Nanda & Nathan The Travellers: A Day in Brussels, Belgium

April 24, 2015 ---- It was Nathan's birthday weekend, so we planned to visit Brussels and Amsterdam for the occasion. We had only three days to visit the two cities, so it was a little tight to try to do or see everything. I decided to spend only a day in Brussels because when I did my research online, I found it to be less interesting than Amsterdam, and I was right.

Accommodation: We didn't stay overnight in Brussels, so I don't know what hotels and hostels are like in the city. In fact, I don't think anyone needs to stay longer than a night or two in Brussels because there aren't many places that are worth visiting at all. The city itself was less charming or interesting than any other European cities we have visited. So you should just spend a day or two strolling around and visiting a few churches and museums and then go to another part of Belgium.

Transportation: We took an overnight train from Germany to Bruxelles-Nord train station. It would have been closer to the city center if we had gotten off at the central station, but because we had to catch a Eurolines bus to Amsterdam in the evening, which departed from Bruxelles-Nord, we just got off there. Walking from the North Station to Grand-Place took only 15-20 minutes. There are buses, trams and a metro running around the city, and a single ticket costs €2.10 and a day-ticket is €7.50. Brussels is a walkable city, so we didn't have to take any bus or metro at all.

Food and Restaurants: Because we were there for a short period of time, we had only one meal in the city. As we walked around, we saw numerous interesting restaurants, especially on Butcher's Street. Food in Brussels costs more than in Germany. A meal for two in a sit-in restaurant can costs at least €40. Don't forget to try some Belgium chocolate!

Attractions: We found Brussels to be less attractive than other capital cities in Europe. The main tourist spots are the Grand-Place and the Manneken Pis. Churches are free to enter and some are really interesting. Museums are just okay. Many people might want to visit "Mini Europe" or "Atomium" but we weren't interested. The best spot for a city view is at Mont des Arts Garden.

Our Trip Itinerary: Our single-day tour around the city started and ended at Bruxelles-Nord where we got off the train and stored our backpacks in a coin-operated locker. Our main goal was to just walk around the city and visit some museums and churches.

To see: St. Hubert Gallery -- Butcher's Street -- Grand-Place -- Brussels Town Hall (La Maison du Roi) -- The King's House -- Manneken Pis -- Mont des Arts Garden -- Place Royale -- Royal Palace of Brussels -- Brussels Park

To enter: The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (free) -- Museum of Brussels City (€4) -- Chapel Church (free) -- St. Nicholas Church (free) -- BELvue Museum & Palace of Coudenberg (€10)

To eat: Le Fin de Siècle -- have some Belgium food and beer!

Our Favorite Sites: We didn't really find Brussels to be interesting and none of the sites we visited were astounding enough to write about. However, I would still recommend anyone who plans to visit Brussels to stroll through Grand-Place and Mont des Arts Garden and visit St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral.

Our Disappointment: We weren't exactly disappointed with Brussels, but we weren't ecstatic either. If Brussels is not on your way to somewhere, I would suggest that you can skip it. Many people I met said that Bruges is a much prettier city to visit.