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| Bruxelles Eventi |
| Il Coro di Santa Cecilia protagonista
italiano del KlaraFestival di Bruxelles Un altro importante appuntamento all’estero per il Coro di Santa Cecilia, dopo i successi riscossi al Festival di St. Denis di Parigi nel giugno 2008: diretti da Filippo Maria Bressan gli artisti del coro si esibiranno per la prima volta in Belgio, nell’ambito del KlaraFestival il 5 settembre alle ore 17 nella prestigiosa Gran Place di Bruxelles. Un appuntamento del tutto informale, all’aperto e gratuito nella famosa piazza della capitale belga, che vedrà gli artisti del coro esibirsi con musiche che vanno da Berio a Mahler, da Ravel a Petrassi e che includono anche la famosa Nel Blu dipinto di Blu di Domenico Modugno e alcuni canti popolari belgi. Il KlaraFestival, importante appuntamento culturale belga, quest’anno è dedicato all’Italia e il Coro di Santa Cecilia è l’unica Istituzione italiana presente alla rassegna. Il 6 settembre alle ore 20 la compagine corale sarà protagonista al Bozar di Bruxelles, la più importante sala da concerti del Belgio, dove eseguirà un concerto con la Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra diretta da Michel Tabachnick e il programma prevede il Concerto per pianoforte coro maschile e orchestra di Busoni, Ptah di Scelsi e lo Schicksalslied di Brahms. 5 settembre – Bruxelles, Gran Place ore 17 Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Filippo Maria Bressan direttore Petrassi Nonsense Pearsell Lay a Garland Ravel Trois chansons Mahler Ich bin die Welt abhanden gekommen Matameros – Juramento Berio Si fussi pisci Colacicchi Me pizzica me mozzica Genee Insalata italiana Modugno Volare – Nel Blu dipinto di Blu Popular Belgian Folk Tune 6 settembre – Bruxelles, Bozar ore 20 Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Michel Tabachnick direttore Busoni Concerto per pianoforte coro maschile e orchestra Scelsi Ptah Brahms Schicksalslied www.santacecilia.it |
| Questo articolo è rilasciato sotto i termini della
GNU Free Documentation License Esso utilizza materiale tratto da http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruxelles Cronologia/Autori: http://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bruxelles&action=history BruxellesDa Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.
Bruxelles o Brusselle (Bruxelles bʀyˈsɛl o bʀyˈksɛl in francese, Brussel ˈbrɵsəɫ in olandese, Brüssel in tedesco, Brussels in inglese, Bruselas in spagnolo, Bruxelas in portoghese) è la capitale e la principale città del Belgio. Il termine Bruxelles di solito coincide con la Regione di Bruxelles-Capitale.
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Panoramica
Con il termine Bruxelles ci si riferisce talvolta alla municipalità principale della Regione di Bruxelles-Capitale, ma in tal caso è più corretto denominarla Città di Bruxelles (Bruxelles-Ville o Ville de Bruxelles in francese, de Stad Brussel in olandese). La Città di Bruxelles non è che una delle 19 municipalità che compongono la Regione di Bruxelles-Capitale: conta 140.000 abitanti, mentre considerando l'intera Regione di Bruxelles-Capitale si arriva a 1 milione di abitanti. La Regione di Bruxelles-Capitale, dal punto di vista amministrativo è una regione esattamente come Fiandre e Vallonia, e dal punto di vista geografico è una enclave delle Fiandre. Le regioni sono una componente delle complesse istituzioni belghe, le tre comunità sono un'altra: la popolazione di Bruxelles ha a che fare con la Comunità francofona del Belgio o con la Comunità Fiamminga, per questioni riguardanti argomenti come cultura ed educazione. Vecchie case nella Grand Place Dopo la loro creazione, le istituzioni comunitarie e regionali fiamminghe si riunirono, e il consiglio legislativo fiammingo unificato, il 'Vlaamse Raad', attualmente chiamato 'Vlaams Parlement', stabilì il suo governo e i suoi ministeri a Bruxelles. Bruxelles è anche la capitale della Comunità francofona del Belgio (Communauté française Wallonie-Bruxelles in francese). La frontiera linguistica divide il Belgio in un settentrione di lingua olandese ed un meridione di lingua francese. La regione di Bruxelles è ufficialmente bilingue, ma la maggioranza della sua popolazione parla francese. Piccole comunità di immigranti conservano la loro madrelingua: berberi, arabi, italiani, spagnoli e altri, ma la gran parte di questi parla anche in francese.
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Istituzioni dell'Unione EuropeaDue delle tre principali istituzioni dell'Unione Europea, la Commissione Europea e il Consiglio dell'Unione Europea, hanno la loro sede a Bruxelles. La terza istituzione principale, il Parlamento Europeo, ha anch'essa una camera parlamentare a Bruxelles (le sue sessioni plenarie si tengono però nella sede di Strasburgo). Bruxelles ospita anche gli uffici della Presidenza europea, le commissioni del Parlamento europeo e il Comitato delle Regioni, ed è anche la sede politica della NATO, e dell'Unione dell'Europa Occidentale (WEU). Per questo motivo è spesso considerata (assieme a Strasburgo e Lussemburgo) come la capitale dell'Unione Europea.
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StoriaIl Municipio nella Grand Place Il nome Bruxelles deriva da Bruocsella o Brucsella, che significa "casa nella palude". Un piccolo castello vi venne costruito nel 979 vicino alla Senne. La Strage dell'Heysel avvenne a Bruxelles il 29 maggio 1985.
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Bruxelles, situazione linguisticaLe lingue originali dell'area di Bruxelles sono dialetti brabantini dell'olandese. Una curiosità è il "marollien", un dialetto molto influenzato dalla lingua vallone che si parla in una sezione centrale della città. Sia l'olandese che il francese sono stati usati per la maggior parte della storia della città come lingue ufficiali e dalle classe superiori. Nell'Ottocento, con i progressi dell'alfabetizzazione, i dialetti furono progressivamente soppiantati dalle lingue standardizzate. A Bruxelles, la magior parte della popolazione addottò il francese piuttosto che l'olandese come lingua di cultura, siccome all'epoca era più prestigioso e quindi considerato più utile. Oggi, i dialetti di Bruxelles sono quasi spariti, nonostante gli sforzi di alcuni per salvarli. La Regione di Bruxelles-Capitale è ufficialmente bilingue francese/olandese. Non esistono statistiche ufficiali sulla prima lingua degli abitanti e sarebbero comunque difficili da raccogliere, poiché le famiglie "miste" non sono rare. Stime serie della percentuale di abitanti che parlano olandese come prima lingua variano tra il 7,5% e il 15% della popolazione, e si basano sulla lingua usata per comunicare con le autorità communali e sui risultati elettorali dei partiti di lingua olandese. Esiste una consistente popolazione di lingua francese nella periferia di Bruxelles, una zona che uffialmente fa parte delle Fiandre. Nella maggior parte delle municipalità contigue alla Regione di Bruxelles-Capitale, la popolazione di lingua francese è addirittura maggioritaria. I lori diritti linguistici e/o l'espansione della Regione di Bruxelles-Capitale sono soggetto di molti accesi dibattiti.
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UniversitàBruxelles ha diverse università, due di queste sono l'Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) e la Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
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TrasportiBruxelles è servita dall'Aeroporto Internazionale di Bruxelles, situato nella municipalità di Zaventem, e dall'Aeroporto Bruxelles Sud, posto vicino a Charleroi. La metropolitana di Bruxelles risale al 1976.
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Congressi e fiereBruxelles ospitò il terzo Congres Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne nel 1930. Due esposizioni mondiali ebbero luogo a Bruxelles, l'Exposition universelle et internationale (1935) e l'Expo' 58 del 1958. L'Atomium, una rappresentazione alta 103 metri di un cristallo di ferro, venne costruita per l'Expo' 58, ed è stata mantenuta, diventando una specie di equivalente belga della Torre Eiffel.
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Attrazioni turistiche di BruxellesLa cattedrale gotica di Saint Michel
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Musei di Bruxelles
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Altri progetti
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Collegamenti esterni
Anderlecht · Auderghem · Berchem-Sainte-Agathe · Città di Bruxelles · Etterbeek · Evere · Forest · Ganshoren · Ixelles · Jette · Koekelberg · Molenbeek-Saint-Jean · Saint-Gilles · Saint-Josse-ten-Noode · Schaerbeek · Uccle · Watermael-Boitsfort · Woluwe-Saint-Lambert · Woluwe-Saint-Pierre |
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| Thanks to www.travelpuppy.com |
| Brussels Travel
Guide Brussels Travel Guide and Brussels Travel Information - TravelPuppy.com The European Parliament has found an ideal home in Brussels (Brussel in Flemish and Bruxelles in French). This inland capital city of Belgium, bordered by The Netherlands, Germany, France and Luxembourg, it is a multi-cultural and multi-lingual city at the very heart of Europe. Indeed, it claims with some justification to be the Capital of Europe. Brussels was a thriving trade centre by the Middle Ages. The Bruxellois have inherited the wisdom of ancestors who lived under Roman, Spanish, Austrian, French, German and Dutch domination – their country winning independence in 1830. Today, Brussels boasts a highly skilled and an adaptable workforce. Despite the population of Belgium numbering only 10.2 million, with Brussels itself just some 970,000 strong, the Bruxellois have the ability to compensate for their small numbers with skilled diplomacy, compromise and negotiation. These striking traits are followed closely by a highly intellectual and off-beat sense of humour, underpinned by a strong sense of the quite bizarre. This may help explain why the Surrealist art movement, pioneered by René Magritte, took off in Brussels. A playful and irreverent reaction to life is also revealed in the Belgian love affair with the comic strip, popularised worldwide with Hergé’s boy hero, Tintin. Language is a complex and serious issue in bilingual Brussels, as well as being a focus of communal tensions. Some 85 per cent of native Bruxellois speak French as their first language. Ironically, Brussels is also capital of Flemish-speaking Flanders. However, the fierce linguistic debate takes a lighter form, with constant puns and word games forming a complex web. For instance, while a top-notch restaurant is called Comme Chez Soi (Just Like Home), a less prestigious establishment calls itself Comme Chez Moi (Just Like My Home), with more than a twist of irony. The image of the city suffers abroad, due to its very diversity, as well as the self-effacing nature of its quirky inhabitants, too modest to blow their own trumpet. Brussels has no symbol to rival the skyscraping Eiffel Tower, aside from the tiny but famed Manneken-Pis, a statuette of a urinating boy. The first visit to Brussels, uncoloured by expectations, is therefore all the more rewarding with narrow cobbled streets opening suddenly into the breathtaking Grand-Place, with its ornate guild houses, impressive Town Hall and buzzing atmosphere, a truly beautiful square. Restaurants, bars and museums are clustered within the compact city centre, enclosed within the petit ring, which follows the path of the 14th-century city walls. The medieval city is clearly defined by its narrow, labyrinthine streets, making it easy to distinguish the later additions, such as Léopold II’s Parisian-style boulevards – Belliard and La Loi – today lined with embassies, banks and the grand apartments of the bourgeoisie and close to the glitzy new EU quarter. The working class still congregate in the Marolles district, in the shadow of the Palais de Justice, although this area currently on the up-and-up. New immigrant communities are settling in the slightly rundown area around the Gare du Nord. Neighbouring communes, St-Gilles and Ixelles, draw an arty crowd with their ‘in’ shops and restaurants. These are worth the trek, if only to glimpse some of Brussels’ finest Art Nouveau buildings, the style being developed by Bruxellois Victor Horta, the son of a shoemaker. With a pleasant temperate climate warm summers and mild winters – and a host of sights and delights to entertain, Brussels offers far more than just beer and chocolate. The year 2003 marked the city’s celebration of its cultural diversity – from its rich architecture to native hero and lyrical singer Jacques Brel – through a series of cultural events, festivals and restoration schemes. ___________ Brussels Business Profile Brussels Business Overview - TravelPuppy.com Although Brussels accounts for just 0.5 per cent of Belgium’s surface area and has a population of under one million, the region generates 15 per cent of the nation’s Gross National Product. Brussels’ unemployment level at 15 per cent remains quite high and the national level is not much better, standing at 12 per cent. This perhaps is explained by the fact that two thirds of Belgium’s 40,000-strong asylum seekers are located in Brussels and, since 2000 regulations, this population has been entitled to seek employment. A further explanation rests on the types of employment available in Brussels, which relies on a highly skilled, technically proficient and multi-lingual workforce. In this environment, the less skilled find it difficult to slot to find work. One third of Brussels’ labour market comes from the international community, of which 65 per cent are from the European Union. Most major Belgian companies are based in Brussels, including the Glaverbel, Solvay and SN Brussels Airlines. ‘Capital’ of the European Union, Brussels also plays host to NATO. The presence of these international organisations, combined with Brussels’ geographic location at the heart of Europe, excellent transport infrastructure, highly trained multi-lingual workforce and favourable fiscal regimes, draws nearly 2000 foreign companies to Brussels. The presence of over 60 foreign banks has contributed to making Brussels the world’s seventh biggest financial market. American companies, France, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Japan all have strong financial links with Brussels. Foreign companies with a presence in the city include AT&T, IBM, Sony, Toyota, Procter & Gamble, Hewlett Packard, Volkswagen and Price Waterhouse-Coopers. The tertiary sector accounts for nearly 80 per cent of all jobs – in various fields including banking and financial services, transport and tourism and transport. Nonetheless, Brussels remains the nation’s second most important industrial centre after Antwerp. Industry is increasingly specialised in high-tech sectors and accounts for 15 per cent of employment. The city centre is where the Belgian financial groups including the FORTIS and BBL the government ministries are based here. The Espace Nord is much favoured by public administrators and private-sector companies, such as Belgacom, Bankcard Company and The World Trade Center. The Louise area is occupied by national and international companies, while the coveted Léopold area is dominated by the European Parliament. Brussels’ international flavour is also evident in the numerous diplomatic missions present and the city welcomes nearly 16,000 business congresses during the course of the year. Nearly a third of the capital’s population is made up of overseas visitors, giving Brussels a truly cosmopolitan flair. Business Etiquette A certain degree of business formality is expected in the city. It is wise for business visitors to confirm meetings in writing and arrive on time, armed with business cards and wearing a suit with a tie for men. Companies are hierarchical and as many managing directors do not delegate and it is advisable to go straight to the top. Standard office hours are Monday to Friday 0830–1730. On meeting clients, one should address colleagues with their surname, respecting any professional or academic qualifications. English is the standard language of business in Brussels. Personal relationships are very important, so relaxed lunch meetings help develop trust – a stage that must be reached before any decisions are made. In Brussels, it is common for business colleagues to be invited for an apéritif, followed by dinner at a nice restaurant, although not generally at the first meeting. _____________Brussels Culture Guide Brussels Culture Guide - TravelPuppy.com Brussels’ cultural life as a scene is linguistically split between French and Flemish and is booming, despite of a lack of funding partly caused by the language divide. Obviously, some the art forms cross all language boundaries. French-Belgian cinema came to prominence during 1994, with Jan Bucquoy’s hilarious La Vie Sexuelle des Belges, while the more serious Flemish film, Daens (1992), directed by Stijn Coninx, was nominated Best Foreign Film at the 1992 Oscars. Contemporary dance came into its own in the 1980s, thanks to Flemish choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (Rosas Company) and Wim Vandekeybus (Ultima Vez Company). Theatre is celebrated annually during the Kunstenfestivaldesarts (telephone number: (02) 7022 2199 or (02) 219 0707) in May. Opera is performed at the prestigious Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Place de la Monnaie (telephone number: (02) 229 1211, website: www.lamonnaie.be), where the rousing performance of an Auber opera provoked the audience into starting the Belgian revolution in 1830. Notable touring companies to perform here include the RSC and Comédie Française. The principal cross-cultural venue is the Victor Horta-designed Palais des Beaux Arts, Rue Ravenstein 23 (telephone number: (02) 507 8200), which hosts major temporary art exhibitions, French theatrical productions, classical and contemporary dance, classical music and the finals for the internationally renowned Queen Elizabeth music competition. The Cirque Royal, Rue de l’Enseignement 81 (telephone number: (02) 218 2015), allows for varied performances in the round, including classical music, dance, opera and musicals. The Halles de Schaerbeek, Rue Royale Sainte-Marie 22A (telephone number: (02) 227 5960), hosts large-scale operatic, dance and theatrical performances and pop acts. Flemish-language theatre and contemporary dance is well represented at the neo-Baroque Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwberg or Royal Flemish Theatre, Rue de Laeken 146 (telephone number: (02) 412 7070 or 412 7050). The ‘What’s On’ section of English-language Bulletin, the Wednesday pull-out section of Le Soir and the ‘Agenda’ section of the Brussel Deze Week free newspaper, available every Thursday, all provide cultural listings. Information and tickets are available at the Brussels Tourist Office, Hôtel de Ville, Grand-Place (telephone number: (02) 513 8940) and the Fnac store at the City 2 shopping complex, Rue Neuve (telephone number: (02) 275 1111). The Fnac booking line (telephone number: (0900) 00600) is for concert, theatre and exhibition theatre tickets. Ticket prices are usually priced around €13–70 for dance and theatre performances, anything from €15–90 for opera and approximately €6 for tickets to the cinema. Music The national opera house, at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Place du Monnaie (telephone number: (02) 229 1211), continues to excel. With only 1200 seats, it is best for visitors to book well in advance. For Flemish opera, one should take a trip to Vlaamse Opera, Van Ertbornstraat 8, Antwerp (telephone number: (03) 233 6685), or Ghent’s Schouwburg Straat 3 (telephone number: (09) 225 2425). The Palais des Beaux Arts, Rue Ravenstein 23 (telephone number: (02) 507 8200), is home to the National Orchestra and Philharmonic Society, which organises most of the major concerts in Brussels. The season, annually consisting of over 350 concerts, from September to June. In addition to the major venues, there is the intimate Conservatoire Royal de Musique, Rue de la Régence 30 (telephone number: (02) 513 4587), which is tailor-made for chamber recitals. The auditorium at Musée d’Art Ancien, Rue de la Régence 3 (telephone number: (02) 508 3211), hosts lunchtime concerts held on Wednesday, from Autumn to Easter. Theatre There are over 30 theatres in located in Brussels. The leading French-language Théâtre National, lost its home at the Centre Rogier (currently being demolished) and has taken up temporary residence in a disused Art Deco cinema palace at Boulevard Anspach 85 (telephone number: (02) 203 5303). Here aficionados can find polished renditions of the classical European theatre. A permanent venue for the National Theatre is at Boulevard Emile Jacqmain. The main Flemish theatre, Kaaitheater (telephone number: (02) 201 5959) has two locations, Kaaitheater, Place Sainctelette 20 and Kaaitheater Studios, Rue Notre-Dame de Sommeil 81. Innovative productions are performed in French at the Théâtre le Public, Rue Braemt 64–70 (telephone number: (02) 223 2966), while literary discussions and readings take place at the Théâtre-Poème, Rue d’Ecosse 30 (telephone number: (02) 538 6358). The American Theatre Company (e-mail: actbrussels@yahoo.com) is an English-language theatre group located in Brussels, staging performances at The Studio Theatre, Rue Waelhem 73, Schaerbeek (telephone number: (02) 242 4905). The one venue not to be missed is the Théâtre de Toone, Impasse Schuddeveld 6, Petite Rue de Bouchers 21 (telephone number: (02) 511 7137), where classics such as Faust and King Lear are performed by marionettes manipulated by 7 puppeteers. Performances are in French (peppered with the local dialect), Flemish and occasionally in English. It is housed in a 17th century pub and offers a good range of local beers. Dance De Keersmaecker’s Rosas Company is closely linked to the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Place de la Monnaie (telephone number: (02) 229 1211), while the works of radical choreographers, also contemporary music and avant-garde theatre are often staged at the Kaaitheater, Place Sainctelette 20 (telephone number: (02) 201 5959), and Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg (Royal Flemish Theatre), Rue de Laeken 146 (telephone number: (02) 412 7070 or 412 7050). Alternative music, dance and theatre is performed at the trendy Beursschouwdurg, Rue de la Caserne 37 (telephone number: (02) 513 8290). Although contemporary dance is extremely strong in Brussels, there is no dedicated dance venues. An interest in classical dance is best pursued at the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Antwerp. Film About 50 per cent of films are shown in English (‘VO’ – version originale), with French and Flemish subtitles. Programmes change every Wednesday. Hollywood blockbusters are shown at the 12-screen, ultra-modern UGC De Brouckère, Place de Brouckère 38 (telephone number: (0900) 10440). The cinema also puts on children’s films every Sunday morning at 1100 hrs for only €1.60 per person (standard rates are €6.60). State-of-the-art Kinepolis, Boulevard du Centenaire 20, Bruparck (telephone number: (0900) 00555), boasts 28 auditoriums and Europe’s largest IMAX screen. The centrally located Actors Studio, Petite Rue des Bouchers 16 (telephone number: (02) 512 1696) specialises in arthouse cinema. Cultural events Each year, Brussels is at the heart of a lively cultural calendar, including the arts festival, Kunstenfestivaldesarts, in May, and the spectacular Ommegang procession in early July. The origins of the traditional Ommegang pageant are rooted in the 13th century, when aristocrats, the nobility and master guildsmen paid homage to the sovereign in a solemn procession today, a lively procession recreates the medieval event. Literary Notes Brussels sheltered Karl Marx in exile and it was here that he wrote the Communist Manifesto during February 1848. Victor Hugo was temporarily protected at Place des Barricades 4, before being exiled once again for protesting against the government’s ban on refugees. Perhaps the best literary ambassador of Brussels is the boy reporter, Tintin, created by Hergé (Georges Remy, 1907–1983). Brussels-born Jacques Brel, the celebrated singer-songwriter of Ne Me Quitte Pas/Don’t Leave Me (1959), has been adopted by the French as their own, as have detective writer Georges Simenon, Marguerite Yourcenar and other Belgian luminaries. But Belgium developed its own national literary identity during the Symbolist movement and writers like Emile Verhaeren, Charles Van Lerberghe and Nobel Prize-winner Maurice Maeterlinck, created a misty, dreamy ambience for Art Nouveau Brussels. This taste for the fantastic and otherworldly, hidden in the hearts of staid Brussels burghers, was continued by Henri Michaux and the surreal visions of Magritte and Delvaux. Belgians have commandeered the Francophone comic book industry – Hergé is just the tip of the iceberg – proof that Belgians do whimsy and goofy charm far better than some of the French. For a British take on Brussels, readers should try the modern bestseller, Travels as a Brussels Scout (1997), by London-born author Nick Middleton. ____________Brussels Festival - Events Brussels Festivals and Events Guide - TravelPuppy.com The following is a selection of festival - events occurring in Brussels in 2005: International Festival of Films of the Fantastic, Thrillers and Science Fiction March, Passage 44 and Nova. Ars Musica Contemporary music festival, March, various venues Baroque Spring Festival at Sablon Baroque music festival, April, Sablon district Brussels Film Festival April, Flagey. Zinneke Parade Cultural festival, late May, Grand-Place. Brussels Gay Pride Early May, various venues Brussels Jazz Marathon Late May, Grand-Place and various venues. Kunstenfestivaldesarts Dance, theatre and opera festival, May, various venues Couleur Café World music concerts, late June, Thurn et Taxis Building. Visits to the Royal Palace July–September, Royal Palace. Ommegang Procession, early July, Grand Place Klinkende Munt, dance and outdoor music festival Early July, Place de la Monnaie. Mini-Europe by Night Fireworks displays, Friday–Sunday mid July–mid August, Mini-Europe. Meyboom Traditional pageant with maypole dancing, August, Place des Sablons to Grand-Place. Flower Carpet Thousands of begonias are laid out in gorgeous designs, August, Grand-Place Brussels Heritage Days Free admission to museums and public buildings not usually open to the general public, mid September, various venues Audi-Jazz Festival October–November, various venues Sablon Nights Antiques and art galleries festival, November, Sablon district Christmas Market December, Grand Place Ice Skating December–January, Fish Markt Useful travel links Festivals listing of festivals around the world ______ Brussels Getting Around Getting Around Brussels - TravelPuppy.com Public Transport The integrated bus, overground and underground (prémétro) tram and métro network is operated by Société des Transports Intercommunaux Bruxellois, known as STIB (telephone number: (02) 515 2000). The system operates daily 0600–2400 hrs, and the information line is manned from Monday to Friday 0800–1900 hrs and Saturday 0800–1600 hrs. Although efficient and clean, the network is not without some problems – plans to replace the underground trams with an extended métro system have yet to materialise. However, recent improvements include the addition of lifts for handicapped passengers at Maelbeek, De Brouckère and Gare-Centrale stations. STIB information points are located at Porte de Namur, Rogier and Midi métro stations, as well as at the Anspach Shopping Centre, rue de l’Evêque. Above ground, the métro is identified by signs bearing a white ‘M’ on a blue background. Many stations display the works of local artists and métro seats are comfortable – the service is quite pleasant even during rush hour (0730–0930 hrs and 1600–1830 hrs). Métro lines 1A and 1B form a giant ‘H’ shape. Métro line IA runs northwest to southeast, from Roi Baudouin to Herrmann-Debroux. Line 1B runs southwest to northeast, from Bizet to Stockel. Lines 1A and 1B join in the middle, running along the same lines from Beekhant to Merode, to serve the central part of the city. The incomplete circle of line 2, from Simonis to Clemenceau and follows the inner ring road underground. Tram and bus stops are indicated by red and white signs respectively. The route number and destination are displayed on the front of the vehicles and all stops are request stops. Brussels’ bright yellow and blue trams serve the city centre and suburbs. The prémétro runs south, underneath the heart of the city from Gare du Nord, stopping at Place de Brouckère and Bourse, and Bruxelles-Midi (Eurostar terminal)with some services running on to St-Gilles and Albert. Tickets Tickets for the transport network are available for purchase at métro stations and newsagents. The tourist reception desk at Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes 63, and at the TIB at the Town Hall in Grand-Place sell day transport tickets and give out free maps of the network – also available at most métro stations. Tickets must be stamped at the métro ticket barrier, either prior to or upon boarding the bus or tram. Bus and overground tram tickets may also be purchased prior to or upon board the vehicle and exact change is required for the tram). Once purchased, the ticket is valid for any form of public transport, including changes. One-hour tickets (la carte d’une voyage) cost €1.40, while 10 (hour-long) journey tickets (la carte de dix voyages) cost €9. A 1-day pass (la carte d’un jour) costs €3.60 and is valid for 2 persons at weekends and holidays. A 1-day group card (maximum 5 persons) is available for €5.95 and is valid at weekends, holidays and after 0900 hrs on weekdays. Trains Some nine billion Euros are being pumped into the Belgian National Railways – SNCB/NMBS (telephone number: (02) 528 2828), in a 10-year modernisation plan due for completion in 2005. The service is fast and efficient. Brussels has 3 major railway stations in Brussels – Bruxelles-Central, located in the heart of the city, Bruxelles-Nord, to the north of the main ring road, and Bruxelles-Midi, to the south. They share a rail enquiries line (telephone number: (02) 555 2555). These three stations have bars, refreshments and disabled access, while Bruxelles-Midi and Bruxelles-Nord both have car parks. Most domestic trains stop at all three stations. Eurostar trains (telephone number: (02) 528 2828) from London and Thalys express trains (telephone number: (070) 667 788) from Aachen, Amsterdam, Cologne and Paris stop at Bruxelles-Midi, the TGV (High-Speed Train) terminal. Links to Paris with a journey time of 1 hour 30 minutes and London with a journey time of 2 hours 40 minutes are fast and efficient. Taxis Autolux (telephone number: (02) 411 1221) are the official taxis located in Brussels. These are marked with a blue and yellow plaque and travel from Brussels Airport to the required destination in the city. In central Brussels, taxis are available at centrally located ranks at the major railway stations and at the Bourse, Place de Brouckère and Porte de Namur. Radio taxi companies are available to order by telephone. These include Taxis Verts (telephone number: (02) 349 4949), Taxis Orange (telephone number: (02) 349 4343) and Taxis Bleus (telephone: (02) 268 0000). Limousines Ganax, Brugstraat 24, 1930 Zaventem, (telephone number: (02) 720 4167; fax number: (02) 720 4695), located near the airport, offers a limousine service. Hire for 1 day, including a trilingual chauffeur/driver, costs from €430. Driving in the City Although commuter traffic is heavy on the outskirts of Brussels during rush hour (0730–0930 hrs and 1600–1830 hrs), the centre is relatively easy to negotiate, once the one-way system has been mastered. There is considerable ongoing work to reduce city centre traffic levels, including extensive pedestrianisation and other traffic management schemes. In addition to car parks located in the city centre, there is pay-and-display parking in certain streets. The rules for use vary according to the time of parking. There also is a public car park under the Novotel Hotel, Rue de la Montagne. Parking rates are €12 for half a day, €2.50 for 2 hours and €1 for an hour. Rates apply Monday to Saturday 0900–1300 hrs and 1430–1900 hrs, with free street parking available on Sunday and holidays. Car Hire Car hire is available to drivers of 23 years and over, on presentation of a passport or identity card and valid national driving licence, held for at least 1 year. All the major providers are present at Brussels Airport. Locations throughout the city include: Avis, Gare du Midi (telephone number: (02) 527 1705) Budget Rent-a-Car, at Avenue Louise 327B (telephone number: (02) 753 2170) Europcar, Bruxelles-Midi and Chaussée de Waterloo 538 (tel: (02) 522 9573 or 345 9290) Hertz, at Bruxelles-Midi, Boulevard Lemonnier 8 and Chaussée de Vleurgat 210 (telephone number: (02) 524 3100 or 513 2886 or 649 0015. Prices for one day of hire start at around €70 for a small car, rising to €200 for the largest vehicles. Third Party Liability insurance should be covered by the hire rates, however, those hiring a car should always check. Bicycle Hire Pro Vélo, Rue de Londres 15 (telephone number: (02) 502 7355, fax number: (02) 502 8641), offers bicycles for hire at a cost of €20 for a weekend or €12 for a day, as well as guided themed tours. _______________ Brussels International Airport Brussels International Airport - TravelPuppy.com Brussels international airports are links below: Brussels Airport (BIAC) Located 12km (8 miles) northeast of Brussels. Brussels South Charleroi Airport Located 55km (37 miles) south of Brussels. _________Brussels Nightlife Brussels Nightlife - TravelPuppy.com Brussels’ location at the heart of Europe encourages top artists and budding stars to tour here but the city has a thriving homegrown scene of its own. Jazz has been strong since the 1920s and there is year-round live jazz in a cluster of venues, climaxing in the annual Brussels Jazz Festival. The club scene is relatively new, drawing the crowds after much lingering in the city’s many bars and Irish pubs that overflow mainly with expatriates. The legal drinking age in Belgium is 16 years and the price of a beer is approximately €2. Aside from the tacky discos for tourists, there is the big-name-DJ-drawing The Fuse. The best send out their sounds into the night, around Place de St-Géry, Manneken-Pis and in the Marolles district. The Clubs open at 2300 hrs, heat up at midnight and survive until about 0600 hrs. Being foreign and dressed in tune with the club’s image helps the admission process along considerably, entrance is sometimes free but will more likely will cost around €7. The Fnac, in the City 2 complex on Rue Neuve, is the best place for club tickets, although the Tourist Office on Grand-Place may be able to assist. Perhaps the highlight of the clubbing year is the Klinkende Munt outdoor music festival, held every July in Brussels at the Place de la Monnaie, Petit-Chateau and the Beursschouwburg. Listings and information on nightlife events in Brussels can be found online (website: www.noctis.com). Tels Quels magazine (in French) has the most comprehensive gay nightlife listings. Bars Belgium is famous for its superb selection of beers, not least those created by Trappist monks at various monasteries throughout the country. Brussels, furthermore, has its own idiosyncratic varieties, notably Gueuze and the fruit flavoured Kriek varieties. A wide selection (over 150) of Belgian beers can be found at the Loplop Cafe, Schildknaapstraat 29). Centrally located beer havens include La Bécasse, Rue de Tabora 11, A La Mort Subite, Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères, and La Rose Blanche, Grande-Place 11. Le Soleil, Rue des Capucins 63, is an intimate little bar, tailor-made for an evening of good beer and great chats. A number of bars transform into clubs as the night wears on, including lively Le Sud, Rue de l’Ecuyer 43–5, open Thursday to Saturday. A quieter evening is on offer at the Théâtre de Toone VII, Impasse Schuddeveld 6, off Petite Rue de Bouchers, where puppets form a backdrop to the drinking. For the younger audience, the bars around Place St Géry are quite popular venues. Casinos There is a casino in nearby Namur. The Casino de Naumur, Avenue Baron Moreau 1, is open daily 1400–0500 hrs. Visitors are required to hold a passport or ID document and dress code is smart and strictly no trainers. 21 years is the minimum age for entry. Clubs Top international DJs play techno, house and jungle at The Fuse, Rue Blaes 208. Mirano Contintal, Chemin de Louvain 38, is tacky with a yuppie crowd, while Le Bal, Boulevard du Triomphe, is just tacky. Tourists might meet other tourists at Espace de Nuit, Rue Marché aux Fromages, near Grand-Place, while most of the hipper clubs have a gay and sometimes lesbian night. The Brussels trendy set goes to Les Jeux d’Hiver, Bois de la Cambre. Live music Jazz dominates the live music scene in the city. There is jazz on Saturday and most Sundays at L’Archiduc, Rue Antoine Dansaert 6. Frequent concerts at Fool Moon, Quai de Mariemont 26, featuring anything from jazz-funk to drum‘n’bass and some Latin music. Although VK is a trek away at Rue de l’Ecole 76, this is where alternative sounds including hip hop, rock and indie music. Magasin 4, Rue du Magasin 4, offers a more central venue for indie and hip hop. Folk fans should try Thunderbird Café, Quai du Commerce 48, where there are usually twice-weekly gigs on offer, as well as excellent food. Informal weekend jazz ‘jam sessions’ are a feature of the LopLop Café. The main venues for touring big-names are the Forest National, Avenue du Globe 36, and AB (Ancienne Belgique), Boulevard Anspach, for the bigger gigs, and Botanique, Rue Royale 236, and Cirque Royal, Rue de l’Enseignement 81, for smaller acts. ________Brussels Shopping Brussels Shopping Guide - TravelPuppy.com Brussels’ classic souvenir is chocolate. Fresh creamy pralines are for sale at Wittamer, Place du Grand-Sablon, who have had almost a century to perfect their wonderful recipes. Other names to look out for is the top-quality Neuhaus, Grand-Place 27 and Galerie de la Reine 25–27, and Godiva, also in the Grand-Place. Less expensive chocolates are available from the popular Léonidas chain, Boulevard Anspach 46. Belgian biscuits are also a gift guaranteed to bring a guilty smile to the receiver with Dandoy, Rue au Beurre 31, produce melt-in-your-mouth macaroons and the Brussels speciality speculoos, a gingerbread biscuit with a crunch. Beer is best bought at Bière Artisanale, Chaussée de Wavre 174 (website: www.users.skynet.be/beermania), which stocks over 400 types of beer and of course glasses to suit. Designer clothes are clustered around the smart Avenue Louise and Avenue de la Toison d’Or. Key shopping stops on Avenue Louise include Belgian designers at Shine’s new flagship store, located at 82–84 Avenue Louise and fantastic for stunning silk dresses and floaty, Chinese-inspired creations with more down-to-earth daywear in muted tones at Caroline Biss, 21 Avenue Louise. Established and up-and-coming Belgian designers such as Olivier Strelli, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten and Carine Lauwers are located in the fashionable Rue Antoine Dansaert. Innovative Stijl has more avant-garde Belgian designer clothes, by designers such as Xavier Delcour and Olivier Theyskens, at number 74, underwear at number 47 and children’s clothes at Kat en Muis, number 32. Children’s and adults’ tastes alike are met at Brussels’ many comic book shops including the centrally located La Boutique Tintin, Rue de la Colline 13. Brussels lace is on show at the Lace Museum, Rue de la Violette 6 is for sale at F Rubbrecht, Grand-Place 23, or at the city’s largest lace maker, Manufacture Belge de Dentelle, Galerie de la Reine 6–8. The other souvenir lace shops around Grand-Place are less authentic. Every day is market day in the different parts of the city. Among the best of these is the flower market, open Tuesday to Sunday 0800–1800 hrs, at Grand-Place, also the site of the Sunday morning bird market. Antiques are sold at the market on Place du Grand-Sablon, Saturday 0900–1800 hrs and Sunday 0900–1300 hrs, while the flea market at Place du Jeu de Balle, in the Marolles district, is open daily 0700–1300 hrs, at its best on weekend mornings. A more high street experience, however, is at hand at City 2 shopping mall, in the shop-studded Rue Neuve, where shops stay open on Fridays until 2000 hrs. Standard shopping hours are 1000–1800/1900 hrs but the Grand-Place area stays open until approximately 2000 hrs. Sales tax is 21 per cent and can be refunded to non-EU citizens by any of the shops affiliated to Global Refund Belgium (telephone number: (02) 479 9461, fax number: (02) 478 3664, e-mail: taxfree@be.globalrefund.com, website: www.globalrefund.com). Shops participating will issue a global refund cheque, which should be stamped at customs and then cashed upon leaving the country. ___________Brussels Sightseeing Brussels Sightseeing Guide - TravelPuppy.com Sightseeing Overview With the exception of Grand-Place and the narrow streets nearby, sightseeing in Brussels is relatively easy and crowd free. Brussels offers a remarkable choice of over 90 museums, some tiny and some international in scale. All the museums have bilingual labelling (French and Dutch/Flemish). English is not always used but English-language leaflets are usually available on request. In recent years, signposting of Brussels’ top museums and major monuments has been improved, making sightseeing easier. The historic centre around Grand-Place is home to a cluster of alluring museums, including museums dedicated to beer, chocolate and lace-making. Certain sights and sensations are obligatory, including glimpsing the trickle of water flowing from the Manneken-Pis and making a wish while touching the ghoulish bronze statue of Charles-Everard de T’Serclaes – said to bring good luck. The public transport system works well to safely deposit the walk-weary tourist in Brussels’ distinct districts: The modern Quartier des Institutions Européennes, aristocratic Sablon, near the Place Royal, vibrant working class Marolles, south of Grand-Place, St-Gilles, with its splendid examples of Victor Horta’s Art Nouveau architecture, and Heysel, far out to the northwest, with its memories of the triumph of the 1958 Exhibition and the tragedy of the Heysel stadium disaster. Tourist Information Brussels International Tourism and Congress (BITC) Hôtel de Ville, Grand-Place Telephone number: (02) 513 8940. Fax number: (02) 513 8320. E-mail: info@brusselstourism.be Website: www.tib.be Opening hours: Daily 0900–1800 hrs (April–October), Monday–Saturday 0900–1800 hrs, Sunday 1000–1400 hrs (October–December), Monday–Saturday 0900–1800 hrs (December–March). Passes The Brussels Card gives free access to museums and STIB public transport for a period of 3 days. It also offers a 25 per cent discount for the Visit Brussels tourist bus, the Restaurant Léon de Bruxelles and the Théâtre de Toone is available in museums, tourist offices and hotels at a cost of €30. Key Attractions Grand-Place A web of narrow cobbled streets suddenly opens out into the vast Grand-Place, the economic and social heart of Brussels since the Middle Ages. The array of filigree Gothic buildings is dominated by the asymmetrical Hôtel de Ville, built during the 15th century. Its 96m (315ft) spire is topped with a gilded copper statue of St Michael. The Town Hall opposite and almost as grand is the Maison du Roi, commissioned in 1515 and faithfully rebuilt in the 1890s. Sometime pied-à-terre of the Hapsburg monarchy, the building now hosts the Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles and its small collection includes tapestries and altarpieces, as well as the costumes worn by the Manneken-Pis. A series of lavish Guildhouses complete the rectangle of the square and number ten still houses the guild of brewers, Maison de l’Arbre d’Or. Grand-Place Transport: Métro Bourse, De Brouckère or Gare Centrale. Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles Telephone number: (02) 279 4355. Fax number: (02): 279 4362. Opening hours: Tuesday–Friday 1000–1700 hrs, Saturday and Sunday 1000–1300 hrs. Manneken-Pis The Rue de l’Etuve leads from the grandeur of the Grand-Place to this allegory of irreverence and symbol of Bruxellois self-mockery – a bronze statuette of a urinating boy. If it were not for the occupation of the young child, the sculpture might resemble an angelic putto, such as the ones decorating the façade of the nearby Bourse (Stock Exchange), said to have been sculpted by Rodin. Jérôme Duquesnoy cast Manneken-Pis in the 1660s, perhaps as a reference to the peasant lads of legend, who extinguished fires with their urine. Manneken-Pis is regularly kitted out in a choice of some 500 outfits supplied by companies, charities and other organisations wishing to promote their brand. Rue de l’Etuve Transport: Métro Bourse. Place du Grand-Sablon The Place du Grand-Sablon remains laid-back even though its the smartest square in town. Notre-Dame du Sablon dominates the square although it began as a humble chapel for the guild of archers, the arrival of a statue of Mary – with reputed magical healing properties – from Antwerp, in 1348, dramatically increased its popularity. The building was expanded into an impressive Gothic church, which still hosts the annual Ommegang procession. The area is a major centre for antiques dealers and hosts an busy antique and books market at weekends. It is well worth a wander through the Sablon district. Intriguing cul-de-sacs lead off from the square to shady spaces – such as the charming Impasse Saint-Jacques. The nearby Place du Petit-Sablon is a small, green square, surrounded by 48 bronze statuettes representing the 16th-century guilds, with larger statues at its heart, including the martyr-heroes, Egmont and Hornes, and Mercator, the cartographer. Place du Grand-Sablon Transport: Bus 20, 34, 48, 95 or 96, tram 92, 93 or 94. Notre-Dame du Sablon Opening hours: Monday–Friday 0900–1800 hrs, Saturday–Sunday 1000–1800 hrs. Admission: Free. Palais Royal (Royal Palace) Many of Brussels’ most opulent buildings and key attractions are clustered around the centrally located Parc de Bruxelles, a formal 1870s park with poker-straight tree-lined avenues and a central fountain. The southeast edge is graced by the Palais des Académies, a former residence of the Prince of Orange and Place du Trône, an impressive statue of Léopold II astride a horse. Nearby, Brussel’s Royal Palace and museums are congregated. Opposite the Parc de Bruxelles lies the Palais Royal, begun by King William I (1815–30) in the 19th century and later expanded by Léopold II. The royal family now resides in Laeken, in northern Brussels. However, the palace is still used as royal office and also for state functions. From the end of July until early September, the palace, with its Throne Room, chandeliers, tapestries and gracious dining room opens its doors to the public. Rue Bredeorde 16 Telephone number: (02) 551 2020. Fax number: (02) 502 3949. Website: www.belgium.fgov.be Transport: Métro Trône or Parc, tram 92, 93 or 94, bus 20, 21, 22, 34, 38, 54, 60, 71, 95 or 96. Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 1030–1730 hrs (late July–early September). Admission: Free. Musées Bellevue (Bellevue Musuems) The Musées Bellevue comprises of two sites – the Musée de la Dynastie and the Mémorial Roi Baudouin. Both are located in the Hôtel Bellevue, an 18th-century mansion erected on the ruins of the 11th-century castle of the Dukes of Brabant and standing between the Place des Palais and Place Royale. The Musée de la Dynastie displays royal memorabilia, from paintings to documents and sculpture, evoking the public and private lives of Belgian royalty and the events that shaped their reign. The Mémorial Roi Baudouin pays homage to the 43-year reign of King Baudouin, much loved by the Belgian people and sadly mourned, following his death during 1993. The memorial traces the life of Leopold III’s eldest son, from the untimely death of his mother to his early reign as king after the abdication of his father – and key events during his reign, from the end of colonisation to the independence of the Congo and federalisation of Belgium. Hôtel Bellevue, Place des Palais 7 Telephone number: (02) 512 2821 or 545 0801 (for guided tours). Fax number: (02) 511 4253. E-mail: bellvue@kbs-frb.be Website: www.musbellevue.be Transport: Métro Trône or Parc, tram 92, 93 or 94, bus 20, 21, 22, 34, 38, 54, 60, 71, 95 or 96. Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 1000–1700 hrs. Admission: €6.20. Muséum des Sciences Naturelles (Museum of Natural Sciences) Near to the European Parliament and containing what is claimed to be one of the finest dinosaur collections in the world – ‘starring’ the iguanadons of Bernissart – this fascinating museum additionally features a special presentation on the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Visitors can take a 1000m (3281ft) ‘dive’ to witness a fight between a sperm whale and a giant squid. All forms of wildlife, extinct and extant, plus mineralogy, are on show here. Rue Vautier 29 Telephone number: (02) 627 4238, guided tours (02) 627 4234. Fax number: (02) 627 4113. Website: www.naturalsciences.be Transport: Métro Maelbeek, bus 12, 20, 21, 22, 34, 38, 54, 59, 60, 80, 95 or 96. Opening hours: Monday–Friday 0930–1645 hrs, Saturday–Sunday 1000–1800 hrs. Admission: €4. Musée du Cinquantenaire (Cinquantenaire Museum) Everything conceived by Léopold II was on a grandiose scale and the Parc du Cinquantenaire,is no exception and built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence. The Musée de l’Armée, situated in the north wing, has an interesting display of vintage aircraft and entrance is free of charge. However, the Musée du Cinquantenaire, formerly known as the Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire, is the major draw card of the area. Boasting collections from 5 continents, ranging from prehistory to the present, it includes Art Nouveau furniture designed by Victor Horta and fine examples of centuries-old lace. Comic strip fans might find some pieces familiar – the large Egyptian collection was the source of inspiration for Belgium’s artists, including Hergé. Parc du Cinquantenaire 10 Telephone number: (02) 741 7211. Fax number: (02) 733 7735. Transport: Train/métro Mérode or Schuman, tram 81 or 82 (to Mérode), bus 20 or 80 (to Nerviens), 22 (to Cinquantenaire), 61 (to Mérode), 28, 36 or 67 (to Schuman). Opening hours: Tuesday–Friday 0930–1700 hrs, Saturday–Sunday 1000–1700 hrs. Admission: €4. Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (Belgian Royal Museums of Fine Art) The most important of Belgium’s museum complexes is situated near to the Place Royal. It boasts 2 rich museums, their collections ranging from the 14th century to the modern day – the Musée d’Art Ancien (Museum of Ancient Art), housed in the former court of Charles de Lorraine, and the underground Musée d’Art Moderne (Museum of Modern Art), inaugurated in 1984. The Musée d’Art Ancien excels in its collection of the Old Masters, with works by Rubens, Bouts and Memling. Collections of Brueghel the Elder and Younger and Hieronymus Bosch are small, as Belgium’s foreign masters took most of these treasures away with them. A passageway leads to Musée d’Art Moderne, with its splendid collection of the Belgian Surrealists. René Magritte is given pride of place, although the haunting works of Paul Delvaux are also of interest. Picasso, Chagall, Henry Moore and Francis Bacon are also represented. Rue de la Régence 3 Telephone number: (02) 508 3211. Fax number: (02) 508 3232. E-mail: info@fine-arts-museum.be Website: www.fine-arts-museum.be Transport: Gare Centrale; tram 92, 93 or 94 (to Royale), bus 20, 34, 38. 60, 71, 95 or 96. Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 1000–1200 hrs and 1300–1700 hrs. Admission: €5. Further Distractions Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée (Belgian Centre for Comic Strips) The history of the Belgian comic strip, including its links with silent movies and animation, is displayed throughout the airy and uplifting Grand Magasin Waucquez, designed by Victor Horta. Original drawings by early masters – such as André Franquin, who created accident-prone Gaston Lagaffe, and Georges Remi (Hergé), who breathed life into Tintin – are complemented by modern-day cartoons, temporary exhibitions, an exhaustive academic library, children’s library and a brasserie. Rue des Sables 20 Telephone number: (02) 219 1980. Fax number: (02) 219 2376. Website: www.cbbd-bcb.org Transport: Train/métro Gare Centrale, Botanique, Rogier, tram 3, 52, 55, 56, 81, 90, 92, 93, 94, bus 38, 58 or 61. Opening hours: Daily 1000–1800 hrs. Admission: €6.20 Musée Horta (Horta Museum) Victor Horta (1885–1946) worked to produce some 110 buildings, first in neo-Gothic style, famously in Art Nouveau and latterly in sparse Modernist style. Many including the Hôtel Solvay, Avenue Louise 224, and Hôtel Van Eetvelde at Avenue Palmerston 4, are still standing. However, the Musée Horta being the architect’s former home and studio is beautifully preserved and open to the public. Attention to detail sweeps through the whole building, from the vertical letterbox and finely scripted number 25 on the façade to the sculpted staircase and dining room floor, where a marble mosaic encircles the finest American ash. A theatrical arrangement of secret front doors allowed the architect to welcome guests from different religious and social backgrounds without their being aware of each other’s presence. Rue Américaine 25 Telephone number: (02) 543 0490. Fax number: (02) 538 7631. E-mail: musee.horta@horta.irisnet.be Website: www.hortamuseum.be Transport: Tram 81, 82, 91 or 92, bus 54 or 60. Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 1400–1730 hrs. Admission: €4.95. Atomium and Mini-Europe Léopold II bequeathed the 202-hectare (500-acre) estate of Heysel to the city of Brussels, in 1909. The large exhibition spaces are located here, to the northwest of the centre. The most famous landmark, however, is the Atomium – a giant model of an oxygen molecule, built for the 1958 World Fair as a temporary structure, although never dismantled. The highest sphere gives a panoramic view of the whole area. The science exhibition is of interest only to young children. Close by Mini-Europe shrinks Europe to a size that can be covered in a short walk, with faithful miniatures of the Eiffel Tower, Westminster and the Berlin Wall in the process of being dismantled. The year 2002 welcomed in the restoration of the model of the Cathedral of Saint Jacques de Compostella to its former glory. Atomium Boulevard du Centenaire Telephone number: (02) 475 4776. Fax number: (02) 475 4779. Website: www.atomium.be Transport: Métro Heysel, bus 84 or 99, tram 23 or 81. Opening hours: Daily 0900–1900 hrs (April–August), daily 1000–1730 hrs (September–March). Admission: €5.45-€15 Mini-Europe Bruparck, Boulevard du Centenaire Telephone number: (02) 474 1311. Fax number: (02) 478 2675. E-mail: info@minieurope.com Website: www.minieurope.com Transport: Métro Heysel; bus 84 or 99, tram 23 or 81. Opening hours: Daily 0930–1700 hrs (April–June), Monday–Thursday 0930–1900 hrs, Friday–Sunday 0930–2300 hrs (July–August), daily 0930–1700 hrs (September–December). Admission: €11-€15 Musée des Instruments de Musique (Musical Instrument Museum) Situated in the splendid Victor Horta-designed Art Nouveau Old England Building, at the Place Royale, the Musical Instrument Museum is home to a collection of instruments as well as information and activities covering ancient, modern and traditional music. A 200-seat concert hall hosts regular concerts, which are organised to coincide with the various themes of the exhibitions. Place Royale, Montagne de la Cour 2 Telephone number: (02) 545 0130. Fax number: (02) 545 0178. Transport: Métro line 1A or 1B to Gare-Centrale or Park, tram 92, 93 or 94 to Royale, bus 20, 38, 60, 71, 95 or 96 to Royale. Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 0930–1700 hrs, Thurs 0930–2000 hrs, Saturday and Sunday 1000–1700 hrs. Admission: €5 _____________ Brussels Sports Brussels Sports Guide - TravelPuppy.com Athletics The major athletics event is the annual Ivo van Damme Memorial IAHF Grand Prix (telephone number: (02) 878 2025) held in the Stade Roi Baudouin in late August/early September. Amateurs take part in the Brussels 20km (12-mile) circular race held annually in May/June, which starts and finishes at the Esplanade du Cinquantenaire (telephone number: (02) 511 9000). Cycling Belgium has an impressive record in the cycling world and Eddy Merckx did a fine PR job for the country by repeatedly winning the Tour de France in the 1960s and 1970s. His glory still lives on, celebrated annually in the Eddy Merckx Grand Prix, on the last Sunday of August. A more amateur affair follows the same 22km (14-mile) trip from the Gare du Nord to Heysel (telephone number: (02) 502 7355). Football Brussels’ football clubs, RWDM and Union St-Gilloise, have their fans but RSC Anderlecht has a faithful following who support the team at Stade Constant Vanden Stock, Avenue Théo Verbeeck 2 (telephone number: (02) 522 1539). Anderlecht frequently is at the top of the home league and sometimes makes it into the Champions League. Passions were raised to fever pitch in the European Championships 2000, which was hosted jointly by Belgium and Holland in a renamed and reconstructed stadium, Stade Roi Baudouin, Heysel (telephone number: (02) 474 3940). The stadium hosts the Belgian national team’s home games and the cup final. Tickets to football matches are available through Maison du Football (telephone number: (02) 477 1211). Fitness Centres The vast Physical Golden Club, Place du Chatelain 33 (telephone number: (02) 539 3036), offers weights machines and fitness classes and has the added kudos of being the place where Jean-Claude van Damme started his action movie career. Martial arts classes are very popular. The day pass costs €25. For the ultra well-heeled, Champneys (telephone number: (02) 542 4666/67) has opened up next to the Conran Hotel, 71B Avenue Louise. A ‘spa discover day’ costs from €105. Golf The 18-hole Royal Amicale Anderlecht Golf Club, Rue Scholle 1 (telephone number: (02) 521 1687), is located within Brussels itself. The club charges €33 for a day of golfing during the week and €50 during weekends, when prior reservation is recommended. Membership is not required. Brabantse Golf, Steenwagenstraat 11, Melsbroek (telephone number: (02) 751 8205), is situated close to the airport. Membership is required and green fees are €30 weekdays and €45 at the weekend. There are 2 18-hole courses at Royal Zoute Golf Club, Caddiespad 14, Knokke-le-Zoute (telephone number: (050) 623 029), located 100km (60 miles) north of Brussels in the seaside town of Knokke-le-Zoute. Visitors are welcome and the green fees are €55–95, depending on the handicap of the player. Alternatively, there are 11 courses around Waterloo, just south of Brussels, offering golfing opportunities through a programme called Golf Pass Walloon Brabant. The Fédération Royal Belge de Golf (telephone number: (02) 672 2389) can provide information on Belgium’s golf courses. Several golfing packages are available in a programme created by Martins Hotels (website: www.passbw.com). Swimming There are plenty of pools in the sports centre in Brussels. The one at the Centre Sportif de Woluwe St-Pierre, Avenue Salomé 2 (telephone number: (02) 762 8522) is Olympic-sized. Océade, Bruparck (telephone number: (02) 478 4944), within splashing distance of Mini-Europe, is a modern ‘fun’ baths. Tennis and squash The Centre Sportif de Woluwe St-Pierre, Avenue Salomé 2 (telephone number: (02) 762 8522), has squash, badminton and tennis courts. ________Brussels Tours - Excursions Brussels Tours Guide - TravelPuppy.com Walking Tours The city centre of Brussels is tailor-made for walking tours as its quite compact. The Brussels Tourist Office (telephone number: (02) 513 8940) offers 3-hour guided tours on a variety of themes – architecture, history, culture, cartoons, gastronomy and classical Brussels. Departure points vary depending on the tour. Among the tours offered are a guided tour of 18th-century Brussels, the Charles de Lorraine tour and a walk in the footsteps of Jacques Brel. Tours cost from €85. Highly recommended are underground visits at Palais Royal, to original 14th-century streets. Bus Tours Open-top, hop-on hop-off bus tours are available from Visit Brussels Line (telephone number: (02) 513 7744), and City Sightseeing (telephone number: (02) 466 1111, e-mail: info@open-tours.com). Prices start at €13.50 and tickets are valid for 24 hours. The bus leaves from Centraal Station and stops at many famous sights, such as the Atomium, Grand-Place and the Mannekin Pis, on this round trip. Both companies offer a range of other tour options, including excursions to other Belgian cities including Bruge and Antwerp. Excursions for Half a Day Bruges The heyday of Bruges lasted from the 13th century, when merchants became rich from the cloth trade, until the silting of the Zwin River brought about the city’s rapid decline. Bruges remains one of the most beautifully preserved medieval cities in Europe and is Belgium’s top tourist attraction. Visitors can explore charming streets and canals, packed with small restaurants, atmospheric cafés and a cluster of interesting museums and churches. Michelangelo’s delicate marble Madonna and Child lies within the Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady). Although situated some 80km (50 miles) west of Brussels, Bruges is well connected by public transport and motorways and is just a 1-hour train or bus ride away. The Tourist Office, Burg 11 (telephone number: (050) 448 686, website: www.bruges.be), can provide information. For a Whole Day Antwerp Located 40km (25 miles) north of Brussels, Antwerp is tucked into the east bank of a bend in the Schelde River. Its largely quadri-lingual inhabitants – known as Sinjorens – are proud of the history and culture of their city, which reached its apogee in the 16th century. Masterpieces by Rubens and Van Dyck are on display at the Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Royal Museum of Fine Art), Léopold De Waelplaats (telephone number: (03) 238 7809). Antwerp is also a thriving port, the world’s leading diamond centre and now also an international fashion capital. Antwerp’s Centraal Station is easily reached by train from all 3 of Brussels’ principal stations. The Tourist Office, Grote Markt 15 (telephone number: (03) 232 0103), can provide a wealth of information on the city. Namur Southeast of Brussels, Namur is a picturesque town with a hilltop citadel, which indicates its historic military importance at the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers. Down by the riverbanks, meanwhile, there are pretty pedestrianised streets packed with interesting shops, fine old churches and a handful of good museums. The pick of these is the Trésor du Prieuré d’Oignies, housed in a convent at 17 Rue Julie Billiart, and boasting an exquisite collection of gold and silver work. Namur also has some top restaurants and a buzzing nightlife, thanks to its many university students located here. More information can be obtained from the Tourist Office, Place Léopold (telephone number: (081) 246 449), which is a 2-minute walk from the station. Namur is easily accessible from all 3 stations in Brussels. |
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