Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The Orient Express was a legendary train that was first running from Paris to Constantinople (todays Istanbul) in 1883 – via München, Wien, Budapest, Beograd, and София. But there were also connections to Berlin, to Constanța via București or via Frankfurt, Köln and Bruxelles to London. It was a beloved experience, kings and celebrities were using this amazing connection in luxurious trains which lasted around six days.
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Victor Horta was a Belgian architect born in 1861, creating art nouveau buildings. He enriched the city of Bruxelles with different houses in this fantastic style and four of them together form a UNESCO world heritage site. The best place to learn more about him and his work (and to enjoy art nouveau buildings and furniture) is his former house and workshop at the city quarter St. Gilles. When standing in front of the building you can’t really imagine the beauty that awaits you inside – you need to visit it.
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The Smurfs, Lucky Luke, the Marsupilami, Tintin, Spirou and Fantasio: Belgium is the main source for comics in Europe. Around 60 % of all books published in this country tell their story visually. Today Japanese mangas dominate the international market, but the Belgian comic characters are still beloved by many people worldwide. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Belgians celebrate them in an own museum, the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée.
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If you want to enjoy a full-scale botanical garden close to the Belgian capital you must go to the Plantentuin in Meise, just three kilometers north of the Atomium. If you can live with a smaller one, the old Jardin Botanique (Kruidtuin) north of the city center is waiting for your visit. It was opened in 1829 and consisted of an orangery, three terraces (in French, Italian and English styles) and was decorated with fifty-two statues.
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I’m a major fan of the simplicity in combination with the quality of Motel One hotels. The one at Bruxelles, Belgium has two central advantages: first it is located on Rue Royal and in convenient walking distance to the Parc de Bruxelles, the Cathédrale des Saints Michel et Gudule and the Grote Markt. Second it has a large inner courtyard in which you can relax in the evenings, enjoy a last Belgian beer and to reflect on your day.
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The Délirium Café at Bruxelles reminds me to the bars of my youth: dark, a little bit shabby and always providing good beer. Maybe that’s why I like this bar so much. Get to the bar, select one of the beers (thirty from tap!) and find a delightful place in one of the many rooms of the house – it is a bit like a labyrinth. Today different bars have been connected and now form the Delirium Village. Logo of the bar is a pink elephant.
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If it would be only one thing that connects Belgium and Germany, then it would be the love for potatoes. Pommes Frites are kind of a national dish and in Belgium they’re a bit special: fries are always fried two times and served with a wide variety of sauces. You would typically not order them only with ketchup or mayonnaise (like in Germany) but rather with sauce andalouse, brazil, samourai or tartare.
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It might sound weird, but one thing that people immediately connect with Bruxelles is a fountain including the statue of a urinating boy, the Manneken Pis. The current statue was designed in 1619 but the tradition goes back to the 15th century CE. You can find it in the city center at the crossing of the roads Rue de l’Etuve, Rue des Grands Carmes and Rue du Chêne – always surrounded by tourists.
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The Grote Markt or Grand-Place of Bruxelles is the representative square of the capital city showing all the wealth. Most important building is the Gothic-style town hall building (Stadhuis), but also the neo-Gothic Broodhuis and the different guildhalls in Baroque style contribute to the atmosphere of the square. Today this ensemble of buildings is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (declared 1998).
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The most important church of Bruxelles is the Cathédrale des Saints Michel et Gudule located in the east of the city center. The Gothic-style church was built from the year 1226 on and was finished in the 15th century. A first church building on this site dates back to the eighth century CE and was dedicated to archangel Michel. When the bones of the national saint Gudule were transferred to the church this dedication was extended.
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