Brussels

23201BEL

Brussels

City Sightseeing & Facts and Free Time

City sightseeing with Tour Manager – no entrances. If the sightseeing is a half-day morning then the more convenient way to do it is to do the first section on the coach and then finish on foot. If this is the first time that you have TM’ed in Brussels then ask the coach driver to plan the route with you. They will almost certainly be Belgian or Dutch. 

Sightseeing on the coach may include some or all of the following: 

• Palais Royal/Koninklijk Paleis          drive past 

• Atomium          photo stop 

• Colonne du Congrès                     drive past 

• Jardin Botanique/Kruidtuin                 drive past 

• Eglise Notre Dame de Laeken          drive past 

• Palais Royal de Laeken/  

Koninklijk Paleis van Laeken          drive past 

• Tour Japonaise/Japanse Toren          drive past 

• Pavillion Chinoise/Chinees Paviljoen       drive past  

Sightseeing on foot includes: 

• The Grand Place (a visit to the Tintin Shop if time?) 

• Manneken Pis 

• A stroll through the narrow streets of the ‘Ilot Sacré’ 

• A quick look at the Mont des Arts – National Library, Palais des Congres, Ravenstein Palace and formal gardens 

NB 

• If time is short you can limit yourself to a walking tour of the town centre. Set down and pick up on the Place Albertine (near Bibliothèque Albert I). 

• When using the coach it is rather easy to get lost in Brussels so, if neither you nor your driver knows the city, work out a route together beforehand. If your driver is Belgian they will probably have a familiar route, which they will want to follow. 

SUGGESTED ROUTE FOR SIGHTSEEING ON THE COACH 

Royal Palace / Parliament	Leaving the place Albertine, drive past the Royal Palace (1904)  (King Philippe does not live here – but at Laeken, see below – he uses the palace for state occasions and parties).
Colonne du Congrès	Then take the rue Royale past the Colonne du Congrès   (This dates from 1850 and commemorates the founding of the Belgian Kingdom – or more accurately the National Congress of 1831, which proclaimed the Belgian constitution – with the eternal flame to the unknown soldier burning beneath. A statue of King Léopold sits on top.) and join the circular boulevard heading towards Ghent – Oostende.
Laeken-Church	You will pass the Botanical Gardens on your right.    Before crossing the canal turn right towards Antwerp.  You pass the Neo-Gothic church Notre Dame de Laeken containing the tombs of the Royal Family and continue through the Laeken Park where you see the Royal Palace (residence of the Royal Family).
Japanese   Tower	If the driver knows the route, you can show them (from the bus) the Chinese Pavilion and the Japanese Tower, which were constructed for the Paris World Exhibition of 1900.
Atomium	Make a photo stop at the Atomium, erected for the 1958 World Exhibition (335 feet high and representing the nine atoms of a molecule). Also located here in the Parc des Expositions are the Brussels International Trade Market, the Palais du Centenaire (International Fair of 1935) and the infamous Heysel Stadium.  On your way back into Brussels it’s worth driving past the Sacré Coeur Basilica and the Parc Elisabeth to join the Bld Leopold II, which brings you back into the city centre.
EU  Centenaire  Park	If you need to fill in time, drive past the church of the Sablon and the Law Courts (with a fine view over the city), then past Berlaymont, the headquarters of the EU, built in 1967, to the Centenaire Park, housing a museum complex built for the Jubilee of the Constitution

TRANSPORT 

There is a limited metro system, buses and trams, although if you’re hotel is in the centre of town then you will probably not need to use them. The centre comprises the shops and some of the major sights – Grand’Place, Manneken Pis, Galeries du Roi et de la Reine, the Bourse and the Place des Sablons is fairly small. 

You buy tickets from the GO machines at tram/metro/bus stops and they are slightly cheaper than on board the vehicles. A single, one hour ticket costs €2.70, a day ticket €9.00. 

PRACTICAL INFORMATION 

Tourist Info.	The Brussels Tourist Information Office may be found on the ground floor of the Hôtel de Ville on the Grand’ Place (2-513-89-40). The Belgian Tourist Information Office is at number 63, Rue du Marché aux Herbes (2-504-03-90) if you need information on anywhere outside the capital.
Publications	Le Soir carries listings for cinema and so on a daily basis. The Bulletin – a weekly magazine in English – is also good for what’s on.

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Large shops	The pedestrian rue Neuve has a large selection of everyday stores (Inno, Hema, Marks & Spencer) and the City 2 shopping mall at the Place Rogier end (clothes shops, enormous Fnac).
Elegant shops	There is also a beautiful nineteenth century shopping arcade leading of the Place D’Espagne and divided into two – Galerie du Roi and Galerie de la Reine. Inside there are several ice-cream shops, a café or two, and an elegant branch of Neuhaus (chocolatiers).
Souvenirs	There are lace shops and a Godiva chocolate shop on the Grand’ Place and more general lace and souvenir shops (everything you can imagine emblazoned with the European flag) on the way down to the Manneken Pis on Stoofstraat.
Chocolates  – Place des Sablons	The chocolate shops that are widely acknowledged to be the best have only one branch each and are located on the Place des Sablons. Choose here between Wittamer (amazing window displays, have been known to include lifesize mannekins made entirely out of chocolate) and Pierre Marcolini, who will give a tour if the group are interested (opposite Wittamer). There is also a less expensive Godiva boutique, several pleasant cafés and some antiques shops.
Walking	The royal park is a great place to take the group for a picnic, stroll or interactive activities. With a good walking group you can continue from here to the European quarter to look around the modern architecture and get a feel for the new Europe.
Cycling	Daytime bike tours can be arranged through Provelo (www.provelo.org). You can see all the main sights in under 4hrs.
Evening	If you’re staying overnight in Brussels, walk the group down to the Grand Place after dinner. The lace and souvenir shops near the Manneken Pis stay open late. Be aware that parts of even central Brussels can be very seedy: keep the group together and don’t let any of the students go wandering off alone. From April to September, the grand place is illuminated with classical music most nights (two 15 min sessions between 21.30 and 23.15 depending on sunset).
Collectors’  Heaven!	Close to the Bourse is the largest collection of stamp/coin and memorabilia shops in Europe…