Visited the European Parliament, Parc du Cinquantenaire with multiple tram and metro rides. The Brussels metro was the epitome of metro system built in the 70s but every single of its station was one-of-a-kind
Maelbeek Metro Station
The structure and the design of Maelbeek Metro Station was as humble as it could be but the decoration on the wall really drew me in.
According to Wikipedia, the walls of the platforms were decorated with white tiles and 8 portraits were painted on the walls by an artist named Bennoit van Innis.
The portraits were formed by nothing short of simple lines and looked like as if a random kid painted them on the walls simply with a marker.
But they all looked absolutely phenomenal, refreshing and inspiring to me and they reminded me of the importance and fun to think out of the box.
Rue de Toulouse – Brussels is an museum per se
Ambling solo along Rue de Toulouse and the adjacent neighborhood which were filled with nothing but serenity, calmness and peace while savoring the beauty of the historical buildings was literally a sheer bliss. I really didn’t have to visit any museum because the city per se is already a big outdoor museum.
Marie Haps
I was absolutely enchanted by Marie Haps for it’s:
- very simple and clear-cut design
- straight lines being very prominent
- monochrome
- minimized embellishment
But is it a kind of Brutalism? Who cares! For me, it is a stunning beauty!
According to Wikipedia and Google Map, the building is owned by Marie Haps, a French-speaking institution of higher education founded by Marie Haps in 1919.
European Parliament
What drew my attention was the spacious open space along with the technicolor chairs. The European Parliament complex consisted of a museum, the ‘Parlamentarium’, explaining the European Parliament and other European Union institutions.
Except for the circular square encircled by an elevated circular walkway, I couldn’t see any impressive building or monument worth mentioning. If all of the signs or flags of the European Parliament were removed, it’d become an average commercial complex, though I’m fully aware of that fact that it’s not a fancy tourist attraction.
Leopold Park
Leaving the European Parliament with a touch of disappointment, I strolled down to the Leopold Park, adjacent to the European Parliament.
In contrast, the park offered a beautiful view offsetting the disappointment that I’d just experienced. People were chilling out on the lawn, chatting, sunbathing, etc..
Park of the Fiftieth Anniversary (Parc du Cinquantenaire)
The park looked massive on the map and was seemingly built symmetrically for the purpose of something.
It was a tremendous pleasure and comfort meandering through the manicured park, at which the gravel pavements were all planked by soaring trees and people were chilling out on the lawn.
A section of sunken highway running through the park formed the axis of the it. At the easternmost end of the axis stood the most eye-catching monument of the park, the Triumphal Arch or Arcades du Cinquantenaire.
Talking about parks, the Europeans apparently hold a differing view from the city I live in where gravel is replaced by mostly concrete, people are sitting on the benches instead of lying on the lawns.
With reference to its renowned counterpart of Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Triumphal Arch was a little larger in size and the entire complex was more imposing with its circular wings extending to the right and the left from the Arch.
Before leaving the epic park, I rested on a clean wooden bench, enjoying the balmy breeze. I should’ve laid down on the lawn as much as the locals cause when I’m in Rome, do as the Romans do!
2016 Brussels Bombings Memorial
The memorial is designed by the Belgian artist, Jean-Henri Compere who named the sculpture ‘Wounded but still Standing in front of the Inconceivable’.
He said, ‘it means we’ve been wounded down to the ground but we have to stand up and say ‘no’ to those act that are not believable that are not bearable.
Le Berlaymont – the European Commission Headquarters
The building per se was modern, stylish and highly noticeable yet the logo of EU stood out so much more from the building itself.
Le Berlaymont has housed the European Commission since its construction and has been a symbol of the Commission. The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, etc..
Square Ambiorix and nearby
The 3-story historical beautiful residential buildings reminded me of Miranda Priestly’s townhouse in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
Petillon Metro/Tram Station
After I was done with the visit in the EU Quarter, I was set to go for a ride on the Brussels trams which is one of the largest tram systems around the world. I first reached the Petillon station by metro, then changed to a tram.
Heysel Tram/Metro Station
I only realised how massive and prominent Atomium, one of the major landmarks in Brussels, was, as I’d gotten off the tram at Heysel terminus.
The landmark was constructed for the 1958 Brussels World Fair (Expo 58) and is now located at the orginal site where the Expo took place.
Heysel, being an interchange station of metro and tram, I changed to the metro.
From Heysel station to Comte de Flanre station where I got off, I spotted countless quirky metro stations decorated in unique and stylish manner. The designer has given each station its own personality. I wish I had gotten off from the train and explored the stations at length.
Heysel Tram/Metro Station
Comte de Flanre Station
Stepping out of a metro exit when traveling in a new city is like opening a Christmas gift. And the gift from Comte de Flanre Station was a tranquil neighborhood filled with modern residential buildings and the Brussels Canal.
Place Saint-Catherine
A 10-minute walk took me from the Brussels Canal to Place Sainte-Catherine. It was a stripe-shaped public square from a bird’s eye view. At the one end of the square stood a soaring bronze column while at the other, the Saint Catherine Church which looked a little grim on the day I visited. The Sainte Catherine metro station was constructed right beneath Place Sainte-Catherine.
Anneessens Premetro Station
The weather was so inviting, so I went out again at about 18:30 after I’d left the food I bought from the nearby supermarket in the fridge.
Extremely amazed by the uniqueness of the metro stations that I passed in the afternoon, I decided to make a visit to more metro stations.
Leaving the hotel, I strolled through the pedestrianized areas near Brouckere metro station and the Brussels Stock Exchange, then I reached the Anneessens Premetro Station.
However, the premetro stations were more or less identical.
Halle Gate (Porte de Hal)
I got off at Porte de Hal station because it was a tourist attraction as shown in the Google Map.
Its immense size and cylindrical shape stood out from the surrounding lowrise residential buildings. According to Wikipedia, it is a medieval fortified city gate and is now a museum.
Hôtel des Monnaies Metro Station
I hopped on a train at Hôtel des Monnaies metro station again after strolling from Porte de Hal up to this station and I passed a beautiful community garden en route.
I made an attempt to take a few shots of every station I’d passed by hopping off from the train onto the platform for a couple of seconds while the train stopped at that station. It allowed me to take some shots of more stations with shortest traveling time though I wish I’d had more time to fully explore every single station.
I was nothing short of electrified by most of the metro stations undergoing no major renovation since its completion because all these vintage metro stations transported me, as a fan of metros, back to the 70s.
My Travel Journal ONE 