• Home
  • About
    • Work with Me
  • Travel Planning & Itineraries
  • Destinations
    • England
    • France
    • Italy
    • Scotland
    • United States
    • Wales
  • Mental Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Life Well Wandered

Life Well Wandered

27 April 2015 · Leave a Comment

Brussels

Belgium· Destinations

Share this post:

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email
If I could choose on word to describe the nature of our trip, it would be “wander”. Before leaving, I created a list of places I wanted to see in each city and would put them on my Google Maps so I had a general idea of where they were. But other than that, wander we did! Some places we focused on more museums, others we focused more on figuring out the local streets. We had one day in Brussels, so naturally we focused on walking around the streets, peeking into churches and getting to know the city. And eating one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life.

If you’re in Brussels, head to Fin de Siècle for some of the best food in the world. Like its name, it is designed in fin de siècle, art nouveau style, both on the exterior and interior. The menu is on a chalkboard on the wall (only in French) and the restaurant is packed full of tables. Be prepared to sit at the same table with strangers and arrive early as the restaurant gets crowded super fast! This wasn’t our first stop but I am talking about it first because it was so amazing. If you want a little more detail, check out my Yelp profile for the review. But definitely make a stop here if you are in Brussels.

 

Jambonneau moutarde à l’ancienne with salad and a jacket potato
aka Mega ham with delicious mustard and it was SO good.

Now back to semi-chronological order: we first hit up l’Eglise St. Gilles, a Catholic church built in the 19th century which was on the same street as our Airbnb.

 

We then hit up Paroisse Notre-Dame au Sablon, a Catholic church built in the 15th century.

 

 

We then wandered around a little more, seeing a pretty little park and some buildings and some pretty official buildings.

 

 

And this really cool clock….

One thing I loved about the street below, which was right by the town centre, was the fact that it looks nothing like the other streets we saw in Brussels. The red awnings and eclectic signage (not to mention the lack of tourists), made me smile. I also just love this picture for some reason too.

Once you walk by that little street you enter Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a famous shopping arcade that predates the other famous arcades in Milan and St. Petersburg. The Galeries Royales St. Hubert were designed in 1836 and building commenced in 1846. It is made up of Galerie du Roi, Galerie de la Reine and Galerie du Prince. Something I found interesting was the motto displayed at the entrance when it was built was “omnibus omnia” (everything for everybody). Walking around them I definitely didn’t feel that way! Everything was so fancy and pretty and it made me want all the money!

 

Finally some might say, we made it to Grand-Place, the main square of Brussels. The Town Hall is the gorgeous building you see in the picture below. It was built between 1402 and 1420 and was completely gutted in 1695 after the bombardment of Brussels by the French army. Even though it was packed with tourists, it was still one of my favourite spots in Brussels. Such pretty architecture!!

 

Next on our list was Eglise Notre Dame de Bon Secours. It was built between 1664 and the end of the 17th cent. Interestingly enough, the church was named after a statue discovered on site thought to be miraculous. It has been reconstructed several times.

 

 

 

 

Our last stop was a mystery church (aka I didn’t make a note of the name) but it was really pretty and bright inside, unusual for European churches!

 

 

 

 

And now for a little street art/graffiti to end the tour. While we weren’t in Brussels for long enough to get a fantastic feel for the city, I liked it. It wasn’t my favourite on our trip but I’m glad I saw it. I’d love to go back and check out some of the museums there and maybe spend a little more time wandering around and relaxing. Next stop, Paris!

 

You may also like

Share this post:

See also  The Prettiest Streets on the Upper West Side in NYC
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email
Previous Post: « Trip Highlights: Food
Next Post: Paris, je t’aime »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Life Well Wandered

alex life well wandered

Welcome to my corner of the internet! Life Well Wandered is a travel blog where you'll find a little bit of everything. I love sharing itineraries from past trips, secret spots I've discovered on my travels, histories of places I find fascinating, and stories about my mental health.

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Life Well Wandered

Search

What’s New

  • A Guide to Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds
  • The Real-Life Inspiration for Moria? Exploring St. Edward’s Church in Stow-on-the-Wold
  • A Lord of the Rings Guide to the Cotswolds: Places That Inspired Tolkien’s World
  • Day Trips from London: Stonehenge & Salisbury
  • Visiting Upper Slaughter in the Cotswolds: A Guide
Follow
college tourist

Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Please check our disclosure page for more information.

lifewellwandered

My favorite stop in Bruges was City Hall. Built in My favorite stop in Bruges was City Hall. Built in 1376, it is one of the oldest in the Low Countries and has been used as the seat of the city government for over 600 years. 🤓
Inside City Hall is the beautiful gothic hall. It was remodeled in the 19th century and decorated with beautiful murals and woodwork from floor to ceiling. The ceiling dates from 1385. The murals were painted in the 19th century and depict different people from Belgian history, including Jan Van Eyck, Brueghel, Rubens, and more. 😍 #lifewellwandered
If you fancy climbing up about 400 steps in a spir If you fancy climbing up about 400 steps in a spiral staircase, then consider visiting the Belfry in Bruges. From the top, you'll see just how beautiful Bruges is, with its winding streets and orange rooftops. 😍
Dating back to the 13th century, the Belfry is the most important tower in Bruges. At over 83 meters (272 feet) tall, it was an important status symbol in the Middle Ages. It formerly housed the treasury and city archives, as well as a market for the town. 🏰
At the top of the tower, you'll find a carillon—47 bells playable by hand with a keyboard—with bells ranging in weight from two pounds to 11,000 pounds. Historically, the bells were used not only to mark the passage of time but also to alert residents of fires, work hours, or important events. Today, if you visit at the top of the hour, you'll get to experience the ringing of the bells. 🛎 #lifewellwandered
In March of 2015, I began my biggest trip around E In March of 2015, I began my biggest trip around Europe to date. We had about 5 weeks off (during which we were supposed to be revising for exams) so my friend and I took the opportunity to see as much of Europe as possible while also getting to know each stop as well as possible. A hard balance to strike, but we did the best we could! 🇪🇺
Our first stop was Bruges. We visited on the day of a solar eclipse, but it was already cloudy and foggy so the lack of sunlight wasn’t noticed. We spent our day in Bruges wandering around the streets and eating waffles - not a bad start to a trip around Europe that would be characterized by eating and wandering! 🍽 #lifewellwandered
The last stop on my series of day trips around Eng The last stop on my series of day trips around England was Windsor. I had been close to Windsor once before but had yet to visit Windsor Castle or the town. Windsor Castle was overwhelming. 🏰
It is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, founded by William the Conqueror and the home of 39 monarchs. We spent hours walking around the various wings and exhibits, trying to absorb everything we could. Have you visited Windsor Castle before? 👑 #lifewellwandered
Bath is most famous for, well, its Roman baths. As Bath is most famous for, well, its Roman baths. As a Roman history nerd, Bath was on my to-visit list for ages and I spent my entire visit to the baths geeking out over all of the artifacts and ruins. 🤓
For thousands of years, 240,000 gallons of 115ºF water has risen into this spring, known as the Sacred Spring, daily. In Roman times, this phenomenon was believed to be the work of the Gods, so Romans built a temple dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, a deity with healing powers, around the spring. Water from it feeds the Roman baths. 🛁 #lifewellwandered
Three churches have occupied the site of Bath Abbe Three churches have occupied the site of Bath Abbey since 757AD. There was first an Anglo-Saxon monastery, then a massive Norman cathedral (the foundations of which can be seen underground in one part of the Abbey) and then the present abbey church from the 1600s. ⛪️
The first King of England, King Edgar, was crowned here in 973 - his coronation set the precedent for the current coronation ceremony of all kings and queens of England. 👑 #lifewellwandered
I visited Winchester on what felt like the first w I visited Winchester on what felt like the first warm, sunny day in months. When you live in a place without regular sun, you always take advantage of beautiful days. Winchester made the perfect destination for a beautiful day spent walking around and exploring. 🤗
Winchester’s High Street is built along the original Roman street that led through the town. Today, it has buildings dating from the 16th century. The clock was presented after a visit from Queen Anne in 1713. 🕑 #lifewellwandered
Chances are, you’ve heard of the Knights of the Chances are, you’ve heard of the Knights of the Round Table. Did you know that the Round Table of King Arthur can be found in the Great Hall in Winchester? ⚔️
While this table was created around 1290, well after the death of King Arthur and his knights, it’s still impressive to visit. Weighing over one ton, it is thought to portray King Arthur on his throne surrounded by 24 places for his knights. King Henry VIII added a Tudor Rose during his reign. Swipe for a closer look at the table! 🤓 #lifewellwandered
In another edition of always visit the cathedral i In another edition of always visit the cathedral in the town you visit, I bring you Winchester Cathedral. One of the reasons why I chose to visit Winchester of all places was its connection to Jane Austen. Jane Austen spent the last weeks of her life in a house in Winchester and was laid to rest in its cathedral in 1817. ⛪️
Have you ever traveled somewhere because of a favorite author? 🤓 #lifewellwandered
Load More... Follow on Instagram
  • Home
  • About
  • Travel Planning & Itineraries
  • Destinations
  • Mental Health
  • Lifestyle

Copyright © 2023 · beloved theme by Restored 316