Once Brussels was the city I wanted to belong to. As a student of the European Union’s hottest law school, the Belgian capital was the beginning and the end, the place where you dream to live and work in. In the end, I discovered that, in fact, Brussels may not be the city for me. It’s too busy, too overwhelming, too chaotic, too over-the-top. But it still lured me with the Europeness, millions of Art Nouveau buildings and, you know, waffles.
Finally, after three years of absence, I’ve returned to the capital. Not as a penniless student but as a part of the group of Polish journalists. And the experience was completely different, I saw Brussels that I’ve never seen before. And I loved it!
Here’s how I’ve spent that one day in Brussels.
Put the right framing, people will come.
Brussels is a city of Art Nouveau and the Old England department store is one of the most beautiful examples.
Belgium is a kingdom and this is the palace.
The elections to European Parliament were held that day so stopping by the institution was a must. This passage had some Blade Runner vibes.
Glass, lots of glass.
Some examples of Brussels architecture are completely lifeless to me.
There is a term in architecture brusselization meaning “the indiscriminate and careless introduction of modern high-rise buildings into gentrified neighbourhoods”. You may see it here.
Brussels is famous for the comic book scene. Tintin and Smurfs are household names here. If you’re into this kind of stuff check out the comic book route. There are lots of statues and murals honoring the most well-known comic book heroes.
Brussels street views are amazing. This one is from the European quarter.
This one is from Ixelles.
Sometimes the symmetry gets impressive.
One of the architectural highlights of the city is the glorious Cinquantenaire triumphal arch erected in 1905. By the way, there is a car tunnel under it and the bushed on the right hide the vibrant highway. Genius urban move.
There is an Autoworld museum featuring hundreds of vintage cars for all you car lovers. If that’s your thing, add it to your one day in Brussels itinerary.
Let’s go to the area luring millions of tourists to Brussels. That’s the magnificent Old Town filled with gold, pompous architecture and pretty historic houses.
The must-visit place here is definitely the Grand Place. You’ve seen it on hundreds of pictures of Brussels before. That’s the epitome of Western European beauty.
So much gold, everything is over-the-top.
Just look at this elaborate facade of the City Hall.
That’s it, that’s how I’ve spent my one day in Brussels.
This article is done in cooperation with Lublin Airport that has recently launched a flight to Antwerp.
Train from Antwerp to Brussels takes 1 hour.
Tickets – approx. € 14.80 return
Book tickets here – https://www.belgiantrain.be/en
Lublin – Antwerp flight info
Airline: TUIfly
Flight time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Timing:
Lublin – Antwerp – Fridays, 20:15 – 22:30
Antwerp – Lublin – Mondays, 17:25 – 19:30
Pricing: Return trip from around 130–150 EUR (~60 EUR one way)
This article is done in cooperation with Lublin Airport that has recently launched a flight to Antwerp
Lublin – Antwerp flight info
Airline: TUIfly
Flight time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Timing:
Lublin – Antwerp – Fridays, 20:15 – 22:30
Antwerp – Lublin – Mondays, 17:25 – 19:30
Pricing: Return trip from around 130–150 EUR (~60 EUR one way)
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Pavlo is an experienced travel writer published by CNN, BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, The Irish Times, Time Out, DK Eyewitness and Lonely Planet. He’s been writing about Poland for 9+ years.