A week before the March terror attacks at Brussels Airport’s main terminal, I was wheeling my luggage toward a departure gate in the same building.
My stay in Brussels had been a last-minute decision. I’d just wrapped up a week-long jaunt through Flanders, Belgium. Nearly everyone had warned me to skip boring, bleak, bureaucratic Brussels for Paris or London.
But I decided to see Belgium’s capital for myself. And four days there left me with a very different impression.
This is Europe’s most underappreciated city. Culture and dining rival Paris or Madrid. A rich stock of centuries-spanning architecture makes Brussels a visual treat. And a nonstop influx of global influences — the airport had check-ins for airlines I’d never heard of — means the city is thrillingly international and in constant flux.
What Brussels has never had is crowds of tourists. While the city’s a global business hub — this is the capital of the European Union after all — it hasn’t registered as a vacation spot. And its limited flow of leisure travelers shrank even more after the March bombings.
That’s a shame for Belgium, but an opportunity for travelers who zig when others zag. Hotel rates are low. You don’t fight for prime spots at monuments, museums, or meals. And despite the generally reserved Belgian character, I felt a lot of love here as a visitor.
My home base was the sumptuous Steigenberger Wiltcher’s hotel, the kind of place I’d usually stare at longingly en route to my budget room. But weekend rates here — as low as $190 — seemed like typos.
I spent my first day traipsing through superb and quite singular museums, like the Comics Art Museum (comicscenter.net/en/home); the Musical Instruments Museum (mim.be/en); and the Art Nouveau-treasure Horta Museum. None were crowded. And even at the in-demand fish restaurant Le Vismet (levismet.be), where dinner included raw tuna with homemade fries, there wasn’t a Manhattan-size mob.
Brussels boasts a trove of local treasures like Grand Place — its jaw-dropping main square and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and the Atomium, an insane metal monument to the promise of the Atomic Age from the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. Both were busy, not swamped, on my visits.
But the soul of Brussels, as I learned, is its neighborhoods. I fell in love with Marolles, a low-key quarter of indie shops, antiques peddlers, quirky bars, and convivial cafes. Getting there is part of the adventure; a glass elevator takes you down from sprawling Place Poelaert, home to the colossal Palais de Justice and a prime perch for breathtaking views across Brussels.
The elevator drops you at Rue Haute, one of the Marolles district’s main drags — and another world from the adrenalized bustle of the city upstairs. My first stop was the aptly named Van Clever (vanclever.be), whose cheery t-shirts, postcards, and tableware come from local makers. I loved street scenes, like a Brussels tram, on t-shirts.
A block away, I found one of Brussels’ coolest spots for coffee and cake. At L’Atelier de Ville, a huge old industrial space packed with furniture and textiles, everything’s for sale, including the tables and chairs you occupy while sipping strong joe.
Getting lost in the neighborhood yielded splendid surprises. In what turned out to be a converted wine warehouse, I stumbled onto Marche Bio des Tanneurs, Brussels’ biggest organic farmer’s market. I snaked through and watched locals fill boxes with vibrantly colored produce, exquisite-looking breads, and luscious yogurts in glass bottles.
A quick stroll west landed me on Rue de Nancy, an unassuming Marolles block with an astonishing inventory of Art-Nouveau structures. The Cortvriend House at number 8, with its sensually elegant lines and intricate inlays, is an especially fine example.
Circling back to Rue Haute for dinner, I snagged a table at Le Wine Bar, where a flawlessly executed menu of classics like chicken-liver pate and house-made smoked salmon paired beautifully with vintages like Sublime Syrah 2009 from French winery Domaine Mur-Mur-Ium.
Back in the U.S. a week later, my memories of the neighborhood, and the city, were still warm when news broke of the Brussels bombings. Along with shock and sadness, I felt even stronger love for this city of rich history, hospitality, and humanity.
If You Go …
Getting there: Delta offers daily nonstop service to Brussels from around $1,500 round-trip. A direct rail link (about $9.50) whisks you from the airport to Brussels Central Station in about 17 minutes.
Stay:
A luxury property where rates run less than half of a Manhattan hotel, Steigenberger Wiltcher’s boasts superlative service, sleek rooms, and a beyond-central location on the Madison Ave. of Brussels. From $190.
A 15th-century abbey has been transformed into The Dominican, a medieval/modern mashup where Euro-sleek furnishings complement tastefully-chosen relics. From $140.
Eat:
For a traditional bistro in a classic Belle Epoque setting, Les Brigittines feels surprisingly abuzz. Come here for impeccable French and Belgian fare like beef tartare and veal cheek.
Knees to Chin slings up some of the freshest, most vibrant pan-Asian food on any continent in a minimalist white space. Rice paper rolls, with fillings like smoked salmon or duck, are a must.
More info: visit.brussels./en
