Lonely Planet Pocket Bruges & Brussels , livre ebook

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Bruges & Brussels
Top Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Shopping
Entertainment
Festivals & Events
Museums & Galleries
Architecture
LGBT+ Life
Markets
Parks & Gardens
For Kids
Tours
Four Perfect Days
Need to Know

Explore Bruges

Bruges Neighbourhoods
Markt, Burg & North Bruges
South Bruges

Explore Brussels

Brussels Neighbourhoods
Grand Place & Îlot Sacré
Royal Quarter
EU Quarter & Etterbeek
Musée Horta

Worth a Trip

Belgian Coast

Survival Guide

Survival Guide
Before You Go
Arriving in Bruges & Brussels
Getting Around
Essential Information
Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers
Welcome to Bruges & Brussels

The Bs have it: romantic, canal-woven Bruges and buzzing multinational Brussels are Belgium’s unmissable duo. While Brussels dwarfs Bruges in size, both feature boats plying waterways, serene parks, a web of cycling trails, lively marketplaces, forward-looking fashion and galleries packed with home-grown art, from Brueghel masterpieces to Hergé’s Tintin. All this plus the finest beer and chocolate in the world.

Grand Place , Brussels | HECTOR CHRISTIAEN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Bruges & Brussels Top Sights

1 Markt
Magnificent, magical, medieval square at the heart of Bruges.

BBA PHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 Burg
Bruges’ eclectic architecture hub.

DR TRAVEL PHOTO AND VIDEO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 Begijnhof
A prayerful place of peace in Bruges.

SCIROCCO340/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 Grand Place
Europe’s most theatrical medieval square, in Brussels.

REPISTU/GETTY IMAGES ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 Groeningemuseum
Bruges’ best fine art collection.

MAURICE SAVAGE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 Museum Sint-Janshospitaal
Memling and medicine, Bruges.

PICS FACTORY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 Parc du Cinquantenaire
Green space and Brussels culture.

PICS FACTORY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 Musée Art & Histoire
World cultures on display in Brussels.

IVAN YOHAN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée
Lively comics in Brussels.

BIBIANA CASTAGNA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts
Old and new art in Brussels.

PBOMBAERT/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 MIM
Magical sounds and marvellous architecture in Brussels.

KIEV.VICTOR/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bruges & Brussels Top Sights
1 Musée Horta
Brussels’ greatest art nouveau creation.

SANTI RODRIGUEZ/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Eating

Bring a healthy appetite with you – restaurants in Bruges and Brussels dish up a seemingly endless procession of delicious fare. What’s more, Belgium boasts more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere else in Europe. Many cafés (bars and pubs) also serve hearty meals.

STUART FORSTER/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

What to Eat
Breakfast in Flanders is a hearty affair of cured meats, cheeses, cereals and so on. At lunchtime many restaurants offer a dish of the day ( dagschotel in Dutch; plat du jour in French). Also watch for a ‘menu of the day’ (dagmenu; menu du jour). These set menus comprise three or more courses and work out cheaper than ordering individual courses à la carte. Some kitchens open as early as 6pm for dinner, but most don’t get busy until at least a couple of hours later.

Mussels & Frites
If Belgium has a national dish, it is mussels ( mosselen in Dutch; moules in French). Forget about using a fork to scoop out these much-loved molluscs; use an empty shell as a pincer to prise them out. Fries ( frieten or frites ) are even more ubiquitous. Not only do they accompany mussels (and virtually any other dish), but they are easily Belgium’s favourite snack.

Meat Lovers
Those of a delicate disposition, beware: Belgians’ idea of saignant (rare) meat drips with blood; à point (medium) is what other nationalities consider rare, and bien cuit is the closest you’ll get to well done (these French terms are also used by Dutch speakers). Bleu steaks will barely have bounced off the grill.

Best Belgian Food, Bruges
Lieven Book ahead for this extremely popular Belgian bistro.
Den Dyver A pioneer of fine beer dining.
Pomperlut Great food with a fine terrace and cosy dark-wood interior.
Best Belgian Food, Brussels
Chez Léon Long-time tourist fave known for its ‘Mussels from Brussels’
L’Idiot du Village Book ahead for tables at this colourful, cosy restaurant.
In ’t Spinnekopke A lovely old cottage restaurant serving up meaty Belgian specials.
Best Seafood
De Stove A 20-seat gem where fish caught daily is the house speciality. (Bruges)
Bij den Boer This convivial fish restaurant won’t break the bank. (Brussels)
Mer du Nord Sublime scampi from one of the city’s best fishmonger windows. (Brussels)
Best Comfort Food
Charli Bargain pastries and cakes made with organic ingredients. (Brussels)
Maison Antoine Brussels’ best frites ? You decide. (Brussels)
That’s Toast The one and only for all-day breakfasts. (Bruges)

Traditional Belgian Dishes
Bloedworst Pig’s blood black pudding, with apple sauce
Paardenfilet/steack de cheval Horse steak
Filet américain Minced beef served raw
Konijn met pruimen Tender rabbit in prune sauce

Drinking & Nightlife

You’ll encounter a bewildering choice of Belgian beers and jenevers (gin) at just about every drinking establishment. In bars and clubs, jazz is the style of live music you’ll encounter most often. Look out for flyers in music shops, street-wear boutiques, bars and cafés about DJ nights, club fixtures and one-off parties.

MARTINA BADINI/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Drinking Culture
At specialised drinking establishments, you’ll be handed a thick menu detailing hundreds of varieties. Wading through the menus is a Herculean feat: ask the staff for the flavours and characteristics you have in mind and be guided by them. Drinking establishments usually open around 10am; closing hours aren’t restricted by law but simply depend on how busy it is on the night.
Everyone buys rounds, except ‘Bob’ – the Belgian name for the designated driver.
Remember to say ‘cheers!’ – in Dutch, schol (or gezondheid – ‘to your health’), and in French, santé !

All Kinds of Watering Holes
Cafés always serve alcohol and some, though not all, also serve food. Places that do are sometimes classified as an eetcafé (eating cafe) or a grand café (a larger, more elegant version of an eetcafé ), and it’s fine to just stop in for a drink even if you’re not dining. You can also just pop in for a drink at a brasserie or bistro, although these are chiefly eateries. Anywhere that labels itself a bar generally only serves drinks. Likewise, a herberg (Dutch for ‘tavern’) is primarily a drinking spot. One of the most atmospheric cafés for drinking is the traditional bruin café (‘brown cafe’, sometimes called a bruine kroeg ). So named for their wood panelling, interspersed with oversized mirrors, these small, cosy, old-fashioned pubs are prime places for mixing with locals.

Best Specialist Beer Pubs, Bruges
Herberg Vlissinghe The city’s oldest bar is not to be missed.
De Garre Brace your tastebuds for 11% Garre beer.
’t Poatersgat Cellar bar with umpteen Trappist beers to sample.
Best Specialist Beer Pubs, Brussels
À la Mort Subite Come for the unchanged decor and vibe.
La Fleur en Papier Doré The walls feature scribbles by surrealist Brussels homeboy Magritte.
Brussels Beer Project One of the most innovative players in the Brussels’ beer scene.
Best Live Music Bars
Du Phare Blues and jazz venue at the north end of town. (Bruges)
Le Cercle des Voyageurs Piano jazz and experimental music near Grand Place. (Brussels)
Walvis From soul to punk to progressive rock, live acts and DJ sets. (Brussels)
Best Drinking Vibes
De Stoepa A fabulous summer courtyard for drinks or dinner too, near the station. (Bruges)
BarBeton Aperitivos, cocktail hours and DJ nights. (Brussels)
Goupil le Fol Overwhelming weirdness in a sensory overload of rambling passageways. (Brussels)

Shopping

Beer and chocolate top most shopping lists for visitors to Bruges and Brussels, and each city has an astonishing array of both. Other unique buys include handmade lace, designer fashions, classic comics, diamonds and quality antiques. Bargain hunters should visit during the two annual sales periods – the first week of January and July.

Tropismes | BOTOND HORVATH/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Chocolate
Glinting light-brown, dark-brown and creamy-white coated squares, oblongs, balls and cups, embossed gold stamps and elaborate swirls, wrapped in shimmering tinfoil or twisted inside cellophane. Yes, even shopping for chocolate is an art in Belgium – and it would want to be, with premium chocolates reaching €120 per kilogram. A turning point for Belgian chocolate came in 1912, when pralines (filled chocolates) were created in Brussels. Today these are undergoing another evolution at the hands of Belgium’s mould-breaking chocolatiers, whose fusion pralines incorporate flavours such as Havana cigar, cauliflower, green pea, chilli and wasabi.

Where to Buy Chocolate
In addition to the rarefied showrooms of top chocolatiers, there are also numerous luxury chains. Popular local manufacturers include Leonidas, the original praline creator Neuhaus and Galler, which also offers its superb pralines (such as fresh pistachio-filled white chocolate) in bar form.

Best Fashion & Vintage
Stijl The Antwerp Six designers are showcased here. (Brussels)
Gabriele High-class vintage gear to brighten up your look. (Brussels)
Oliver Strelli Home to one of Belgium’s top designers. (Bruges)
Best for Chocolate
Galler Heaven for chocaholics, just off Markt. (Bruges)
Chocolate Line Wildly experimental flavours by ‘sh