Visit Brussels - 5 Things You Will Love & Hate about Brussels, Belgium

The Best & Worst of Visiting Brussels, Belgium, from the overrated Mannequin Pis Peeing Boy Statue to High Prices to the Amazing Museums and Restaurants, the 5 Things You Will Love & Hate about Traveling to Brussels, Belgium.
Filmed in Brussels, Belgium at the Grand Place

[dietrich]

The service "problem" is not really a thing, in Belgium the waiters don't want to be in everybodies face when people are eating. We belgians like to eat calmly and want to enjoy our meals with family and friends without the waiter! It may look frustrating to tourists and especially the tourists from the US. But most belgians hate it when the waiters are coming every few seconds to ask if everything is okay, it looks fake and irritates us.  

[purplehazebxl]

I'm from Brussels and I agree with some of your comments, but not all. First, if you expect Brussels to be like Paris, London or NY just because it's the European Union HQ and then it lets you down, sorry but that's a silly reason. London, Paris or NY are huge cities with over 10 millions inhabitants, whereas there are barely between 1 and 2 millions people in Brussels. This comparison doesn't make any sense. You should rather compare Brussels with cities like Hamburg, Lisbon, Copenhagen or Vienna.

[nathanlaurent]

It's expensive because you've been lunching in tourist traps we see at 3:14 ! Ghent ou Bruges are way more expensive than Brussels, trust me.
Brussels is way more bigger than this famous historical part where tourists are growded : you should visit Ixelles, Saint-Gilles, Etterbeek and surrounding places that are way more various and authentic than the central area ;)

[BugBug]

I'm from Brussels and I love it but I understand that it's not always the easiest city to love when you don't really know it. There are many things here I don't like. I think we lost so much wonders of our past, but I also think that it's not so desperate. We still have a juge amount of treasures to offer to visitors. The only problem is we don't always show it well. We have many things we don't even think about putting in light, castles and palaces (Laeken, the royal palace, little castles like Karreveld...), churches (gothic cathedral, the Sablon church, baroque...), all kind of architecture (the world biggest building of the XIXth century : the justice palace), Art Nouveau (Horta buildings, Hankar buildings, Stoclet House, thousands of sgraffitos and stained glasses everywhere, royal greenhouses...), Art Deco (even the biggest Art Deco building in Europe : the basilica of Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, BOZAR...), parks and even a real forest !

But what we always show is a little peeing statue (ok it's a symbol but every tourist coming here and seeing it says "Oh that's it ? It's so small !") and the Grand Place (ok, it's a wonder but it's not the only one).

The city is currently under huge transformations for the coming years. Biggest pedestrian zone in Europe for example (not easy to create and controversial but it's done), many transformations, modern constructions... I think the face of Brussels will change in a few years. I hope for the best... We'll see. So come back in a few years and I hope there will be less negative points and more positive ones ! We'll do our best :)

But don't go to eat in the butcher's street !!!! And yes, Midi Station is the main station of Brussels, Central station is not so big because it was build in the middle of a very old city and the space in the center was very limited, so Midi station is just outside the old city and much bigger...

Just to know, Brussels (the 19 communes) is actually bigger than Paris (the 20 arrondissements), but with half its population... And the transport is shit, Paris has 14 lines of metro, we have barely 4 and half... But new ones are in project, as is the R.E.R. (regional train) which we're waiting for maybe 30 years... But still, there's hope...

[larangenicolas]

Being born in Paris, spent 20 years there etc... Now living for 3 years in Brussels I can say Brussels is nicer and safer than Paris. It's smaller, but it's more charming. Buildings are very old and typical, while Paris was reconstructed in the 18th century. But it's only my opinion.
But for foreigners, people here are way much more friendly, it's easy to hang out with a local, sharing some tasty beers and learn about the every day life here. It is pretty sad to realise that everybody only want to see the clichés things like : America = macdonalds and cheap burgers everywhere or Paris = omagad, eiffel tower, so sexy or Germany = aggressive speakers and very well organised.
Come on guys, travel and see what is for you or not.

(Please stop with the terrorist things, it is as true as saying that planes go every single day in towers in NYC...)

[xfgher]

* Brussels can be very cheap, don't go in the center :) search before going to a restaurant, in the center there are lots of shitty tourist restaurants ( Rue des bouchers) 
* If you are interested in history, go to the national military museum (at Jubileumpark, which is a nice park to run at), it's free, it's huge and you can get on top of a giant arch with great overview (picture in the video), other great museums are the instrument museum or the comic book museum
* Like New York, Brussels consists of several small towns, some of them have interesting architecture (Hallepoort or Victor Horta at Sint Gillis, for example), but mostly those are the places to find good restaurants
* Go to Marollen, originally a poor neigboorhood (but nowadays upwards), there at Vossenplein EVERY morning you can go look at old antiques and stuff people sell - you might find a very original souvenir for a great price! 
* Brussels is best enjoyed at night time, it's a great place to go out ( with lots of gay bars, if you're into that), I would reccomend getting to know a local and going out together
*One great thing of Brussels is the amount of interesting street artists and bands - especially during summertime 
* a fun thing to do if you are in a group is to book a walking dinner, you taste some beers, learn some local culture and get some good food - it's fun ( but not very cheap), you can also dine in a riding tram ( the tramexperience), but again, not cheap!

[defiraphi]

Woltersworld,

Saying Brussels is overrated is not true, you only need to know where to go same goes for other countries . People only read touristical information but there are better places to visit . Brussels isn't only La Grand Place, Manneken Pis, etc.. there are thousand other places to visit many museums . Cartoon museum, Victor Horta museum, if you take the tram to Tervuren you have the Afrikaans museum.

Never go to La Rue des Bouchers were all the restaurants are, they are ruled by mafia people and are very bad they only wants tourists or idiot people to go eat there . They are overpriced for oldstyle cuisine.

Brussels isn't only politics it is a free cliché . But Brussels has alot history since 1830 to nowadays alot architectures etc...

Paris is overrated too La Tour Eiffel, l'Arc de Triumphe, La Senne, Versailles, is all what tourists know, but there are other great places to go too .

New York isn't only the Empire State Building, Buildings or the 5th Avenue, the're other great places to go outside the city with many history .

A hint i will say : never go in holidays during June, July, August those are the most expensive months everywhere. Best to travel in March, April, May or September, October more cheap less crowdy, more relax .

[Bhaerts]

You forgot Antwerp, the second city of Belgium.

[EmiIy]

The street you showed with the restaurants is a street made to lurk in tourists. Belgians avoid places like that because it is made to profit from the naivety of the tourists. The people working there are rude and they are not afraid to set you up by letting you pay more than the food is worth.

[pressteethahunter]

Lived there for a year and traveled to many countries in Europe. Brussels and Belgium in general remains one of my favorite places. There certainly is a lot to do and see in Brussels. Loads of events to go to, so much to see. Take the metro around and get out of the city center. The people are also very friendly.

[EddieLuca]

This reminds me why Europeans are so different from Americans. "There's not a lot to see...." "lots of museums" "amazing architecture" and my favorite "It's a life sized boy peeing". Americans really don't get finesse, culture, knowledge, beauty or discreteness. That statue was created before America was should think about that before you formulate remarks.

That's a very, ermmm... american view on the city. What kind of person expects the Manneken Pis to be big? It really feels like he expected Brussels to speak english and have the same kind of restaurant service "system" you'd see in USA.

[Yannickantifa]

Brussels is not actually that expensive if you stay away from the streets around the Grand Place. Those are real tourist traps. Check out the Marolles (Place de jeu de boulles) or the Sablon area.

[pasi]

This was useful to me as i'm coming to Brussels this summer.
Especially the bit about the train stations as i arrive and leave the Brussels by train.
Thanks!

[burns]

Brussels has many twists and turns that will intrigue any visitor. The architecture is beautiful and has many unique places.

[MattPostIt]

The problem is that you went to the places that are only made for tourists and that's a shame. It's not your fault but Brussels is a lovely city but without knowing anything you'll be tempted to go in places that are made to attract only tourists...

[stevedavis]

I just returned from Brussels. My first visit to that wonderful city. I loved Brussels. I found the food and beer to be excellent and I thought the prices were reasonable. Grand Place during Christmas is fantastic. Just a great city to visit.

[prosessi]

I lived 9 years in Brussels and so nice memories from there. It's really difficult to say where to go. Ok the usual Grand place and Parc du Cinquantenaire but there is interesting stuff to see if you just walk around the city. It is definitely not a boring place.

[nancyken]

2:48 In my opinion (I'm studying in Brussels) this city is not expensive at all. Sure, if you want to eat or drink something near the Grand Place you will have to spend a lot of money, but when you walk just for about 100 meter there are shops with very reasonable prices. 3:10 I totally agree that the Rue des Bouchers is not the place to be for good service and low prices (drinks). Again, broaden your scope, walk for a few meters and you'll find much better shops/bars/restaurants, ...

[AnaBotticelli]

I loove your channel. Thank you so much for your videos and information.