After effectively navigating the crowds and exploring some less-frequently visited sights in Amsterdam, it was time for me to take the train south to Brussels, the middle stop of my Benelux Sandwich. If the (wrongheaded) stereotypes of Amsterdam involve hedonistic hippies smoking pot and hiring prostitutes in the Red Light District all day and night, Brussels has the exact opposite reputation. In fact, although Belgium has a highly-developed tourism industry, many steer clear of the Belgian capital altogether, opting instead to visit Ghent, Antwerp or Burges. Brussels serves not only as the capital of Belgium, but for the entire EU as well. The city gets a bad rap for being nothing more than a giant convention center for diplomats, ambassadors and assorted politicians who regularly flood the city to debate European policy.
This can work to your favor as backpacker. I don’t know if I’d label any world capital in Western Europe exactly as “off-the-beaten-path,” but Brussels is as close as you can get. Most tourists earmark a few hours for snapping those Instagramable pics of the Grand Place and the Mannekin Pis statue before calling a day. The truth is, Brussels has a wealth of top-of-the-line museums (KANAL is one of the greatest contemporary art museums I’ve ever visited after traveling to five continents) and the best part is, you won’t have to fight the hoards of gawkers found at similar institutions in Amsterdam.
Brussels also lacks some of the polish and shine that permeates through the Dutch capital. The city is a little gritty and definitely feels lived in. Likewise, the residents are more down-to-earth and easier to strike up a conversation with compared to the more reserved Dutch. Brussels reminded me a lot of New York; a city of many cultures and immigrants coming together in a melting pot that is nonetheless quintessentially Belgian. Amsterdam is homogenized and Brussels is a hodgepodge.
Much like Brussels’ mishmash of Baroque, Gothic, Art Nouveau and Modern Architecture, Belgium’s early history, through the Middle Ages and up to mid-16th Century, is a recounting of fiefdoms and micro states expanding and contracting as the decades rolled by. Up until the Eighty Years War (1568-1648), Belgium’s history was completely intertwined with that of present-day Luxembourg and The Netherlands. The so-called Seventeen Provinces, that roughly make up what we think of as the Benelux region today, found themselves under Spanish control. Spain ruled the territory with an iron fist, especially when it came to the persecution of all non-Catholics. This caused the Seventeen Provinces to unite and wage a war of independence against the Spanish crown. 100,000 resistance fighters lost their lives before the end of the war, and while the Dutch managed to achieve their liberation in the newly-founded “The Northern Netherlands,” Spain retained control of Belgium and Luxembourg, declaring them “The Southern Netherlands.”
Up north in Amsterdam, the Dutch Golden Age brought prosperity to the region. Things weren’t as peachy down in The Southern Netherlands, which transitioned into The Spanish Netherlands, followed by The Austrian Netherlands before finally being conquered by the Napoleon and the French Army. Under French rule, the north and south were once again reunited, and upon Napoleon finally being defeated in 1814, the United Kingdom of The Netherlands emerged as one nation after the occupation. It took another sixteen years for the Belgian Revolution to allow Belgium to break free from Dutch control and form their own fully-recognized nation.
Although still in its nascency, Belgium wanted to prove they could hang with the other dominant powers in Europe. Leopold I was installed as the country’s inaugural king, establishing a monarchy that continues to do this day. His son, Leopold II, translated economic progress into colonizing Africa and enslaving its people. Under Leopold II’s reign, Belgium acquired the Belgian Congo (later Zaire; presently the Democratic Republic of Congo), as well as Rwanda and Burundi.
The Germans invaded and occupied Belgium during both World Wars; 40,690 Belgians were killed during WWII, half of which were Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. Leopold III occupied the throne at the time and was seen as a traitor to his people, accused of placating the Nazis in an effort to save his own neck. He was forced to abdicate in 1951 and a genuine Constitutional Monarchy was formed. The Belgian Parliament, led by a Prime Minister, wields the true power in Belgian politics, while the monarchy perform official state duties and act rather more as figureheads than decision makers.
The terrible working conditions in the Belgian Congo came under attack in the 1950s. Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito visited the Congo and supported Patrice Lumumba’s bid for presidency and movement towards independence. Lumumba was assassinated before he could be elected and instability rocked the region. Belgium finally granted the Congo independence in 1960, followed by Rwanda and Burundi in 1962.
Belgium itself was on the verge of being torn asunder during the turbulent 1960s. The country is divided along linguistic lines: the northern half is known as Flanders and is Flemish-speaking; the inhabitants of the southern half, Wallonia, speak French. (There is a small sliver along the southeast border that is officially German-speaking as well.) Brussels sits smack in the middle of the country on the border line and is the only part of Belgium where both Flemish and French are official languages. All signs, menus, announcements, etc must be, by law, written or spoken in each languages. Outside of Brussels, you will immediately know whether you are in Flanders or Wallonia as signage will be either only be in Flemish or French.
Flanders flourished in post-war Belgium. The economy and population blossomed until the Flemish speakers almost outnumbered the French in Wallonia 2-1. Meanwhile in Wallonia, manufacturing stalled and the region saw workers’ strikes and civil unrest. The French speakers, despite being the minority of the population, largely controlled the government. The Belgium constitution wasn’t even translated into Flemish until 1967. Soon all political parties began breaking in two: there was the Flemish Socialist Party and the French Socialist Party, the Flemish Catholic Party and the French Catholic Party, and so on.
Belgium experienced its greatest modern political crisis in 2010 when, after elections, 11 political parties won seats in Parliament with none of them capturing the required 20% of the vote to have the Prime Minister selected from the majority party. It took parliament 353 days to form a coalition government, the longest any modern nation in world history has ever gone without a functioning government. There is an irony to Belgium being one of the founding members of the EU, an organization which has unified the economies of an entire continent, while they themselves have descended into a splintered mess of division and identity politics.
This modern history plays a vital backdrop when traveling in Brussels. You will find yourself in the rare instance where sticking to English can be a safer play than attempting to greet someone in either French or Flemish. The capital is a like a little bubble of multiculturalism where your status as a foreigner makes you feel like a local. In the interest of fairness, I will try to list attractions by both their French and Flemish names, although in practice, many default to the French in guidebooks and casual conversation.
Grand Place/Grote Markt
Back in the 11th Century, Brussels was little more than a vast marshland. After settlers finished draining the swamp, their second order of business was to create a central market square where local goods could be bought and sold. (The Flemish name, Grote Markt, still draws reference to the square’s original purpose as a market.) Surrounding the stalls selling bread, cheese and decorative cloths, Gothic buildings popped up to encase the square. The Grand Place was installed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1998 and consistently tops surveys as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe.
Hôtel de Ville/Stadhuis (Town Hall)
The town hall is the only original, medieval surviving edifice along the Grand Place. Built between 1401-55, the building’s most magnificent feature is its 96m (315ft) spire, which notoriously is slightly off-center. (It is rumored that the architect jumped to his death when he realized his mathematical miscalculation.) It was here that Belgians formally declared their independence from The Netherlands in 1830 and installed Leopold I as their first official monarch. You are able to view the interior by guided tour only; note that there are only two tours given in English each week, so unless you are fluent in French or Flemish, this is one pit stop not worth making.
Guilds of Brussels
As industries developed across Brussels, a network of guilds were established for the various craftsmen who plied their trades within the city walls. Each guild functioned as both a union and technical school for young apprentices wanting to learn a skill. The guilds included blacksmiths, gold and silver smiths, woodworkers, chocolatiers, pastry chefs, fishmongers, fruit sellers, masons, plumbers and electricians. The guilds were not only economic powerhouses, but they wielded significant political sway as well. Each was accommodated in one of the houses around the market square.
Maison du Roi/Broodhuis (Brussels City Museum)
Across from the square from the town hall is the Maison du Roi/Broodhuis, built by a duke, who at the time feared the common man was gaining too much authority and needed to be reminded that they were still subjects of the crown. Despite its French name, no king actually ever lived in the building; the Flemish sobriquet (literally “bread house”) refers to the bread stalls that used to occupy this corner of the market. The dueling names illustrate how sometimes the French and Flemish titles aren’t merely translations of one another, but completely different words altogether.
Before I delve into the museum, this is a good time to bring up the Brussels Card, which is sold at the tourist info booth on the Grand Place. The card can be purchased for one, three or seven day intervals and grants you unlimited access to public transportation, as well as free admission to dozens of museums and other tourist attractions. Museum prices are steep in the capital and if you’re going to be here for more than a day or two, it really is a wise investment.
The Musée de la ville de Bruxelles/Museum van de stad Brussel (Brussels City Museum) is worth a quick peek to see how the city has developed and expanded over time, and in particular to better understand the history of the Grand Place itself.
On August 13, 1695, 70,000 French troops marched into Brussels and bombed the city for 36 hours straight. Most of the city center was burned to the ground, including the original Maison du Roi and all the Guild Houses. (The interior of the town hall was gutted, but the exterior miraculously survived intact.) After the French were eventually expelled, the guild members went about rebuilding the square. It took them four years to complete, and the buildings you see today are from 1699. The reconstruction did allow the guild members to streamline and unify the architectural styles, opting for a Baroque style popular at the time.
Manneken Pis
The Manneken Pis statue is Brussels’ most famous tourist attraction and arguably one of Europe’s most famous fountains. It also has the misfortune of often being cited as one of the most overrated and disappointing in traveling circles. It basically encapsulates Brussels’ bad rap amongst backpackers: I came to see this famous statue, it sucked and now let’s go.
Manneken Pis (“naked boy peeing” in Flemish) is a bronze figure originally cast in 1618 and placed on a water feature a few blocks east of the Grand Place. The artist wanted to capture the irreverent humor of the city’s denizens and the populace instantly took a liking to the peeing child. The statue is often bedecked in colorful and playful outfits (there’s a nearby museum that shows off the over 1000 costumes created for Manneken Pis, if you’re so inclined), but when I visited he was completely nude.
Why are people so unenthused after seeing this beloved attraction? For one thing, it’s very small; Manneken Pis is only 61cm (24in) tall and is further dwarfed by his large pedestal and overwhelming fountain display. When you view close-up photographs of the statue, it’s easy to expect something a little more grand in person, leaving you with a slight, “is this it?” when face to face with the mischievous urinator. Also, due to the large crowds that gather to see Manneken Pis and the inevitable bad tourists who attempt to touch the statue, a fence was erected to keep people at bay, which in turn diminishes his size once again.
The cherry on top is that the Manneken Pis you see outside isn’t even the real deal. It’s a replica installed in 1965 after so many plotting (with some succeeding) to abscond with the little guy. After several university students made off with him for six days in an elaborate school prank, the city government had enough. The original Manneken Pis was locked under glass on the top floor of the Brussels City Museum and a mold was created to cast the replica for public viewing. Despite all that, after a fun night out eating and drinking, I stumbled past the fountain a little after midnight and found only one or two other night owls there taking photos. Without the throngs of tourists and with the benefit of getting as close to the statue as possible, I did find it somewhat charming. I wouldn’t rank it anywhere remotely near the top ten things to do in Brussels, but it’s free and acts as such an iconic symbol of the city that it would be crazy to go to Brussels and not see the pisser in action.
Palais Royal de Bruxelles/Koninklijk Paleis van Brussel (Royal Palace of Brussels)
The Royal Palace of Brussels is only open to visitors two months out of the year in late summer; admission is free. The palace has never been much a royal residence, but rather is used for state functions and receiving foreign dignitaries. The Coundenberg Palace originally stood on this ground until it was burned to the ground and the current version was rebuilt after Belgian independence. The most interesting aspect of the building is the overly long facade, which was added by Leopold II in 1904 in his efforts to assert Belgium’s might in European politics. While the actual area of the palace is half the size of Buckingham Palace in London, Leopold ordered for the imposing exterior to be twice as long as Buckingham Palace in order to give the illusion that Belgium was twice as wealthy and indestructible as the (once) mighty United Kingdom.
Across the park, the palace faces the Palais de la Nation/Paleis der Natie (Palace of the Nation) or the Belgian Parliament. This is to remind the monarchy that the people and elected government are always watching what their heads of state are up to.
Espace Leopold
Built between 1989-2004, Espace Leopold is part of the massive EU complex that dominates the eastern side of the capital. Pictured above is the Paul-Henri Spaak debating chamber, named after the Belgian Prime Minister who served from 1938-1949 (minus the years of the Nazi occupation during WWII). Spaak was instrumental in forming the Benelux economic union as well as joining France, Italy, The Netherlands, Luxembourg and West Germany to become the “Inner Six” founding members of what would become the European Union. These early alliances date back to 1951 and 1957 respectively; today the EU has 27 member nations, recognizes 24 official languages and governs over 447 million people.
The EU may primarily be an economic alliance (the EU accounts for nearly 20% of the global GDP), but member nations must also adhere to a high standard of human rights before they are admitted. Women’s rights, LGBT rights, immigrants’ rights, fair labor practices and anti-discrimination codes are all mandatory. The EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for its work in elevating the standard of living for all citizens within its boundaries. From the feudal strife of Belgium’s early history to Spaak playing a key role in uniting all of Europe, Belgium certainly pulled one of the great 180s in European history.
Belgian Waffles
After this history lesson, let’s wrap things up with a bit of levity and something you should absolutely do at the Grand Place, even if it’s touristy as hell: buy a Belgian Waffle from one of the dozens of shops right off the square and enjoy this sweet treat in Brussels’ loveliest spot. But wait- even Belgian Waffles come in three different varieties: the Brussels Waffle (pictured above), the Liège Waffle (native to Wallonia) and the Flemish Waffle (native to Flanders). The linguistic-political-economic debate even spills over into the culinary world too!
Brussels Waffles are rectangular in shape and made from a batter of egg whites and ale yeast. The Brussels variety is the lightest and crispiest of the three and is usually the only variety topped with fresh fruit, chocolate or caramel sauce and whipped cream. The Liège Waffle uses brioche bread dough as the batter base, with large pieces of pearl sugar sprinkled on top before baking. This results in a thicker, richer, chewier and sweeter waffle. It is usually only topped with either vanilla powdered sugar or cinnamon. Lastly, the Flemish Waffle combines egg whites, warm milk and over one pound of butter before being baked and topped with sugar and orange blossom water. If you don’t want to show prejudice or favoritism, the only solution is to sample one of each!
The dichotomy of unity and division saturates the Belgian landscape in every way- I couldn’t even get past discussing pastries without breaking out the old Flanders vs. Wallonia vs. Brussels lineup- but somehow the country comes together in spite of its differences. As a traveler, I liked noting and cataloguing the differences, but never got hung up on pitting one side against the other. Visiting Belgium is like getting to experience three countries for the price of one, and that’s an offer no traveler should refuse.
