After returning from our summer of adventure in California my friends and I did not go very long without suffering from wanderlust again. We only made it as far as November when we booked our girls weekend in Brussels! I had never been to Brussels before but had heard nothing but great things about this little city that is home to the European Parliament.
We made our trip at the end of January which meant we even got a little bit of snow while we were there! We had two nights and days in Brussels which I felt was just the right amount of time to take in this city. We stayed at the Radisson Blu just up for the street from the European Parliament. This was a lovely hotel and I would highly recommend staying here even though it is a ten to fifteen minute walk into the city center. However if you don’t feel like walking you can get a bus just down the street for €1.50. The breakfast they serve every morning is a massive swaying factor for this hotel in my opinion! I have never been served a smoothie in a light bulb before!
Brussels is a wonderful city to just walk around and soak up the atmosphere. We frequented many chocolate shops that weekend and of course visited the famous Mannekan Pis which I was surprised at how small he was! We also indulged in some yummy Belgian Waffles. If it has not been obvious by now this was very much an eating holiday!
The Belgian lifestyle is so relaxed, nothing opens on the weekend until 11am, so on Saturday morning we found ourselves waiting on the street until Brandy Melville opened but Brandy is always worth the wait to me and my friends! On Saturday Evening we went to see the sun set across the city in the restaurant which is on the top floor of the Music Museum. Brussels has a tonne of different Museums which are either free to enter or else just cost a few euros at the most. Going to a museum was the one thing we did not get around to on this trip and it is definitely on my list to do if I ever find myself here again. We also walked past what would normally be The Flower Carpet in summertime but was unfortunately quite bare in the depth in winter.
I think my highlight of the entire trip was eating in a completely authentic Belgian restaurant that the very helpful reception staff at our hotel told us about. Not a word of English was spoken by anyone that worked there but to this day that meal remains as one of my highlights. It was possibly the best steak and glass of wine (which only cost €3!) that I will ever have!
I would highly recommend Brussels to anyone who is looking to get a little break for a few days. The Belgian lifestyle is ultimately a relaxed one and so it is utterly impossible to not unwind whilst on a stay in this little European City. I am a foodie so wandering around the little cobble streets taking in the sights and atmosphere while pausing on several occasions to sample all types of delectable food is my idea of perfection. Brussels is unbelievably clean and safe so it is a nice option for a group of girls travelling by themselves like we did. If I had a little longer I would have taken the train to Ghent or Bruges as they were only 20 to 25 minutes away and are meant to be wonderful in an entirely different way to Brussels.
Alas this shall be a trip for another time but for now this is my Brussels Travel Guide which I hope you enjoyed reading and has inspired you to also make the trip someday.
Xo Laura
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