Freelance writer Casey Kittrell recently returned from a trip
to Brussels. Here is his report:
ost travelers know that
Brussels is home to world-class restaurants, but even foodies like
myself need to find something to do between meals.
Architecture may not be as sexy as chocolate or beer, but those
with a taste for aesthetics -- as well as fine food and drink --
will find extra enjoyment in this often overlooked European
capital.
The city's commitment to great architecture was cemented in 1695
when, after Louis XIV of France sacked the Grand Place (Brussels'
main square), residents decided to rebuild their beautiful
buildings exactly as they had been before the French invasion.
The Grand Place is indeed "the place" to begin an architectural
tour of Brussels. The soaring belfry of the Gothic Hotel de Ville
can be seen from all over the city center.
Less imposing but more intriguing to me are the Baroque guild
houses, some of which provide architectural clues about their
former tenants. (The pediment of the boatmen's guild, for instance,
resembles the back deck of a ship.)
You could easily spend two hours strolling around the square,
admiring the grand buildings and people-watching. (If you want to
do this, get there after 11 a.m., when the delivery trucks are no
longer allowed in the square.)
An easy walk from the Grand Place is the Gallerie St. Hubert,
Europe's oldest mall, completed in 1847. It's home to luxurious
shops selling beautiful things, but anyone can enjoy a walk along
the marble corridors of this Neorennaissance arcade.
Beautiful as the Grand Place and Gallerie St. Hubert may be,
Brussels' best buildings are the art nouveau wonders of the late
19th and early 20th centuries.
Using then-new materials such as glass and steel (rather than
stone), architects like Belgian master Victor Horta designed light,
airy structures that still dazzle visitors today.
One of Horta's best works now houses the Museum of Comic Strip
Art, open Tuesdays to Sundays, with an entrance fee of about
$7.30.
Comic strips are important to Belgians, whose homegrown
characters such as Tintin and the Smurfs are known around the
world.
The museum pays tribute to them and others, although anyone who
doesn't read French or Dutch will have a hard time following the
stories in the comic-strip panels on display. (Think twice before
taking children there.)
Still, anyone can admire Horta's building, which almost seems
alive. The tall windows on the facade are garnished with
wrought-iron flourishes that could be eyelashes, and the spacious
interior seems to breathe.
Even if you're not interested in the comic strips, you still can
get a sense of the building's interior without paying
admission.
The lobby, crowned with a glass cupola, houses a small exhibit
about Horta and his work on this building.
(If you want to know more about Horta, you can visit his former
home on the outskirts of Brussels.)
The museum's gift shop, chock-full of Tintin souvenirs, is also
accessible from the lobby.
Another good museum, also now in a restored art nouveau
building, is the Musical Instruments Museum -- MIM, open Tuesdays
to Sundays. Admission is about $4.50.
On a sunny day (something of a rarity in Belgium), you'll need
sunglasses to admire the glass facade of this former department
store.
But all that glass means the interior is extraordinarily bright,
showing off instruments like the first saxophones, invented by
Belgian Adolphe Sax.
The museum also has a nice rooftop cafe, but you'll have to pay
admission to the museum to sit there.
Fittingly, one of the city's best hotels is an art nouveau
masterpiece.
The Hotel Metropole was built at the end of the 19th century and
features a gorgeous lobby (including a birdcage elevator) and a
popular streetside cafe.
The rooms are disappointingly modern and plain, but the hotel is
centrally located and within easy walking distance of the Grand
Place, Gallerie St. Hubert and the Museum of Comic Strip Art.
Brussels' beautiful buildings certainly held my attention, but I
couldn't help but notice the dozens of bars and chocolate shops
interspersed among the great architecture. I wanted to bring
something nice home to my wife, but I resisted the temptation to
plunge in and fill up the suitcase with familiar Belgian brands
like Chimay, Stella Artois and Godiva.
The best beers and chocolates in Brussels aren't made by large,
international firms, but by traditional artisans working in small
spaces.
Cantillon, for instance, is a family-run brewery still making
lambic from natural yeasts. It is open Mondays to Saturdays.
Admission is about $3.90.
You can find their beer in bars and cafes around town, but I
loved wandering through the brewery, which is deliberately full of
dust and cobwebs so the natural yeasts are allowed to work their
magic. (Sterilizing the place would destroy the yeasts.)
The self-guided tour of Cantillon includes several free samples
of their wonderfully sour beer.
And, because this is Brussels, I couldn't leave without a bit of
chocolate.
Like Cantillon, Manon's chocolates are available in a few shops
in Brussels, but if you really want to understand the art of the
chocolatier, you need to visit the workplace.
Manon is a one-man operation, however, so you'll need to make an
appointment to visit this award-winning chef.
(Be aware: Manon doesn't work on Sundays, and he's sometimes too
busy -- especially in December and around Easter -- to accommodate
guests.)
In an hour filled with tastings, Manon explained (in relatively
good English) where great chocolate comes from and how he fashions
it into distinctive pralines.
He begins with ingredients that include cherries and raspberries
from his own garden. Then he whips, spreads, carves them up and
finally reassembles them by hand, producing edible mouthfuls of
art.
A visit to Manon is available only by appointment. Phone: (011)
32-2 217-6409. For reservations at the Hotel Metropole, call (011)
32-2 214-2525; fax: (011) 32-2 218-0220; or visit www.metropolehotel.com.
For more about Brussels, contact the Belgian Tourist Office in
New York at (212) 758-8130 or visit www.visitbelgium.com.