Brussels has a lot to offer to its visitors including amazing museums, art galleries, theatres, concerts and much more. Needless to say, you will be able to enjoy your time in this city more if you choose an appropriate place to stay.
Just like any other city, the Belgian capital is divided into several neighbourhoods. Each of them has something curious to attract visitors, however, if you have specific preferences, you might benefit more by choosing a particular area for staying in Brussels. This article will give you some suggestions which might be quite useful especially if you want to explore the history and art in this city.
The historic centre of Brussels
Like many other European cities and towns with a long history, Brussels also has its own Old Town which is the historic centre of the city. That is why all the visitors of the Belgian capital looking for opportunities to get a high dosage of history at one place, should stay in this part of Brussels.
The Old Town also known as Grote Markt or Grand Place is particularly convenient for everyone who wants to stay close to the major historical attractions of Brussels. It is a particularly good idea to stay in this part of the city if you are visiting Brussels for the first time or you are not planning to stay here for a long time.
Grand Place is itself an extremely attractive place for tourists filled with amazing architecture, bars, restaurants and shops. At the same time, you will be really close to such crucial tourist sites as Mont des Arts, the Royal Palace and the Palace of Justice. The Belgian symbol known as Manneken Pis is also located in this part of the city.
Some of the greatest places to choose for staying in the central part of Brussels are Cocoon Brussels and Grand Place Apartments 7. The first one is a very peculiar place with unique interior design and beautiful views of Grote Markt. The latter one is located particularly close to the major tourist spots and is great for large groups of tourists, for example, for large families.
The best areas of Brussels to stay if you are an art lover
If you are looking for a place filled with art and elegance in brussles, you should pay your attention to Sablon. This place is regarded to be the most crucial spot for the artistic life of the city.
Sablon is located not far a way from the Old Town which itself is a great advantage of choosing this area for staying in Brussels. To be precise, Sablon is located between the Royal Palace of Brussels and the Palace of Justice. One of the most significant artistic sites of this area is the complex known as the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
This complex of museums is one of the places you certainly should visit while being in Brussels no matter whether you love art or not. The reason for it is immense collection of artworks of this complex. There are only over 20 000 artworks showcased here. You will find not only the modern artworks here but also the classical art dating back to the 15th century.
The Magritte Museum of the Belgian surrealist painter is also located in Sablon. Here, you will be able to explore amazing art, learn about the life and work of the painter and also purchase copies of the artworks.
One more amazing places located in this area is the Notre-Dame du Sablon which is a magnificent Gothic church. Place du Grand Sablon which is also worth your attention is located right nearby the church.
The best area of Brussels to stay in for music fans
A great variety of concerts and music performances are held in Brussels on a regular basis, so it is worth to visit this city if you want to listen to some great music as well. If this is your major aim for a trip, you might be interested in staying nearby Cirque Royale which is extremely popular for hosting eclectic performances and concerts as well as various music shows.
Cirque Royale is situated in the area known as The Freedom Quarter or Quartier des Libertés or Notre-Dame-aux-Neiges. the area has another spot where you can enjoy concerts, primarily rock shows. This place is the Botanique Cultural Center located in a former glasshouse. Apart from rock concerts, you can watch theatre performances , art exhibitions as well as film screenings in this place.
The Botanique Cultural Centre is adjacent to The Botanical Garden which was established in 1826. The place itself is worth visiting due to its beautiful iris and rose gardens as well as a collection of unique sculptures depicting mythological creatures and animals.
There is also a great place to visit with children in the area which is Musée du Jouet. Musée du Jouet includes a large collection of vintage toys as well as an amazing train set.
Pay your attention to one more tourist attraction located in the area which is the Congress Column. This is a huge construction of the 47-m height which was created in order to commemorate the creation of the first constitution of Belgium in 1830.