24 Hours In Brussels

This year I've made a promise to myself to travel as much as I can possibly afford or make time to and in the interest of not burning through my limited annual holiday allowance, I have been opting for semi-frequent weekend getaways wherever possible. My most recent trip took me to Brussels, Belgium. 

Quelle surprise, I opted to take the coach but it was a relatively short journey; 7 hours including waiting time and a 90 minute ferry across the English Channel. Not a horrendous amount of time but if you're travelling overnight, as I often do, you only really get two 2 hour windows to sleep which can leave you tired to the point of tears when you finally arrive in Brussels. Nevertheless, it's nothing a few cups of coffee won't solve.

I arrived in Brussels and made my way from the bus station into the heart of the city - my first port of call being the Grand Place. Unfortunately, my iPhone map reading skills aren't as polished as I might have hoped so I wandered about an hour OUTSIDE Brussels to a dodgy village in the complete opposite direction to where I wanted to be. Not ideal. 

I eventually managed to find my way back to the centre and to The Grand Place. It is every bit as majestic as it looks in photographs so the architecture and the atmosphere in the square doesn't disappoint. Now, if you're not an aspiring architect, you do run the risk of tiring of this historic square rather quickly but the good news is that there's plenty going on in the surrounding streets.

The Rue de la Tete-dor Guldenhoofdstraat (try and say that five times - I dare you) is lined with waffle houses and traditional Belgian chocolatiers that will make you question why you've ever bothered going on a diet! Waffles were on sale for as little as €1 and rather unsurprisingly, there's a selection of delicious toppings on offer. 

Sticking with the theme of indulgent Belgian dishes, along the Rue de Tabora you'll find a small store called "Friterie Tabora" which, if you hadn't already guessed, is a phenomenal chippie. I'm told that "frites" are to the Belgians as roast potatoes are to a British Sunday Roast, so I was not in any position to pass on the opportunity to try them. It should come as no surprise at all that they were absolutely delicious. The perfect balance of soggy bits to crispy bits to saltiness. The unbelievably friendly owner of Friterie Tabora makes the experience that much better with a choice of 43 sauces to choose from and gets upset if you try and turn it down. I was going to keep plain but was (for lack of a better word) pressured into getting curried ketchup. Although, I neither regret nor resent it because it was a flavour sensation.

If you're more into a healthy or "clean" lifestyle, Ciabatta Mania on the Coudenberg may be more up your street. Vegan friendly dishes, juices, salads and coffees are just some of the options you can enjoy here. The decor is also pretty Instagram-friendly and it's situated right beside the museums, galleries and the park.

Pit stopping at all of Brussels's foodie favourites doesn't really take up that much time, and it' seems somewhat of a shame to visit the city and just shop, so logically I decided to hit the cultural hotspots. Museums and galleries are as little as €2 for entry if you're a student or under 26 so there's no excuse not to go and enjoy the delights of René Magritte and reminisce about your art GCSE. Rather conveniently, the galleries and museums all link up to one another so it's relatively easy to just hop from one to the other. For the budding horticulturists here, the Botanical Gardens are just a short walk away as well.

I found Brussels to be most magnificent in the evening as that's when the streets are really bustling with people and music, and there's something magical about when the whole city lights up. Before boarding my return coach to the UK, I returned to the Grand Place a final time and it had totally transformed - a series of dinky, unique shops had opened along side streets and the Saint Michelle was wonderfully striking when it was lit up. Definitely worth the second visit. 

One slight downside about Brussels is that an astonishing number of shops, restaurants and attractions are closed on weekends so if you're wanting to dive in and experience the city fully, I would recommend going during the week. 

I headed back to Brussels bus station to head home after a very fulfilling day. While I had a lovely time exploring a new city, I don't think you need any more than a day or two there to soak everything up and see the sights. But for the cost of a £25 coach - it was well worth it!