november-2010

BELGIUM Population 10,423,493 Currency Euro GDP
BRUSSELS
† €26,540 Dialling code +32
Airport code BRU Average temp (Nov) 6°C
Brussels in November
can be chilly, but the
approach of the holiday
season gives the city
a special glow. The
Christmas Market and
ice rink open on 26
November to get you into
the winter spirit. Steven
Tate is our city guide
LA BOURSE
Home to the Brussels Stock
Exchange, La Bourse is also the
true centre of the city. The
Grand’Place is but a stone’s throw
away, but there are attractions
that deserve your attention here.
SLEEP With only 13 rooms, Hotel Café
Pacific (57 Rue Antoine Dansaert,
hotelcafepacific.com, tel. (0)2 213 0080,
rooms from €129) boasts major
convenience. From its Belle Époque
lounge to its personalised rooms, it also
has style to spare – fitting, as it’s on one
of the city’s most fashionable streets.
EAT Plattesteen (41 Rue du Marché au
Charbon, tel. (0)2 512 8203) has a huge
gay clientele, although locals of all
persuasions find it a convenient meeting
point for drinks and down-home Belgian
cooking – which means lots of butter and
cream. Mirante (13 Plattesteen, tel.
(0)2 511 1580) serves some of the
best pizza and pasta you’ll have outside
Italy; elbow-to-elbow dining at its best.
Although not quite as small, Le Petit
Boxeur (3 Rue Borgval, tel. (0)2 511
4000) is made for romance – cosy
bordering on claustrophobic and with
sublime French cuisine.
SHOP In a country renowned for its
chocolate, Planète Chocolat (24 Rue
Christmas cheer: The city
gears up for the festive
season this month
INFO
Brussels Airport is
15km northeast of
the city in Zaventem.
Train Trains depart
every 15 minutes
at peak times for
Brussels’ three
main stations.
The journey takes
25 minutes and
costs €5.
Bus The bus
station is a level
below the arrivals
hall. The No. 12
to the city centre
departs every 30
minutes; one-way
tickets cost €3.
Taxi The journey
to the city centre
costs €25-€35 and
takes 25 minutes.
Tourist offi ce
The main offi ce is
on the Grand’Place
(tel. (0)2 513
8940, brussels
international.be).
du Lombard) stands out by using
flavourings such as kumquat, black
pepper, violet and cloves. Started as
a streetwear boutique in 1994, Prive
Joke (76-78 Rue Marché aux Charbon)
has evolved into the place for the
stylish female to load up on goodies.
For more intimate apparel, Lady
Paname (5 Rue des Grands Carmes) sells
naughty lingerie and other items that
would make Agent Provocateur blush.
LATER For close to a quarter century,
Le Belgica (32 Rue Marché au Charbon)
has been packing punters in. It long ago
evolved into the bar of choice for the
flannel shirt and muscle-T-shirt crowd.
House music keeps the crowd pumped,
while the house drink – a potent shot of
lemon genever – adds to the ambience.
CENTRAL STATION
Bustling with business and building
works, the Central Station area is
Aloft Brussels Schuman
The new twist in travel has just
arrived in the heart of the EU!
You can now book
your train tickets
from the airport to
Brussels city centre
on our website. See
brusselsairlines.com
for details.
design
technology
space
an urban cacophony of museums,
tourists, banks and traffic.
CULTURE The British flag gets the
Gilbert & George treatment in the Jack
Freak Pictures exhibition at the Musée
des Beaux Arts (23 Rue Ravenstein),
which will both disturb and delight.
TIP Brussels’ museums are open late
every Thursday this month, 5pm-10pm
(nocturnes.brusselsmuseums.be).
IXELLES
The district that’s home to grand
embassies and some of the best
art deco architecture in the city.
CULTURE Paul Delvaux – Aux Sources
de l’Oeuvre at the Musée d’Ixelles (71
Rue Jean Van Volsem) examines one of
the country’s greatest painters. Medical
drawings, cadavers and other curiosities
informed this surrealist’s work.
EAT Funky but chic, Ultime Atome (14
Rue Saint-Boniface, tel. (0)2 511 13 67)
is a popular spot for drinks and dinner
before a night at the nearby arthouse
cinema. The waiters seem to have been
hired more for their forms than their
function, but if you can overlook that,
it’s both enjoyable and affordable.
PLACE SAINT CATHERINE/
HALLES SAINT GÉRY
Bookended by the 19th-century
Saint Géry covered market and
St Catherine’s Church, this area
is old Brussels, peopled by a mix
of Asian and North African
immigrants and old-school locals.
SHOP Green is the new black, with
eco-shopping becoming ever more
fashionable. For proof, look no further
than Haleluja (6 Place du Nouveau
Marché aux Grains). This new shop
selling bio-fashion is the latest
aloftbrussels.com
†PER COUNTRY PER CAPITA
*PRICES QUOTED ARE FOR A RETURN TICKET IN B.LIGHT ECONOMY FROM OR TO BRUSSELS, ALL TAXES AND FEES INCLUDED, IF BOOKED ON BRUSSELSAIRLINES.COM. TICKETS ARE NOT CHANGEABLE, NOR REFUNDABLE. PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE