Tintin and pralines
From comic books to homemade chocolate, Belgium offers many unexpected surprises, as Amina Elbendary discovers
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Anti-clockwise from top: open air cafés; Hergé's creation Tintin; Horta's Art Nouveau Hôtel Tassel
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When people decide to go on holiday, Belgium does not often come to mind. Home to the EU parliament and many other EU institutions, Brussels has the reputation of being a boring and bureaucratic place. Many visit the city for business rather than tourism. That's a pity. Although I must admit that what first brought me to Brussels is the fact that my best friend moved there, I have since discovered that Brussels offers many opportunities for leisurely sightseeing without the frantic pace of other hot tourist spots. It has all the benefits of a big city without the crowds. Getting there is relatively easy -- EgyptAir has direct flights from Cairo to Brussels twice a week and several European airlines connect in Brussels.
The traditional starting point for a tour of the city is the Grand-Place. An afternoon stroll to the Gothic and Baroque-style square provides a good introduction to the city. Souvenir shops and small restaurants surround the Grand-Place. In summer, they place their tables in the square itself, encouraging leisurely evenings in the market's cobbled lanes and alleys.
A prominent landmark on the Grand- Place is the town hall, Hôtel de Ville, which presides over the gilded façades of the 17th century guild houses. Beside the Hôtel de Ville is the Maison de l'Etoile, a 19th-century reconstruction of the mediaeval residence of the city's magistrate. Next door is Maison du Cygne, adorned with an ostentatious swan on the façade. It used to house a bar where Karl Marx often met Friedrich Engels during his exile in Belgium. Brussels is also the birthplace of the Communist Manifesto, written by Marx and Engels in February 1848 a month before they were deported.
While the Grand-Place now caters to tourists, its mediaeval past is echoed in the flower market set up in the centre of the square. Only one of the guilds still owns a house at the Grand-Place -- the rather mundane Musée de la Brasserie, owned by the brewers at Maison de L'Arbre d'Or.
Also in the Grand-Place is the Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat, which doesn't quite live up to expectations. Situated in an old building, its limited installations show the various stages of the cocoa plant and the process of extracting the beans, separating cocoa from cocoa butter and the making of chocolate. The panels in English, French and Flemish are informative. The highlight, however, is a wonderful woman who demonstrates the process of cooking chocolate and allows visitors to taste her delicious work. It's as enlightening as it is mouth-watering. As we learnt, the darker the chocolate, the better. White chocolate is not really chocolate at all. It consists mainly of cocoa butter, sugar and vanilla. On the other hand, dark chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa. Lower amounts can be found in milk chocolates and pralines. Good chocolate should be dark, crack when bitten and then melt in your mouth.
A chocolate-tasting tour is a must and no city offers tastier options than Brussels. Chocolatiers are scattered throughout the city, from the well-established houses of Godiva, Neuhaus and Leonidas, to other smaller enterprises. No two chocolates taste the same and chocolatiers compete to produce innovative chocolates. Prices range from 10-25 euros for a half kilo.
Also in the Grand-Place is the Maison du Roi, a reconstruction of the palatial Gothic structure that was commissioned by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1515. This site of imperial power is positioned directly across from the town hall, the symbol of municipal independence.
A throng of tourists often gathers around one corner of the Grand-Place. There stands the Manneken Pis, a diminutive statue of a peeing urchin positioned in a shrine-like setting. Many folk tales surround the Manneken, which is one of the so-called highlights of the city. The original bronze statue was cast in the 17th century by Jerome Duquesnoy who, we are told, intended it to embody the "irreverent spirit" of his city.
From the Grand-Place, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium are only a short walk away. They display an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures. Situated within the same complex are the Museum of Ancient Art and the Museum of Modern Art. The buildings are impressively large and the lighting superb, yet there is too much to see in one day. In any case, you will want to visit this treasure trove again. The Museum of Ancient Art is the best museum for Flemish art and hosts an impressive collection by the Bruegel family. The Modern Art Museum has such masterworks as Jacques-Louis David's famous Death of Marat and Dali's The Temptation of St Anthony. The Royal Museums boast that no other public institution in the world owns as many paintings by the renowned Belgian surrealist René Magritte. Indeed, while many of the artist's pieces seem haunting at first, seeing Magritte's paintings in the context of modern Belgian and French art brings his work into perspective. Also of interest is the Musée René Magritte, which is home to more paintings by the artist and some of his paraphernalia. Situated at Rue Esseghem in Jette, this is where the artist and his wife lived from 1930 to 1954.
The city boasts many other small and large museums, such as the Musée des Costumes et de la Dentelle (Museum of Costumes and Lace) and the Musée Constantin Meunier, which is located in the sculptor's own home. Most museums require entrance fees ranging between €5 and 10 euros per adult.
Brussels is also the city of Art Nouveau, a style of decoration and architecture which developed in the 1880s and 1890s. The name most associated with the movement is Victor Horta, whose home on Rue Américaine at Saint-Gilles is open to the public and makes a good starting point for an Art Nouveau tour. Built in 1898, the house still showcases some of its original furniture. The staircase and stairwell are particularly striking examples of Horta's famous use of wrought iron and stained glass to produce a sensuous, sunny interior. Other interesting Art Nouveau homes include architect Paul Hankar's house at 71 Rue De Facqz and Horta's Hôtel Tassel at 6 Rue Paul Emile Janson, although these are not open to the public.
One of Belgium's pleasurable surprises is that independent book shops persist in many corners of the city. Several specialise in art books, while Brüsel on Anspach Street specialises in French comic books and has an impressive collection of vintage and underground material. Bookstore chains also have outlets in Brussels. The most famous is Fnac, which in addition to several stores throughout the city occupies the whole top floor of the City 2 mall on Rue Neuve. The English chain Waterstone's also has an outlet in Brussels.
Comic strips also have a home in Brussels. Tintin and many familiar comic strip characters are Belgian creations. The Belgian Comic Strip Centre, or Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée, situated at Rue des Sables off Rue Neuve near the Grand-Place, is worth visiting. It is located in the Grand Magasin Waucquez, a recently-restored department store designed by Horta. Built in 1906, it is an excellent example of the architect's style. The subdued displays on the second and third floors provide the history of the comic strip since its inception in the early 20th century and introduce its main artists, principle magazines and their characters. Installations also explain how comic strips are drawn, painted and printed and how they developed into motion picture cartoons. Hergé (Georges Rémi, whose initials pronounced backwards, in French, make the pseudonym Hergé) and his main creation, the ageless, asexual Tintin, occupy a central place. The bookshop on the ground floor hosts an impressive collection of comic strips and books on the art, most of which are in French.
When visiting Belgium, try to make time for at least one or two of its other famous cities. I would suggest Bruges, Antwerp and then Ghent. Bruges is now a quaint town with wonderful little boutiques situated in old guild houses, churches and boats on the canals. It still boasts extremely good quality lace -- the trademark craft of Belgium. Bruges makes a splendid day trip and can be reached by train from Brussels in an hour. Two trains leave each hour. You can reach both Antwerp and Ghent in 40 minutes.
Antwerp is renowned for its diamond industry. While the Provinciaal Diamantmuseum offers displays about the geology, history, mining and cutting of diamonds and has a laboratory that explains the specific features of a diamond, such as colour, hardness and refraction of light, walking through the surprisingly unpretentious diamond district is truly amazing.
In all Belgian cities, cathedrals continue to house impressive collections of mediaeval art. The structures themselves and their art explain a great deal about the mercantile and religious history of this part of Europe. In Ghent, for example, you can see Jan van Eyck's altarpiece, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, at St Baaf's Cathedral.
While diamonds are indeed a girl's best friend, budgetary concerns reign supreme. Contrary to reputation, Brussels is as good a city as any in Europe to shop. For window shopping or for the upscale shopper, Avenue Louise and Avenue de la Toison d'Or have outlets for all the major international designers. Other trendy designers and major department stores are conveniently located downtown near the Rogier metro station on Rue Neuve. Public transport is convenient in Brussels, with the underground and tram taking you almost anywhere you want to go. Neither is ever very crowded and the network is simple enough for the uninitiated to navigate. Many tourist attractions are close to each other and if it is not raining (which it often is in Brussels), walking is the best way to get to know the city.
Though Belgian chocolates are heavenly, you will probably be tempted to try other specialties. Frites and waffles are the national snacks. The former is often served with mayonnaise rather than ketchup. The smell of freshly baked waffles is the one you are most likely to associate with Brussels when you leave. It is what the average Joe grabs before the underground ride home and what you give the children when they have done too much walking and become cranky. They are the first thing to greet you when you hit the not-so-crowded streets.
For main courses, seafood is a favourite and there are a number of good restaurants around the Grand-Place that serve great seafood and international cuisine. Interestingly, many are owned and run by Arab North Africans. The average meal in such restaurants is approximately 15-20 euros. Mussels are a must and if you have the time and money, sample a seafood paella. The national drink is, of course, beer. Belgians boast some 700 different brews.
There is plenty to do after dinner. Brussels has a thriving night life. For the city's natives, bars are the place to start. Several clubs specialise in jazz music. The city also boasts an impressive classical music scene and the Orchestre National de Belgique has an international reputation. There are several cinema complexes that screen films in their original languages and with French or Flemish dubbing. The Actor's Studio at Petite Rue des Bouchers, one of the myriad cobbled streets off the Grand-Place, specialises in art-house and independent films. The Bulletin, the city's English- language weekly magazine, has an essential "What's On" section listing all of the city's events.
Even after having visited some of the city's many sites and spent quality time with my best friend, there was still much more to do. I never made it to the Musée du Cinéma at Palais des Beaux Arts, which is reportedly the only place where you can still watch original silent movies with piano accompaniment. I did not visit the Museé Royal de L'Afrique Centrale either -- much to the dismay of our international editor -- as it was described in my guidebook as "a blatantly colonialist and racist enterprise, which treats the Africans as a naïve and primitive people and the Belgians as their paternalistic benefactors". Despite the sites I missed, I couldn't resist taking one last stroll down Rue Neuve.
Useful Web sites:
http://www.bruxelles.irisnet.be
http://www.brussels.org/
http://www.brusselstourism.com
http://users.skynet.be/chocolat/uk/ index.html
http://www.tintin.be/
