Rather unfairly, some might say, Brussels has historically earned itself the moniker of being Europe’s most boring city, with some tourists complaining of not feeling safe there and the streets being strewn with litter.

Notably, those who voted Brussels as being boring also included Dubrovnik, Venice and Barcelona on that list. Go figure!

Brussels is a massively underrated destination for a European short break, according to guest blogger Viv Gee, who went there and was blown away by the world-class food, beautiful architecture and warm welcome she received, although she had to look past the litter in parts of the city.

Viv travels whenever she has the chance, describes herself as a sun seeker who’s partial to a city break, preferring to steer away from tourist hotspots when possible and, above all, to avoid winter sports, such as skiing. In her words, strapping her feet to bits of metal and sliding down a mountain in sub-zero degrees is not for her!

Here’s what she thought of Brussels – which is so much more than simply being home to the headquarters of the European Union.

First, tell us a little bit about yourself (what you do, where you live, who you live with, hobbies, passions, etc)

I live in Stamford, Lincolnshire – known as ‘the Cotswolds of the north’ – with my husband Max. I have lived here for 20 years and love it. I am a regular visitor to Burghley House and Rutland Water, which are a 10-15 minute drive away. I feel privileged to live here.

I work as a business analyst for a palliative and bereavement support charity called Sue Ryder and work primarily from home. Aside from Stamford, my other passions include music, photography, travel and wellbeing.

You travel as much as you can in your spare time, what’s the most memorable trip you’ve ever taken?

I had booked a two-week stay on the 25^th of December 2004 in Krabi province, Thailand, with trips booked to the Phi Phi Islands. One month before we went, we decided to move our travel plans February 2005 and stay elsewhere in Thailand, based on a recommendation. Thank goodness we did.

We narrowly escaped one of the most powerful natural disasters in recorded history: the boxing day tsunami of 2004. Approximately 230,000 people died and there were major casualties in the Krabi region. That said, our holiday in Thailand was tremendous.

Who’s your favourite travel companion and why?

My favourite travel companion is my husband, Max. He gets just as excited as me when travelling somewhere new.

You went to Brussels for a city break this summer. How long did you go for and what made you pick Brussels?

We visited Brussels for three nights as we wanted to travel by Eurostar. We’d heard it’s a beautiful, underrated city and a friend had recommended we went. We found it to be a fascinating and lovely city – and not at all boring. For example, did you know:

• Audrey Hepburn was born in Belgium
• It’s relatively new and has only been a country since 1830
• Belgium has over 650 varieties of beer and 408 breweries
• It’s thought that Belgians invented French fries (not the French)
• Karl Marx, the Bronte sisters and Victor Hugo all lived and wrote in Belgium
• Belgium has more comic strip artists per square kilometre than anywhere in the world

How did you get there and what was your journey like?

It couldn’t have been easier. We drove from Stamford to Peterborough train station, parked there and took the LNER train from Peterborough to London Kings Cross (£47 return, per person). From there, we walked across the road to London St Pancras and caught the Eurostar to Brussels, with one stop at Lille in France en route.

The whole journey on Eurostar was smooth with no delays. It was really easy, comfortable and super-fast, with the journey taking just four hours in total, from door to door (St Pancras to Brussels is approximately two hours).

We purchased a Eurostar train/hotel package for three nights (four days), which cost £373.00 per person, booked via Eurostar.

Where did you stay and what was it like?

We took a taxi (€14) from the Eurostar terminal to our hotel, the four star Warwick Brussels. The hotel was comfortable with a nice room, good beds and good facilities, including a roof terrace, fitness centre and sauna.

We chose the hotel entirely based on location, as it’s a two-minute walk from the Grand-Place and Brussels Central Station (cost £140 per night, excluding breakfast).

Breakfast at the hotel was €30 euros per person. It was buffet-style, with good selection of hot and cold food, but we thought very expensive. There are multiple bakeries and cafes within a couple of minutes’ walk, so I’d recommend venturing out and finding your own breakfast, as we did.

What did you like about Brussels?

We’d never been to Brussels before, but would highly recommend it as an alternative to Paris or Amsterdam. It’s a compact city that you can easily cross on foot, bus, tram or metro.

It has everything you could want: history, nature, amazing architecture, art, gastronomy, beer, chocolate, frites and waffles. Plus, The Grand-Place, a UNESCO world heritage site, is, in my opinion, the most beautiful square in the world.

What were the Belgian people like?

They were loveliest people I have ever met! They were so friendly and hospitable, kind and helpful. For example, we were struggling with cases down some steps and several people came rushing over to help us (at first, I thought they were going to steal something!). I have a mobility issue and was helped up and off every train and stairs, etc. It was really quite astounding and very unexpected!

Brussels is officially bilingual, with street signs in both French and Flemish (Dutch). Apparently, despite being in the Flemish part of the country, Brussels shifted to French-speaking because people regarded it as the most prestigious of the languages spoken in the country (in some parts of which German is also their first language). However, for many Belgians at the time, speaking French was a prerequisite for access to higher education and the most affluent jobs.

What was the weather like when you went?

We visited in August and it was 22-24 degrees and mostly sunny, but it did rain one night so recommend packing an umbrella just in case. Expect weather much the same as in the UK.

What did you do when you were there?

We walked around the city, went to the Grand-Place, consumed copious amounts of chocolates, waffles and frites and soaked up the amazing atmosphere of the city. We went to the Royal Palace of Brussels where the King of Belgium resides, and walked around a lot, through the side streets and alleyways, which is all do-able on foot.

We took a train to Bruges for the day, which is an absolute must. It has a maze of cobbled streets, large open squares, beautifully-preserved gothic buildings, picturesque canals and rows of medieval houses. It’s one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to.

To get there, we took a train from Brussels Central Station to Bruges (50 minutes). They run every 30 minutes. The quality and efficiency of the train service was superb and a return ticket was £50.00 per person.

In Bruges, we headed for tourist information in the market square, picked up a free map and did our own walking tour.

We had lunch at the Crown Plaza in Burg Square, where I had the best goats cheese salad I have ever had. It was beautiful. One course with glass of wine cost €25. This was a great place to people watch.

The lake of love is beautiful. We walked over a bridge which took us into the ‘Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde‘ with its white-coloured house fronts and convent garden. Founded in 1245, this was once the home of the ‘beguines’ – women who led a pious and celibate life. Today, some nuns live there, as well as single women from Bruges.

During our walk, several very elderly nuns came out to greet us on their way to church service. They looked so happy. Other tourists wanted their picture taken with them and they loved it. Smiling and laughing, they had their photographs taken with so many … I guess they felt a bit like local celebrities. 

My tip for Bruges is to get a map and walk. It is a very walkable city and you get to see more and experience the city by venturing into the less touristy areas. Wander through the streets, take everything in and watch the many horse-drawn carriages go by with the sounds of the absolutely beautiful church bells in the distance. The Belfry of Bruges is particularly beautiful. It truly is like stepping into a fairytale!

The tourist areas can be very crowded, especially Rosary Quay, a centuries-old, Instagram hotspot, which, like in Venice, can somewhat spoil the experience, so I’d recommend a visit early or later in the day. 

The canals in Bruges have for centuries been the veins of the city, winding along and treating you to magnificent views around every bend. I’d recommend taking a boat trip. When we visited there were queues, so-pre booking before you go is a must, especially if you go in the busy summer months.

We were only there for six hours but I can honestly say that Bruges surpassed all of expectations. I’ve been to many European cities and this is one of the most beautiful. 

What was the food like on your trip, what did you eat and where would you recommend?

Don’t go to Brussels if you’re on a diet. The city is known for chocolate, beer, waffles and frites. The cost of a beer is around €4 and a meal around €50-80 euros per person. In the chocolate shops, you get to try a lot of chocolates before you buy!

A few of the places I highly recommend are:

• For chocolates, Neuhaus (founded in 1857 and inventors of the praline), although all of the chocolate shops we saw were beautiful
• Fritland for fries, authentically Belgian with loads of sauces – delicious!
• Belgian Waffles – does exactly what it says on the tin – exquisite
• La Pierre Bleue Restaurant – amazing food, fantastic service, great atmosphere – highly recommended

Fish is a speciality at this highly-rated restaurant, where you can enjoy exquisite dishes such as stuffed sole, chive mousseline & Dugléré or meunière sauce (€37) or duo of scallops & prawns with small vegetables in ‘devil’ sauce (€29).

Any highlights of your trip?

It must be the Grand-Place, Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries and Bruges.

The former, also known in Dutch as Grote Markt, is the paved central square in the city is is surrounded by opulent Baroque buildings, including the city’s flamboyant town hall and the neo-Gothic Kings House or Bread House building, containing the Brussels City Museum.

Dating back to the 11th century, the Grand-Place is the most important tourist destination in the city and most memorable landmark in Brussels, celebrated for its beauty.

Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries is an ensemble of three glazed shopping arcades in central Brussels, comprising the King’s, Queen’s and Princes’ Gallery. The galleries were designed and built between 1846 and 1847 and designated an historic monument in 1986.

We’ve read reports of people saying Brussels is a dirty. What was your impression?

Bruges was spotlessly clean and beautiful. As for Brussels, The Grand-Place was very clean but the rest of the city, sadly, wasn’t. There was a lot of litter, especially in the Midi Station area, much like parts of Paris. We still enjoyed the city, regardless of the litter, but it’s worth bearing in mind, so it’s not a shock.

Any lowlights or things you would not do again?

I would recommend you stay away from the area around Brussels Midi Station. Other than the litter, it has a high crime rate and can feel quite menacing. This is the only time we felt unsafe in Brussels and enjoyed the rest of the city on foot. Jump into a taxi to your destination or take a train to the city centre, but don’t hang around there.

Go with an open mind and enjoy Brussels. We did!