Holiday travel tips and experiences: Tourist Attractions in Brussels

Brussels Atomium - One of the key tourist attractions in Brussels

The Brussels Atomium is a monument that was originally built for the World Fair of Brussels in 1958, commonly known as the Expo '58. It is now one of the main tourist attractions in Brussels.

The story of the Atomium is, above all, one of love, the love that the Belgians have for an extraordinary structure symbolising a frame of mind that wittily combines aesthetic daring with technical mastery. The appearance of the Atomium is unusual and unforgettable. It has a rare quality of lifting everyone’s spirits and firing their imagination.

Diane Hennebert, 2008.

The Atomium was the main pavilion and icon of the Expo 58. It symbolised the democratic will to maintain peace among all the nations, faith in progress, both technical and scientific and, finally, an optimistic vision of the future of a modern, new, super-technological world for a better life for mankind.

Brussels Atomium

Its unique structure stands 102 meters (335 ft) tall and has nine steel spheres connected in a way that forms the shape of a unit cell. Each sphere is 18 meters in diameter.

The Atomium is now the key landmark of Brussels.

In the afternoon on this 12th day of our Europe vacation package, we were brought on a walking sightseeing tour to the various other main tourist attractions in Brussels.

The Grand Place Brussels, the central square of Brussels, was the first stop. This square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the one of the most important tourist destination in Brussels. Here you are able to see the Town Hall, the Breadhouse as well as the guildhalls.

Brussels town hall

Brussels Guildhalls

The Maison du Roi (King's House), or Broodhuis (Breadhouse)

Every two years in August, an enormous "flower carpet" is set up in the Grand Place for a few days. A million colourful begonias are set up in patterns, and the display covers a full 24 by 77 metres (79 by 253 ft), for area total of 1,800 square metres (19,000 sq ft). The first flower carpet was made in 1971, and due to its popularity, the tradition continued, with the flower carpet attracting a large number of tourists.

Flower Carpet at Grand Place Brussels - taken from Wiki

Another one of the main tourist attractions in Brussels that tourist do not miss visiting is the Mannekin Pis statue located at the junction of Rue de l'Etuve/Stoofstraat and Rue du Chene/Eikstraat.
The term Mannekin Pis literally means the "Little Man Pee" in a Brussels dialect, exactly what this small bronze naked boy sculpture is depicting doing - urinating into a fountain's basin.

According to www.brusssels.be, the Manneken-Pis was originally a fountain that played an essential role in the former distribution of drinking water since the 15th century. The system was well-known in all of Europe.

Towards the end of the 17th Century, the statue became more and more important in the city life. Designed by Jerome Duquesnoy in 1619, it was also a survivor of the bombardment of Brussels in 1695. Manneken Pis now enjoys a ceaselessly growing glory.

Mannekin Pis in Santa's attire

Since he lost his main function in the network of water conveyance of the City in the 19th century, Manneken-Pis gradually became an image and symbol of the Brussels folklore, the joy of the inhabitants and their capacity of self-mockery.

During big events, Mannekin Pis is adorned with luxurious clothes. To-date, Manneken-Pis has a wardrobe of 800 suits.

Mannekin Pis in Judo attire (taken from Wiki)

Nearby you will see many shops selling souvenirs in Mannekin Pis' likeness.

Candies

A larger Mannekin Pis

Mannekin Pis chocolates

Holiday Travel Tips:-
The shop just next to the corner of the Mannekin Pis fountain statue sells some Mannekin Pis chocolates that are a very good buy as souvenirs to be given to friends and family.

Chocolates on offer - a good buy & highly recommended

While in Brussels, do check out the Brussels lace, a type of pillow lace that originated in and around Brussels.

Beautiful lace

Lovely Brussels lace design

As we went on our sightseeing tour by foot, we came across a look alike of Vincent van Gogh next to its statue. Not realising that the one on the left is a real person, our group members proceeded to take a photo next to it, only to realise after the shots were taken that they were all expected to pay a token to the 'statue' on the left.

With Vincent van Gogh

Here is a monument of Everard 't Serclaes (1320 - 1388). Everhard was assassinated for having defended the city's rights and is commemorated by this monument which is located on Charles buls street, just off the Grand Place.

It is said among locals that the statue of Everard 't Serclaes brings luck and grants the wishes of all who touch it. Many tourists touch (or rather rub) the statue, and this constant polishing keeps the body depicted in the statue in a shining color compared to the rest of the sculpture. Other parts are also touched frequently by the tourists such as the face of an angel, a dog, and one of the shields.

Touching Everhard 't Serclaes monument

If you are a chocolate lover, you might be interested to visit the Museum of Chocolate, Brussels. Within walking distance of the Grand Place, the Museum is a must-visit for fans of Belgian chocolate as it provides you with the opportunity to discover the world of chocolate, from start to finish.