The grandeur of the capital city of Europe is low key yet it won’t be forgotten.
Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert
The weather was so nice with plenty of sunshine. Physically I therefore was already feeling very well even without doing any sightseeing. I am really so blessed that I had the opportunity to have this amazingly good weather.
‘Wow, it’s beautiful!’
The long straight hallway and the resplendent shops were all shimmering in the sunlight which penetrated through the glittering arched glazed roof.
Besides it’s a really beautiful structure, I couldn’t see any arcade of this kind in the city I live, so it’s a complete novelty and a brilliant experience for me being in this kind of historical mall.
Grand Place (Grote Markt) was Shockingly Beautiful
‘Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!……’
These were the inner voices kept emerging in my head at the moment I reached the Grand Place.
I was first deeply enchanted by the Brussels Town Hall which is the tallest structure in the square. I gazed at it in amazement for a decade. Then, when I’d also become aware of the beauty of the other buildings surrounding the square such as the Brussels City Museum and other opulent guildhalls, I was completely overwhelmed.
The feeling was divine being encompassed by beauty, beauty and beauty.
According to Wikipedia, Grand Place is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels. It’s also considered as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe (which I couldn’t agree more) and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
And I was nothing if not grateful for the extremely nice weather so that I could enjoy every single moment in comfort.
Rue de l’Amigo
Rue de l’Amigo is nothing but a backstreet of Grand Place. But being a great lover of brick houses, I was once again completely overwhelmed by the ensemble of brick structures along the street.
Rue du Lombard
Meandering around a place of novelty in the nicest weather of the year, meanwhile savoring the beauty of the handsome buildings on the street, I was literally in a sheer bliss.
Notre Dame aux Riches-Claires
It is a baroque style church built in 1665.
Compared with the intricacy of its counterparts, the shabby chic cylindrical structures looked really cool to me.
Halles Saint-Géry and nearby
Halles Saint-Géry 
Brussels Stock Exchange
Brussels Stock Exchange is another imposing edifice in the area and quite a lot of people were sitting on its large stair.
The building doesn’t have a distinct name but has an abundance of ornaments and sculptures. It houses the Brussels Stock Exchange. In 2002, it merged with Amsterdam, Lisbon and Paris Stock Exchanges into Euronext NV.
Mont des Arts
Leaving the maze of narrow streets and alleyways in the historical district where the Grand Place was located, I headed east and reached the Mont des Arts. It consists of modern architectures and much larger open space.
According to Wikipedia, it is an urban complex and historic site in the centre of Brussels including the Royal Library of Belgium, the National Archives of Belgium, the Square-Brussels Meeting Centre and a public garden.
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
I was mesmerized by the ornate, wide and white facades of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. I wish I had time to visit the museum but I just had too many places to go and see. Hope I can revisit it one day.
Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon
I always go gobsmacked when I come upon the Gothic style architectures including this one, the Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon which was characterized by it’s late Barbantine Gothic style exterior.
To me, the decoration of the facade was just too intricate to be true.
Palace of Justice of Brussels was Gargantuan
Unfortunately the Palace of Justice of Brussels was undergoing a major renovation but I was still completely blown away by its gargantuan size. It looked really so huge while I was standing in front of it.
According to Wikipedia, at the time of its construction in late 19th century, it was the largest building in the world. (I see! No wonder!) And it still remains today one of the largest courthouses.
There is a well-known story that Adolf Hitler was reportedly fond of the building. And the Justice Palace in Lima is based upon the Palace of Justice of Brussels.
In front of it is the Place Poelaert which offers stunning views of Brussels.
Rue Watteeu
This serene little street epitomized very much my impression of a European city.
Place Royale Bruxelles
Similar to many other celebrated monuments in Brussels, Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg, the principle building in Place Royale Bruxelles was literally glittering in the balmy summer sunlight. It was so huge, white and eye catching.
Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg is a neoclassical Roman Catholic church and I paid a visit to it for free. Like almost every Roman catholic church I’ve ever visited, the interior of the church was white, clean, neat, orderly, spacious, airy, tranquil, solemn. And I will naturally feel more peaceful and less fear in this kind of churches.
Royal Palace of Brussels
Royal Palace of Brussels is another imposing gigantic edifice in Brussels. And sadly, the palace was just too big and wide to take a full shot of it.
Royal Palace of Brussels is the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgian’s. But it’s not used as the royal residence because the king and his royal family live in the Royal Palace of Laeken on the outskirts of Brussels.
Brussels Park (Parc de Bruxelles)
Opposite to the Royal Palace of Brussels is the Brussels Park (Parc de Bruxelles).
The whole park was paved with gravel without any pedestrian path. Many of the trees were planted in a straight line. This kind of parks is very uncommon in the city I live.
And a weekend small carnival happened to take place on the day I visited.
Brussels Central is a Vintage Railway Station
‘Wow! It’s so beautiful!’ I said to myself in amazement as I walked into the concourse of the Brussels Central Station.
It’s not modern definitely. But the retro vibes of the concourse was so cool as though I’d been transported back to the 70s. And I am so thankful that the station concourse was so well preserved and maintained.
Brussels Central Station is a railway and metro station. It is one of the three principle stations in Brussels, together with Brussels-north and Brussels-south. And the metro station is connected by a pedestrian tunnel and it takes a 5-minute walk from the railway station.
St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral
After getting some food for my dinner from the supermarket near Brouckere metro station, I went back to the hotel to take a rest. Thanks to the longer daytime in summer, I went out again at about 18:00 when the sky was still very bright and clear.
I am in love with the summer of the temperature regions!
Just a 5-minute walk from the hotel I stayed, I came upon another imposing edifice, the St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral.
Congress Column
This gigantic beautiful column stood in front of me out of the blue.
The Congress Column was built for commemorating the creation of the Constitution by the National Congress of 1830 to 1831.
Saint Mary’s Royal Church
This beautiful church is located in Schaerbeek, close to the Brussels-north Railway Station
Brussels-north Station
On my way from the Saint Mary’s Royal Church to the Brussels-north Station, I saw a lot of African Belgians.
According to Wikipedia, Brussels is home to a large number of immigrants, many of whom came from Morocco, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. About 32% of the city residents are of non-Belgian European origin.
And the district that I’d passed by before hitting Brussels-north Station is home to a significant Turkish, Moroccan and Congolese population.
Place Charles Rogier
I think, the UFO-shaped cover can never go unnoticed by anybody who comes to Place Charles Rogier for the first time.
The centre of Place Charles Rogier was once occupied by a small glass pyramid. In 2006, the Brussels-capital region decided to redesign the square and the UFO-shaped cover was part of the renovation project.
And Place Charles Rogier is home to many hotels and it’s served by the Rogier Metro Station.
Place de Brouckere
About a 10-minute walk from Place Charles Rogier, I reached another beautiful square, the Place de Brouckere which was characterized by the theatres, a large cinema, hotels and restaurants.
BNP Paribas Bruxelles Marais – I’m glad that it’s ‘Brutal’
Thank you so much for the BNP Paribas Bruxelles Marais building for being the quintessence of the Brutalist Architecture or Brutalism.
Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist construction that showcases the bare materials over decorative design. The style commonly makes use of concrete or brick and predominantly monochrome color palette. And this BNP building is a textbook example of Brutalism.
Brutalism has received some severe critics like ‘just a pile of concrete’ but personally they look cool and chic to me.
My Travel Journal ONE 