Brussels, The Sights

The day with visiting the main sights in Brussels, which you cannot miss in any case.

First, The Atomium, a striking structure that was originally built for the 1958 Brussels World Expo. In fact, it is a representation of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. It consists of nine stainless steel spheres, connected by tubes, which together form a model of an atom. Nice one.

Second, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, with significant collection of Old Masters from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Peter Paul Rubens, Antoine Van Dyck, Jan Bruegel the Elder, Rogier van der Weyden, Jerome Bosch and Frans Hals.

Third, a quirky bar Goupil, located in the heart of the city. The vibrant atmosphere and eclectic decor. It is not just a place to grab a drink but also a space for socializing, whether you're looking to chat with friends or enjoy a casual night out.

It was the very eventful, diverse and interesting trip just during two days. To summarize, I would love to visit Brussels again and again. You definitely will not be bored here.

Brussels, The Capital

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the administrative heart of the European Union. Finally, I could make plans to visit this incredible city with diverse culture and famous landmarks.

The hotel is located right in the city centre, so after check-in I immediately went out to see what is going on in the city.

I was so happy to find myself in such a beautiful location, so I even started dancing on the floor. But unfortunately, I was hungry and not able to continue it any longer.

Here are the famous Belgium French fries. It is cooked from the fresh potatoes and tastes very delicious. The large portion is good enough to wait for the main dish at the evening.

The main square of Brussels, known as Grand Place, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. It has been the city's central market and gathering place since the 12th century and is surrounded by opulent buildings that reflect Brussels' rich history, including the Town Hall and the King's House.

A distinctive feature of the architectural design here are the golden decorations on the buildings. They are symbolizing wealth and prestige and often representing the trade or craft of the guilds that once operated there.

And of course a little statue of a pissing boy "The Manneken Pis", made of bronze, 61cm tall. Interestingly, over the years, the statue has been dressed in a wide variety of costumes, often reflecting Belgian culture, holidays, and events. And today it was the costume of a graduate.

The dinner was at the traditional restaurant. The unlimited ribs. The most tasty is the first portion, and I was almost full after finishing it. So, the next two portions were not necessary, but you know, money were paid.

At the end of the day I have had my favourite Belgium beer, Orval, which is one of the best Trappist beers in the world. It is a kind of Pale Ale, known for its complex flavors that include a balance of bitterness and fruitiness, with a distinctive earthy taste. Remarkably, the beer undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Recommend it! Still, if you do not like it at first time, give it another chance later. 

Brussels is an amazing city with good vibe. I am sure, tomorrow will be another positive experience and another pleasant emotions.

Europe, From Belgium to Netherlands

Before entering The Netherlands, we are going to visit another Belgian city of Antwerp. The distance to this city is only 52 kilometres. And the duration of the train trip is about one hour.

I feel a little bit tired, but I am in anticipation of new visual and cultural discoveries. I cannot say, that my friend has the same expectations, because he had already seen it all, but he looks rather positive and happy to be my personal guide.

The first thing I was thrilled by was the central station of Antwerp. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful stations worldwide. I would say, the station is worthy of the 'prosperous' city, which actually has an unofficial title of the world's diamond capital. They claim, that 60-80% of the world's diamonds are cut and traded here.

Unfortunately, I did not have enough money with me to purchase any diamonds, but we have had a nice walking along the main shopping street Meir, which connects the central station with the City Hall.
There are so many famous fashion shops and cafes on the Meir. However, I was more interested in beautiful Rococo buildings, which house those expensive stores.

Now we are on the main square of Antwerp, in front of the City Hall. Here we could see the bronze statue, which demonstrates the mythical story, supporting the idea of the city's name. Actually, the monument captures the moment, when a brave young man is about to throw away the hand that was cut off from the giant, who once terrorized the local people. These days, a single hand is one of the symbols of the city.

Two hundred metres away from the City Hall, and we are on the river bank, where another city landmark is located. It is called Het Steen, the medieval fortress.

At the entrance bridge to the castle we found a monument of a giant with two humans. It depicts another story of the giant Lange Wapper, who used to horrified the inhabitants of the city in the medieval times. Unfortunately, there is nothing to see inside the castle, but the photos from that spot may look quite impressive.

Altogether, we have spent in Antwerp 4 hours, but I think we were able to see enough of the city. Probably, it also would be worth seeing the Rubens house, where the famous Flemish artist lived and created his masterpieces, but it was already the time to board the bus to the Hague.

Well, the trip from Antwerp to the Hague took only 2 hours, and with FlixBus service the cost was 9 euro. To my surprise, we crossed the border between Belgium and Netherlands almost insensibly. Nobody stopped the bus once.

On arrival to the central station I was thrilled by the harmonious skyscrapers, made of metal and glass. In my opinion, this is a bright example of how the modern architecture may be delicately installed into the historical surroundings.

Very soon we entered our new home. Again, it was rented with Airbnb service. These are very comfortable, spacious and light apartments on a quiet street near tramways.

It is time to have some rest, but other two days will be solely devoted to the exploration of this royal city by the sea.