Belgium is small and extremely good at several things: Brussels, Bruges, and the beer situation
Mika Soren
Belgium is the country people dismiss as a transit stop between France and the Netherlands.
This is wrong and I will explain why: Belgium has the best beer culture in the world, the best chocolate in the world, excellent food in both Brussels and the coastal cities, and two cities (Brussels and Bruges) that are significantly better than the brief visits most people give them.
Small country. High concentration of things done correctly.
Brussels: the city that surprised me
Brussels has a reputation as bland: EU institutions, grey buildings, rain. The reputation is wrong.
The Grand-Place. The central square, one of the most beautiful market squares in Europe: Gothic guild houses and the Town Hall on all four sides, the facades ornate in gold and stone. Go at night when it’s lit, and go in the morning when it’s quiet. In July, the Flower Carpet (an enormous biennial display of begonias covering the entire square) is one of the more extraordinary temporary installations I’ve seen.
The Marolles and the Jeu de Balle flea market. The old working-class neighbourhood below the Palais de Justice: the Sunday morning flea market (Marché du Jeu de Balle) is one of the better flea markets in Europe, genuine antiques and junk in equal measure, the neighbourhood bars open early for the stallholders.
Ixelles and Saint-Gilles. The two neighbourhoods south of the centre where Brussels actually lives: Art Nouveau architecture (Brussels has the highest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in the world, largely because of Victor Horta), wine bars, the Place du Châtelain Wednesday food market.
Eating in Brussels: Moules-frites (mussels in white wine and cream with chips, the Belgian national dish, in season October-March): Brussels has good mussel restaurants; Chez Léon in the tourist centre is old and fine, local alternatives around Place du Grand Sablon are better. Belgian waffles (two types: Brussels waffles, light and rectangular; Liège waffles, denser and sweeter with caramelised sugar crystals, sold from street stalls warm). Stoofvlees (Flemish beef and beer stew) at any traditional brasserie.
Frites from a proper friterie: the Belgian relationship with the fried potato is serious (double-fried in beef fat is the traditional method) and the best friterie in Brussels is still the Maison Antoine on Place Jourdan.
Bruges: the canal city in winter
Bruges in December: no crowds (the summer ones are significant), Christmas market around the Markt, the canal reflections in the cold air, the chocolate shops open, the beer bars warm. Genuinely the best time to go.
The Markt. The central square with the Belfry (87 metres, 366 steps, the view over the whole city). The medieval guild houses around the perimeter. The horse-drawn carriages, which are touristy and nonetheless appropriate in this context.
The Groeninge Museum. Flemish Primitives: Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling, Rogier van der Weyden. The best collection of early Flemish panel painting available in a single museum. The altarpieces are extraordinary in person: the detail, the gold leaf, the specific quality of light the Flemish painters achieved. Give it two hours.
The canals. Boat tour (30 minutes, several departure points): the city from water level, the medieval architecture reflected, the swans. Slightly touristy, completely justified.
The beer
Belgian beer is its own subject.
Trappist beer (brewed at monasteries by monks or under monastic licence): Westvleteren 12 is regularly named the best beer in the world; available only at the monastery itself or their café. Westmalle Tripel, Chimay Blue, Orval (a highly distinctive dry-hopped ale unlike any other Trappist): all available at specialist beer bars across the country.
The style categories: saison, witbier (wheat beer), dubbel, tripel, quadrupel, gueuze (wild-fermented lambic), kriek (cherry lambic). Each is a different thing.
The Delirium Café in Brussels has 2,000 beers on the menu.
This is correct. Go and drink two from a style you don’t know and take notes.
Coverage across Belgium is excellent. Very high density network across the small country. I’ve put together an eSIM guide for Belgium for the detail.
Belgium is small and very good at a limited number of things.
Chocolate, beer, waffles, frites, Art Nouveau, Flemish painting.
That’s enough.
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