Romance Itinerary

Romantic Brussels

Brussels welcomes all who are looking for a romantic city setting for a perfect weekend with your sweetheart! Historic architecture, fine food and drink, lively markets… you won’t be disappointed!

Day 1: Saturday

Morning in the Sablons

© OPT/ J-P REMY

© Karina Nestler

© OPT / J.P. Remy

The noble and romantic Sablon squares are the starting point for your weekend in Brussels. The GRAND SABLON SQUARE (BRUXELLES) and the PETIT SABLON SQUARE (BRUXELLES), together form a district in the upper city which is popular with well-heeled residents. It’s a little slice of history that’s easy to discover!

> From the Grand Sablon…
The open space of the GRAND SABLON SQUARE (BRUXELLES) is an ideal place for a stroll. It is surrounded by delightful historic houses with wrought-iron balconies decorated with brightly-coloured flowers. Don’t miss sampling the unique atmosphere of its many bars and restaurants, or its elegant antique, jewellery and chocolate shops! If you feel like something to eat, try “Au Vieux Saint-Martin” a café-restaurant designed in 1969 by the architect André Gevers, which is famous for its classic Belgian cuisine… All on the GRAND SABLON SQUARE (BRUXELLES) in the most traditional of decors!

> … to the Petit Sablon!
The PETIT SABLON SQUARE (BRUXELLES), is first and foremost a magnificent park surrounded by seventeenth-century buildings. On top of the park railings are 48 bronze statues, representing members of the city’s mediaeval guilds.

> A musical museum
Now let’s move on to the Mim, Musical Instruments Museum and the Royal Museums for Art & History (BRUXELLES), with its displays of 1,200 ancient and modern musical instruments housed in the former Old England department store with its magnificent Art Nouveau architecture (). If you’d like something to eat or drink, the MIM’s rooftop café-restaurant offers panoramic views of the romantic city below.

Louise shopping and trendy Châtelain

If you’re looking for the best ready-to-wear clothes in Brussels, then head for the boutiques of the Avenue Louise, which runs North from the majestic LAW COURTS (BRUXELLES). Then continue down the avenue to the Place du Châtelain, whose organic food market, bars and restaurants are the meeting place for the local , trendy , young people.

An unforgettable evening

A romantic dinner should be the high-point of any weekend away with your beloved! An excellent venue is “Bleu de Toi”, a restaurant decorated in shades of blue which has gained a great reputation thanks to its unmissable classics of Brussels gastronomy! And to round off your evening, how about some music? A stone’s throw from the Grand’Place is the jazz sanctuary known as “The Music Village”. If you’d prefer a different sort of music, then head for one of the many concerts in the magnificent acoustic of the concert hall at BOZAR - Centre for Fine Arts (BRUXELLES) !

Day 2: Sunday

Stroll as a couple through the Marolles

© OPT / J.P. Remy

© OPT / J.P. Remy

© OPT / J.P. Remy

Start off your Sunday morning with a stroll around the Marolles district, a proudly working-class part of the city centre, finishing at the PLACE DU JEU DE BALLE - "MAROLLES DISTRICT" (BRUXELLES), with its famous daily flea market (FLEA MARKET OF THE MAROLLES - PLACE DU JEU DE BALLE (BRUXELLES)), the oldest in the city! Feeling hungry? Then give in to the charming atmosphere of “Les Halles des Tanneurs”! This Art Nouveau building also houses a creche, a florist and even a wine bar.

The Grand’place, the city’s romantic heart

The Grand Place (BRUXELLES) is a wonderful place for romantics! Its unique concentration of mediaeval and baroque buildings stirs unique and unforgettable emotions in all who see it. Jean Cocteau called it “the most beautiful theatre in the world”! And when its natural beauty is enhanced by its FLOWER AND PLANT MARKET (BRUXELLES), the contrasting colours makes the relatively confined space of the square and its buildings even more remarkable!

> A small market that became big In the twelfth century, the Grand Place (BRUXELLES) was a simple market place that changed dramatically as the centuries passed… These changes were encouraged by the various city authorities who took over the buildings around the square. Thus it is quite in order to find BRUSSELS TOWN HALL (BRUXELLES) occupying almost all of one side of the square today. Don’t miss the spectacular bell-tower, topped with a gilded STATUE OF SAINT-MICHEL (BRUXELLES) fighting the devil!

> The City Museum and King’s House!
Opposite the Town Hall you will find the MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF BRUSSELS - HOUSE OF THE KING (BRUXELLES)! The current building is a copy of the sixteenth century building that stood here, rebuilt in the nineteenth century. Its displays tell the visitor all there is to know about the city and its history. The displays follow various themes, such as the decorative arts, the growth of the city and the city’s political, economic, cultural and social life! The museum also houses the many costumes of the Manneken Pis (BRUXELLES) !

Accommodation

From the airport, it only takes 20 minutes by train to get to the two hotels we recommend. The HUSA Président Park Hotel is a short walk from Brussels-North railway station, while the Hôtel Café Pacific is close to Brussels-Central railway station.

© HUSA President Park 2008

HÔTEL HUSA PRESIDENT PARK (BRUXELLES)

An ideal place for couples looking for elegant and spacious rooms. Its spectacular French-stone facade, its huge lounges, its gym overlooking the city centre and, above all, its splendid garden and its state-of-the-art technical facilities will charm you at first glance. The hotel was renovated in 2008.

© Hôtel Café Pacific

HOTEL CAFÉ PACIFIC (BRUXELLES)

Located at the heart of the Dansaert district and quite at ease in this creative and artistic environment, the hotel is part of the new generation that has modernised and made trendy this part of the city. Its unusual designer features, its warm welcome and its charming rooms are sure to impress!