Visit Brussels by GR

This story was posted under the categories: Belgium, Hiking

Brussels is a fantastic city. It’s jampacked with cultural heritage and inspiring sights and is easily visited by foot. Most of the people, will follow their tourist guide or worse, take one of the tour busses that will drive you through all the “must see’s”. We’re going for the low down approach and are following the GR 12 and GR 126 across Belgium’s capital.

Cathedral and Rue Des Bouchers

The best place to get started is the Central Train Station (Gare Centrale / Centraal Station). Leave the railway station by the staircases into the Kantersteen (see the green arrow on the map). From here, follow the GR 126 signs in the direction of the Sint Michiel and Sint Goedele Cathedral. This is the major church in Brussels and is tradionally the place where our kings and prinses get married and burried.

Walk around the cathedral until you reach the crossroads of the GR 12 and the GR 126. We’ll follow the GR 12 to the left (direction Uccle) and cross the new park in front of the cathedral. If you’re tired already and are lucky enough to find an empty one, you can rest down on one of the lying chairs placed within the small park.

You cross two streets and enter a small pedestrian street. In the middle of the street, make a right turn into the Rue Des Bouchers. It’s the most famous dining street of Brussels and you’ll surely love the cosy atmosphere. However, don’t blow your money on a meal here. All of the restaurants serve the same tourist menu’s and are overpriced. Wait a bit longer, you’re sure to pass a lot of better places to eat.

You’ll also cross the Gallerie Des Reines, which is a great place to stop for a coffee. Try Café Du Vaudeville, which serves a complimentary chocolate mousse with every coffee.

Grande Place and Manneken PisÂ

When you return to the Rue Des Bouchers, take a left into the Petite Rue Des Bouchers and head for the world famous Grande Place, the big market. It’s lined with very classic guild houses, which are still in excellent shape and are now used as restaurants or cafés. Of course, there’s the famous town hall. Have a good look at it, there is something very wrong! (hoover your mouse here to find out what)

Take the street opposed to you and walk past the statue of the golden lady on your left. It is said that stroking her brings good luck. As you can see by the shine on some spots, a lot of people have already wished for good luck around here. Up ahead is another statue, which is a lot more famous. That’s of course the popular Manneken Pis, a little guy taking a leak in public. If you’re lucky, there will only be 20 people taking a picture at the time you pass. If you’re unlucky, you’ll have to wringle your way through.

Sablon and Palais De Justice

We’ll now leave the Grote Markt behind and follow the GR signs up to the Sabon. During the walk, pay particular attention the two pieces of remaining city walls. This should give you an idea on how much the city has expanded over the past centuries.

The Sablon is a larger square that is divided in the Grand Sablon (the large Sablon) and le Petit Sablon (the small Sablon). This is the place to be for sampling fine Belgian chocolates. Indulge yourself and buy a couple of chocolates from each chocolatier on this place. Everybody has his own favourite, which one is yours?

The route leads further up the Sablon, passing the Petit Sablon and going through the Egmont park. If you follow the signs, you’ll arrive at the Palais De Justice, the court house. Altough the building in itself is quite impressive, it’s actually the panorama over Brussels that makes this place so special. From here, you can see the Basilic of Koekelberg and the Atomium, two of the monuments that are a little further from the center and which are too far to reach by foot.

Avenue Louise and Matongue

At the Palais de Justice, the GR route descents into the Marollen, a lively neighbourhood where you can still find real Brusseleirs. We will however head out into the Avenue Louise, which is located on your left if you’re facing the Palais.

It’s one of the most prestiguous avenues of Brussels and is lined with high-end stores and hotels. The only downer is the large number of cars racing through the street. When you arrive at Place Stéphanie take the Koninklijke Prinsstraat on your left, until you cross the Chaussée d’Ixelles and hook upon again with the GR 126. You are now in Matongue, the african quarter of Brussels.