Every reason why Brussels is an amazing place to live

We do have great beer and chocolate after all

Hide Images

Brussels is definitely a city which has got a lot of bad press in the last couple of years. Yet, having spent the majority of my school years in this multicultural capital, that is not the perception my friends and I have of the city.

From the beautiful Grand Place to the amazing bar scene, here are some of the reasons for why Brussels is the best place to live.

Hanging out

Credits: Alessandra Ljung

There are three places where everyone would go to chill in Brussels: the parks, Grand Place and the student centre of Université Catholique de Louvain, also known by its subway-station name, ‘Alma’.

As for parks, they are the ultimate go-to place for a lot of youngsters. One example is the pretty glorious Parc du Cinquantenaire with its Arc de Triomphe.

Parc du Cinquantenaire. Photo credits: Amalia Hammarlund

Grand Place is also one of the more scenic places in Brussels. With its rich history and immaculate architectural detail, it is a hotspot for tourists, especially during its flower carpet seasons and light show displays. Yet, towards the night this square turns into a meeting point for those who just want to sit down and enjoy each other’s company, whilst perhaps having a drink or two (hopefully not a 12 per cent Gordon finest beer).

Of course, this applies during the warmer months. For the chillier parts of the year you’d probably rather find yourself at one of the many fun-filled bars around Grand Place.

Beers at Alma

Now, ‘Alma’ I would note is not a place you would find yourself at as a common tourist. Go back to my pre-graduation days, and on a Friday or Saturday night 50 per cent of the customers in ‘Le Manhattan Café’ would be international school kids. This place definitely has its charm though with its beer ‘metres’ (basically a wooden plank holding ten beers- not to be ordered on an individual basis) and foosball.

The food

For those of you who are big foodies, Brussels is a treat. The city is full of cafés, brasseries and cuisines from all parts of the world. Approximately 70 per cent of Brussels’ population is of foreign origin, contributing to this multicultural atmosphere. There are however some specialties which should be tried by every newcomer.

Firstly, if you’re into seafood, mussels in particular, Moules-frites (mussels with a side of Belgian fries) would probably be your cup of tea.

The fries, or frites, are actually as scrumptious as people make them out to be. Sorry to those of you who are ‘fries-and-ketchup’ combo people, but that’s a pretty big no-no (or at least quite frowned upon) in Belgium. Mayonnaise or sauce Andalouse are the classic recommendations.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQIcdRwhw9r/?tagged=belgianwaffles&hl=en

Finally, for the sweet-tooths, there is of course the renowned Belgian chocolate. Chocolate stores are very much everywhere to be found. However, even better are the Belgian ‘gaufres’,  which are a lot thicker and sugary than the Scandinavian or American style waffles. These are sold in numerous stalls around tourist attractions, but also in subway stations, on shopping streets and from ice cream vans. At some of these stalls you’ll have the option to add on fruit, Nutella, whip-cream etc., making them the oyster of waffle-world.

Culture

Besides Grand Place and the lavish monuments sprucing up parks, there are plenty of other sites to see and cultural activities to immerse yourself in, in Brussels.

Manneken Pis (the statue of a little boy peeing) and even more so his sister statue (hidden away in a bar alleyway) are very much underwhelming. The EU headquarters may certainly be of interest to some, as well as the Atomium, but I’d be careful to call them revolutionary. I would give the Magritte Museum, displaying the art of Belgian artist René Magritte, a visit and check out the Art Nouveau architecture around the city.

Additionally, the music scene in and around Brussels is the best. Belgium is home to some of the biggest festivals on an international level including Tomorrowland and Rock Werchter, but even Brussels gets its share of fantastic concerts. Big bands from Oasis to Pendulum visit the capital on tour. Some of the concert venues are also quite picturesque, including Le Botanique.

Nights out

On a night out in Brussels, you may start out with the classic Delirium café, which is very attractive to tourists. The bar apparently offers up to 2,400 (!) types of beers. Rather impressive. However, others may decide to start at Mappa Mundo bar. Serving some of the tastiest wine ever, you are never 100 per cent sure what you’ll be in for at Mappa Mundo. Sometimes the bartenders will ring a bell at which they’ll all have to rush to the bar-counter to take a shot, other times someone will bring out a mannequin head out of nowhere. Eccentricity in all its beauty.

After having been at either one (or both) of these bars, you and your friends may (or will most definitely) decide that it will be a good idea to go to the bar right next door to Delirium, the Floris bar. This bar serves all kinds of Absinthe, including a 90 per cent kind which is ‘inhaled’ through a pipe. It is a bit of tradition to take an Absinthe shot here, but this bar also does smashing cocktails, including tasty Mojitos.

Floris Bar. Photo credits: Dean Smith

You may have or have not lost your friends after Floris, but you’ll continue on to karaoke bar ‘Nua’, or live music bar Bonnefooi. Quite hidden, this place keeps open till 6am and is the perfect place to end one’s night. Beers, jazzy music and good vibes.

A lit (up) Grand Place. Photo credits: Dean Smith

My experience of Brussels may have been quite different to many others’ considering I went to an international school and grew up in a very tight-knit European School bubble. What I definitely gained full insight into though, is the multicultural aspect which makes an EU hub. It is this multiculturalism which makes it so easy for everyone to take part in these joyous experiences which highlight Brussels.