Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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Belgium : Brussels - January 2010

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After a month of opulent festivities and splurging, Brussels returns to a more measured pace in January – except for its packed arts programme, which sees the launch of a Mexican festival and the interactive Play Belgium video-gaming expo at the Cureghem Cellars. Nina Lamparski sheds the Christmas pounds running around town, discovering what’s hot right now

Getting around

Brussels Airport

Bus: The No 12 bus runs every 30 minutes between the airport and Rond-Point Schuman. The journey takes about 30 minutes. A oneway ticket costs €3.
Train: Trains from the airport run every 20 minutes at peak times. The journey takes 15 minutes and trains go to Brussels’ three mainline stations. Tickets cost approximately €2,80
Taxi: A taxi from the airport to the city centre will cost around €25-35. The journey should take about 25 minutes.
Tourist information: The main tourist office can be found on Grand’Place in the city centre (tel. , www.brussels.

PORTE DE HAL

This ancient gate is a great starting point to explore some of Brussels’ most vibrant areas. You’re only minutes away from the South station, the fantastic Marolles quarter and the bohemian neighbourhood of Saint-Gilles.

Sleep soundly – Brussels’ first five-star boutique hotel, be Manos (23 Square de l’Aviation, tel. , bemanos. com, rates from €99), continues to delight with its funky contemporary designs and overall loungey feel. The large rooms feature king-sized beds, LCD screens and laptop safes.

Culture vultures – You can’t miss the medieval towers known as Porte de Hal (Boulevard du Midi, metro station Porte de Hal). Constructed in 1381 as part of Brussels’ second city wall, the building was used in turn as a grain store, prison and archive repository. Today, it houses a museum documenting the city’s past and folklore. Meanwhile, the Jacques Frank Cultural Centre (94 Chaussée de Waterloo) is a true gem of the alternative Saint-Gilles neighbourhood. What started as a small local cinema has now become a major creative hub, showcasing anything from hip-hop competitions to photography exhibitions and plays.

Must eat – The strip of Rue de Moscou is a culinary melting pot. You’ll find everything from Cameroonian and Russian to typically Belgo-French cuisine here. If you like Oriental food, head to the stunning Mille et Une Nuits (7 Rue de Moscou, tel. ). Seated inside a sumptuous Berber tent, you will enjoy some of the capital’s finest Moroccan and Tunisian food. Try the lamb tagine with dates and grilled almonds – satisfaction guaranteed.

Shop til you drop – If your wallet is whimpering after the Christmas splurge, take it to the Marolles quarter for some great bargain hunting. Apart from its daily morning flea market on the Jeu de Balle square, the area is packed with antiques, furniture and second-hand stores. Find gorgeous corsets, bowler hats and fabrics at Modes (164 Rue Blaes), which primarily stocks early 20thcentury fashion and attracts film and theatre professionals.

PLACE DE LA MONNAIE

Home to Brussels’ opulent opera house, this bustling downtown square is a shopper’s paradise and only a short walk from the Grand’Place. One tip: don’t come here on a Saturday afternoon unless you like being swept up in the masses.

Sleep soundly – Hidden behind the opera house lies the utterly divine Dominican Hotel (9 Rue Léopold, tel. , thedominican.be, rates from €105). The former home of painter Jacques-Louis David (who has a suite named after him) now boasts rainforest showers, a private courtyard, Bose sound systems and a beautiful hotel bar.

Culture vultures – See Richard Strauss’ glorious opera Elektra, which opens at La Monnaie (Place de la Monnaie) on 19 January. To celebrate 200 years of Mexican independence, from 16 January, the beautiful Bozar centre for fine arts (23 Rue Ravenstein) presents an exhibition entitled Frida Kahlo’s Mexico. It’s all about the life and times of the artist who is famous for her slightly surreal self-portraits.

Must eat – Delicious savoury and sweet quiches can be found at the lovely Arcadi Café (1b Rue d’Arenberg). The retro vegetarian café can also provide you with a mean hot chocolate.

Dance the night away – If you’re in the mood for some serious clubbing, hop in a cab and head to Soho Club in the nearby Auderghem suburb (47 Boulevard du Triomphe). The crowd is a mix of university students and young professionals, but on the dance floor here, age really doesn’t matter.

Shop til you drop – Opened in late 2009, the Anspach Mall (Boulevard Anspach) features, among others, fashion hub New Look, chocolatier Neuhaus, shoe label Cecil, as well as the mind-boggling two-storey furniture and crockery shop Maisons du Monde. For vintage haute couture jewellery, drop by Ciel mes Bijoux inside the stunning Royal Galleries (16 Galerie du Roi).

RUE DES GRANDS CARMES

To the unsuspecting visitor it might look like just another cobbled street, but this narrow medieval alley, which once harboured a convent, now has numerous quirky cafes, boutiques and brilliant graffiti art.

Sleep soundly – Politicians and movie stars frequently book in to the five-star Plaza Hotel (118-126 Boulevard Adolphe Maxlaan, tel. , leplazabrussels. be, rates from €95), a few minutes away from the breathtaking Grand’Place. But if you prefer less conventional places, stay at the cute Welcome Hotel (23 Quai au Bois à Brûler, tel. , brusselshotel.travel, rates from €96, including breakfast), near the Place Sainte-Catherine. Each room’s décor is inspired by a different place, for example, Istanbul, Cuba, Egypt and the Silk Road.

Must eat – For a rum-fuelled dinner, head to the Cantina Cubana (6 Rue des Grands Carmes, tel. ), where tasty Latin-American cuisine and fiesta vibes go hand in hand. Eat with your hands from a communal plate at Ethiopian hotspot Kokob (10 Rue des Grands Carmes, tel. ). Booking is recommended.

Must drink – Worldly travellers will feel right at home at Le Cercle des Voyageurs (16 Rue des Grands Carmes), a colonialstyle lounge serving delicious mojitos at steep prices. True Brusseleirs spend their Sunday afternoon reading Camus and sipping a blanche beer with lemon at Au Soleil (86 Rue du Marché au Charbon).

Dance the night away – You haven’t been to Brussels proper unless you’ve danced on the bar at Chez Maman (7 Rue des Grands Carmes), one of the capital’s most famous gay bars and certainly its longest-standing.

Shop til you drop – Sensual and playful, the gorgeous boudoir shop of Lady Paname (5 Rue des Grands Carmes) has erotic toys, yummy massage oils and lacy lingerie. Bookworms will be in seventh heaven at De Slegte secondhand shop (17 Rue des Grands Carmes), while Prive Joke (76 Rue du Marché aux Charbons) sells cool urban wear, including the legendary Le Fabuleux Marcel de Bruxelles brand.

NAMUR

A 30-minute train ride from Brussels lies the pretty capital of the Walloon region, flanked by the Meuse river. The lovely town and its green setting make for a great weekend winter escape.

Sleep soundly – It doesn’t get much better than spending the night at the four-star Les Tanneurs (13 Rue des Tanneries, 00 24, tanneurs. com, rates from €40). The 17th-century hotel has retained its original brick and wood structure, which gives the historical place a wonderful homely feel. Some rooms even claim a private sauna, Jacuzzi or hammam, so sightseeing could be forgotten, as you might not stray very far from your room!

Culture vultures – Wrap up warm and climb to the top of the Citadel, where you’ll have breathtaking views across the Namur region. The fortress is classified as a Walloon heritage site. Or pretend you’re 10 again, as you wobble across the Mosane ice rink (3 Allée du Stade).

Must eat – Who would have thought that what is possibly one of Belgium’s best Chinese restaurants hides here in Namur? Palais d’Eté (41 Avenue du Cardinal Mercier, 3674) serves a superb Peking duck in an authentic setting that manages to steer clear of kitsch.

Shop til you drop – Local fashionista Emilie Awoust had enough of travelling to Brussels or Antwerp to buy designer clothes, so she decided to open her own boutique. Elegant Huis Clos (7 Rue Emile Cuvelier) opened its doors in autumn 2009 and features labels such as Paule Ka, Les Hommes and Paul Smith. Give your credit card some post-Christmas exercise and buy yourself something special. Meanwhile, La Demoiselle au Petit Pois (13 Rue des Fripiers) sells exquisite nothings, from earrings to vintage teapots. Make sure you leave plenty of time to browse.

Compiled by Nina Lamparski