mean a lot of walking but I was thrilled to do it!

There are SO many good chocolatiers throughout the city, but make sure you try out ones such as Passion Chocolat, Pierre Marcolini, and my personal favorite Mary Chocolatier.  This is also my favorite kind of gift to bring back to people when I am traveling, bit of a sweet treat is the key to people’s hearts, or is that just me? I would also grab a Belgium waffle while you are walking around, and maybe some frites! This little taste of Brussels left me with more curiosities than answers, and all of the more reason to come back!

Have you been to Brussels?