Art & culture – All our local tips

It’s a Wednesday, at the office. You’re on a hurry to finish your task because tonight you’ll meet a friend right after the office. Program? After work drink in a bar, then a dinner in one of those places you’ve been reading about on your favorite blog “Spotted by Locals”. Sounds nice.

After your (short) lunch break, you’re back at your desk, where this e-mail from your friend is waiting for you:

“Hey dude, sorry, my kid (or replace by my boss/mom/wife/boyfriend/roommate, or whoever else you may imagine) is sick (or: need my help/don’t let me go/is angry,…) so I can’t make it for tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow (or next week/when my 2 years old kid is at University/when I get older, ..) to fix an other day.”

So you have some time for yourself and don’t know what to do, but on a mood for some surprises, something nice, unexpected…. then why not go to the theater?

Yes, for many of us, going to theater sounds like a huge organization: choose a nice show, read all the critics about it to be sure to choose the best one in town, call the theater in order to book the places, etc… that was before Arsene 50 existed!

Now, you can just visit their website, look at what they offer, and run to the ticket office (Flagey Billetterie place Sainte-Croix in Ixelles or in Arenberg Gallery) in order to buy the ticket for a cheaper price (you can get up to 50% of discount!).

So…. what are you waiting for?

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Arsene 50 | Art & culture
Cinéma Arenberg Galerie de la Reine, 26 | Center
Tue – Sat 12:30 – 17:30

The Beursschouwburg is a large arts centre in the middle of town, showing contemporary theatre, dance and exhibitions.

The café, or rather Kafee for its Flemish, is on the ground floor, though it has the feel of a cellar-bar, with its exposed-brick walls, lack of windows and tressle tables. It hosts film showings, talks, musical performances and other cultural happenings – normally they are free you just need to buy drinks.

Well worth checking out is the regular shortescape night which screens short films – normally on the first Wednesday/Thursday of each month.

In summer the roof terrace opens up. After the trek up four floors you get to enjoy a great view over the city. They also show films up here on a big outdoor screen.

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Beurskafee | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Music, Theaters
A. Ortsstraat, 20 – 28 | Center | +32025500350
19:00 – 00:00 daily

The Botanique is the greenest place in the centre of Brussels. A variety of flowers, plants and trees decorate this spacious garden. There is even a little lake and a labyrinth of bushes for you to get quiet and inhale a little piece of paradise.

This small patch of bliss lies between a major four lane traffic road which makes the opposition nature versus construction even more apparent. Still, wandering there makes you forget the stressed out people caught there in traffic. The whole park is built on a steep hill, there are entrances to it at various places.

You’ll see a lot of families having a pick nick on the grass, couples romantically sitting near rose bushes or joggers going up and down the hill. There is even a small herbal patch with some medicinal plants like for instance Echinacea.

When the Botanique was built it was a major scientific research temple with a very large variety of exotic plants, flowers and trees. To acquire money for maintenance they used to sell vegetables and other crops from the garden. At this place they created Belgian endive.

At present times the Botanique serves as a known cultural venue. It has different concert halls, exposition rooms and a museum. There is also a large bar and restaurant with a splendid terrace from where you have an amazing view of the botanical garden. They serve great lunches and dinner. The expositions held there are open from twelve until eight.

Their concert programming is worth checking out and during `Les nuits Botanique’ large crowds gather there to see indoor and outdoor concerts from a large variety of groups.

Unfortunately the park closes at five but the cafe and concerts continue until two or three. In the weekends this place is a good way to spend your night out.

For good photographic expositions and interesting concerts go check it out!

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Botanique | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Relaxing
Entrance Koningsstraat 236 | Center | +3222183732
10:00 – 18:00 daily

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life Pablo Picasso once said, well, this shop is your washing machine.

Fashion magazines, arthouse movies, exhibition catalogues, gifts, kid  books, T-shirts with fancy slogans and the widest range of national and international art books you can imagine, you can find it all in one place… the fine arts shop near the fine arts museum.

Ideal to buy birthday presents you cannot find elsewhere and I bet you won’t be surprised if I tell you this is one of my favorite places to hang out around christmas time.

Take a look at the award nominated videos made by co-owner BaseMOTION

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Bozar Shop | Art & culture, Shopping
rue Ravensteinstraat 15 | Center | +3225141505
10:00 – 19:00 (or till after concert) daily

Belgium is the cradle of the 20th century comics, called BD (Bande dessinée) in Brussels. It’s an important part of the culture of this country; nowhere in the world can you find so many comics shops.

The Smurfs, Tintin, Lucky Luke are only few of the comics created by Belgian authors and famous that are famous all around the world.

Brussels has a “Museum de la Bande Dessinée” but what has always fascinated me is the open air tribute to comics.

All through the city center you will see plenty (36 and growing) of murals showing your favourite characters. Some of them interact with Brussels landmarks (i.e. the Manneken Pis), others perfectly fit the wall they are painted on (Boulevard d’Anspach, close to La Bourse). You will be surprised by seeing them around many corners in the center!

There are walking and biking guided tours which explain you the history of Belgian comics while showing you many of the walls.

But if you prefer discovering these beauties yourself, then check this website. It’s in french, but it’s easier to understand which comics are where in town.

It’s worth checking out the tours or walking on your own, there are some which are so well integrated with the city that you do not even realize they are there.

Have a good walk, and let me know!

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Brussels & the comics | Art & culture | Free
All around town | Center
24 hours daily

How many train stations can boast their own myspace site? I’m guessing not many, which puts Bruxelles Congres in the minority.

Built in the fifties by architect Maxime Brunfaut, this station was originally built to serve the thousands of government workers working in central part of town. With some of the administrative buildings closed and civil servants preferring to commute into work in their people carriers, its function as a station is much reduced from its heyday, though some trains do stop there during the week.

It is now being reinvented as a cultural spot, with photo and contemporary art exhibitions, cultural debates and regular club nights. Though it is still worth checking out the station for its great modernist interiors and the great little café that is open during the week for lunch and specialises in quiches and tartines.

Check out the myspace site for details of events.

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Congres Station | Art & culture
Boulevard Pachécolaan 25 | Center
Daily

Although you may think Brussels is flat, it actually has few hills! Try biking around and you’ll notice it! An easy way to reach “uptown” from “downtown” is taking the elevator.

In the Marolles area near Sablon there’s a small square (square Breughel L’ancien) from where you take this free elevator, open every day till midnight, for bikes too!! And when  reach the top…THE VIEW!

All Brussels opens in front of your eyes. On a clear day you can easily distinguish the “Basilique”, the Atomium and the whole center. You have reached as well the Justice Palace (impressive building) and the one of the shopping areas in town, Avenue Louise. So, it’s just time to enjoy!

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Elevator to the sky | Art & culture | Free
Place Poelaert | Center
24 hours daily

Every main city of the world has a river, or a harbour. But Brussels, at first sight looks like a city without water.

But that’s not true.

Once upon a time the river Zenne was crossing the city. By the end of the 19th century it was decided to build boulevards on top of the river, causing it to end up disappearing from the Brusseler’s mind.

Many of the inhabitants of Brussels will only know the Zenne from the signs on the highway. However right in the city center there’s a small hidden corner where you can see a glimpse of it. What you can see there is just the (reconstructed) original bedding of the Senne, but not the Senne itself. You can see it at the Grande écluse building near the Midi station.

This river was never very clean but in the last years effort have been done and now its waters are clear and big fish swim in it.

I like to enter in this small courtyard to get away from the bustling noise of the center, of course before heading to the nearby Place St. Gery for a drink.

Enter through the iron gate and go to the left. Be quiet and respectful, this is a private area which is open to tourist during the day to give us this nice chance to discover a bit more of Brussels.

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La Zenne | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Place Saint-Géry 23 | Center
10:00 – 18:00 daily (subjected to changes depending on owners)

As many girls, I don’t go outside without my bag. Thanks to it I can have with me anything I need… one of those things being a book.

I can read many books a week and I often even read while walking in the streets. Sometimes when I finish work, I find myself at the Natural Caffè (see the Natural caffe article) for a drink, but without a book to read… and it’s already 18:30: my nightmare: being the whole evening without a chance to read….

Of course, I can go to Cook&Book: they’re open late (as it is also a restaurant), but come on, I’m tired, I’m in Ixelles on my way home, and sometimes I don’t want to run till the other part of the city.

Fortunately, I found out that the owner of the bookshop “Place Voltaire” is not counting the minutes before closing her shop. If you arrive around 18:30, there is a good chance you will be allowed to come in and to take the time to choose a book.

I like the fact that I can arrive late and find it open, and I also like the warm and nice atmosphere and the nice chat with the owner. It has the colour, the smell and the impression of being back in the time where people get to take the time for the good things.

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Librairie Place Voltaire | Art & culture, Shopping | Books from € 4.00
rue de l’Aqueduc, 101 | Ixelles
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 19:00

Metro stop Naamse Poort is the gateway to African shops, various ethnic restaurants, Italian, Greek, Indian, Pakistan, and Belgian cuisine. This is rue Nord, Brussels commercial clothes street converted into a more enjoyable area to wander in.

There are also a lot of African barber shops, clothes, food and jewelry shops next to HM, Zara and the usual pack of Belgian stores but this time in a vibrant and living neighbourhood. At night you can enjoy Brazilian, African, or other cultural happenings.

Further down the shop street right in front of the subway you’ll find a park to sit in front of the cities town hall, in Ixelles. Various bars and restaurants add to Matongés cultural offerings.

The Chaussée de Wavre offers mainly restaurants, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Japanese bars and several African shops. There are also various second hand clothes shops and other specialised shops. The prices for food, clothes, or other items in this area are fairly cheap. Be sure to see this area at your own interests and pace.

The most vibrant part of Brussels and the best experiences to be found are there.

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Matongé | Art & culture, Bars, Restaurants (Different)
Chaussee de Wavre, Porte de Namur | Ixelles
Daily

Have you ever dreamed of a place where you can touch everything?

As a kid, when your parents brought you to the museum, did you feel frustrated because they were constantly asking you to not touch anything?

Well, good news: you’re not the only one…

Fortunately enough “our” kids can make this dream come true; this Museum is made for them and they’re allowed (and warmly invited) to touch everything they want and to experiment with everything.

The Musée des Enfants (Kindermuseum) is located in a nice park, it’s a good destination for a sunny/rainy day (you know, it’s so sunny, and as soon as you arrive at the park it’s raining, then you decide to change the plans, and: wow! sunny again).

At the entrance of the Museum, some of the kids were so enthusiastic about it! One told me that he’s constantly harassing his mum to come here (the expression on the mum’s face present at the moment confirmed this), other ones told me that there’s no place on earth, except ‘maybe the beach’ where they can have such a good time.

But, I have to say that all were around 7 to 10 years old. My niece is only 3 years old and yes, she liked it, but I cannot say that she was that enthusiastic.

So I will suggest this place for kids who can already read so they’ll learn a lot (and especially boys).

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Musée des Enfants | Art & culture, Relaxing | Entrance & workshop € 6.85
15, rue du Bourgmestre | Ixelles | +3226400107
Please check the website

Set in the beautiful art nouveau building `The old England’, this museum guarantees a well spent afternoon. Various instruments, European and non European. are at display. Infrared headphones offer the possibility to hear extracts from the instruments you are viewing.

They collected a large sample of extracts for you to listen to, making a visit to this museum a feast for body and soul. In September until June concerts are organised there. These concerts make use of the enormous rare and ancient instruments in the collection.

Your visit is chronologically structured taking you to instruments and their sounds from ancient times until present day. Guided tours are also offered to give you a more thorough understanding of musical evolutions. Next to this rich collection of instruments the museum has a library where you can proceed your investigation of everything about music. It has a long history of collecting, renovating and preserving instruments that makes this museum extra spectacular.

There is also a shop where you can buy books, Cd’s and other music related products. Pictures and video extracts nicely put next to the instruments on display give you further insights. This is truly a museum where education, entertainment and conservation come together.

Finally the restaurant on the top floor offers a spectacular view of Brussels, the terrace looks out on the best of Brussels architectural jewels. Even if you don’t have time to visit this museum you can still visit the restaurant without paying for the entrance to the museum. But still, you’ll regret missing out on this extravagant temple of music.

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Musical instruments museum | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Restaurants (Lunch)
Hofberg 2 | Center | +3225450130
Tue – Fri 9:30 – 17:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 17:00

One of the nicest ways to discover a town is to look at it from a high point. Many cities have hills or skyscrapers with roof terraces… Brussels has a Parking!

Parking 58 is situated in the very center of the town, 100m from La Monnaie. Reach its 10th floor, and a big parking terrace will open in front of your eyes. There’s a beautiful 360 degrees view of Brussels. You can recognize the Palace of justice, the Grand Place tower, Basilique, the Atomium….what else??

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Parking 58 | Art & culture
Rue de l’Evêque, 1 | Center
Sun – Thu 07:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 07:00 – 02:00

Emblematic of Brussel’s rich and vibrant cultural life is Passa Porta, the international house of literature.

A fine and desperately needed meeting place where various language lovers get together to learn and enjoy all things related to semantic creativity. This place is an important link that assembles philosophers, writers and an interested public of various linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Almost every day you can experience a presentation of the works of various artists at the literary platform. Passa Porta also organises workshops that encompass discussions, analyses or theoretical and practical demonstrations on for instance writing fiction or on translation.

Next to it there is a book shop with new and second hand books at bargain prices. Photos and video’s enhance the understanding of a literary work at Passa Porta’s exposition room. They even give apartments to national and international writers. Their work made there gets sufficient attention after it is finished.

The whole kaleidoscope of linguistic creation is skillfully brought together by “entrez lire”. This organisation invites journalists, writers, translators, screen writers, book editors and others to discuss or show their field of occupation. Seminars, workshops, expositions and meetings are organised regularly.

Passa Porta is a wonderful place to discover the written word. You’ll find it on the fancy Dansaert straat not far from the Bourse. Be sure to check their website to consult the organised presentations.

Still going strong and having more and more links with other organisations.

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Passa Porta | Art & culture, Shopping
Antoine Dansaertstraat 46 | Center | +3222260454
Tue – Sat 11:00 – 19:00, Sun 12:00 – 18:00

This small photography gallery is located in the royal gallery, but you may miss the small entrance on the ground floor – there’s only a regular door and small sign.

The gallery spaces upstairs host regular exhibitions, tending to feature young Belgian artists with a contemporary style. The gallery also organises other public exhibitions in other locations around the city such as the Congres station and Place de l’Albertine.

Supported by local cultural authorities, photography-related businesses and media, the gallery is involved in other activities including photography courses, renting studio space and organises regular competitions.

Check the photo gallery’s blog for what’s on and photography links.

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Photo Gallery | Art & culture | Free
Galerie de la Reine 10 | Center | +32485805843
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 18:00, Sat – Sun 11:00 – 18:00 (when exhibitions on)

The best way to start your visit in Brussels is by going to Place Poelaert. This place gives a magnificent overview of Brussels. It is especially nice to visit during sunrise or sunset.

You can see all of Brussels buildings in a wonderful panorama. There are binoculars to view the buildings in detail and there is a lift that takes you to the Marolles. You can also walk down following the parking space of the adjacent Palais de Justice.

You can sit on the stone fence to admire the view. On your right there is a beautiful art deco building functioning as a high school and on the left there is the Palais de Justice. Right in front of Place Poelaert is Avenue Louise, following this avenue completely to the end, or taking a tram, will bring you to Bois de la Cambre, a large ‘park’ with a lake (see the Bois de la Cambre article).

The whole area is worthwhile to walk around in and to discover at your own pace and interests.

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Place Poelaert | Art & culture, Relaxing
Place Poelaert | Ixelles
Daily

If you’re not interested in the spots where you have to be hip and trendy and you want something more ‘underground’, then Recyclart is the place to be for you.

Literally because of its location beneath the railway track, and even more because this former railway station is an alternative artistic hotspot. Meet your cultural soulmates in the bar, or have a look at the art exhibitions, photography expositions or architecture projects.

Wanna move your feet? Go the the frequently organised parties or concerts and shake your body on the rhythms of dubstep, electro, worldbeat or guitar noise. 
Disko disko partizani!

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Recyclart | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Festivals & events
Rue des Ursulines 25 | Center | +3225025734
Tue – Fri 11:00 – 17:00 (bar), 12:00 – 15:00 (food)

You can’t miss this temple of Chinese goods. The astonishing view will beg you to come in for a visit. At the entrance of Brussels’ small but vibrant Chinatown, the Sun Wah is the only Chinese mega store in Brussels.

Visiting this magnificent building is a must for adventurous food loving world citizens. Admitted the one in Antwerp is a bit bigger and has more Asian stores on one street than Brussels. Although a couple of Chinese restaurants and a lot of Thai ones are located a bit further grouped together in the street right across the Bourse.

So anyway, entering it brings you immediately to a new, let’s say.. Asian atmosphere !?! You can’t help but notice how the Chinese food market clashes with other stores in Brussels. Simply the cardboard boxes marked with Chinese symbols piled carelessly along the wall of the building hints at a voyage to other surroundings.

On weekdays you’ll see the Asian expats living in Brussels: Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, … In the weekend tourists and Belgians who love practising Asian cooking styles are abundant.

At the end of the store there is a hallway with two wall to wall refrigerators with every Asian thing imaginable. Every time you go there you will discover something new. It is like a labyrinth where you can wonder at the different kinds of food this world has to offer. Most of these goods are prepared in the region of origin and shipped to Europe.

For good ingredients, cheap and nice food, special kitchen utensils and presents shop here!

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Sun Wah | Art & culture, Shopping
Rue de la Vierge Noire 2-4 | Center | +3225125833
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 18:00

Brussels most visited site together with Grand Place is the Manneken Pis. Many travellers know as well the Jeaneke Pis, but almost nobody knows that Bruxellers installed another sculpture with the same (pissing) idea.

It’s the Zinneke, a dog! Zinneke in Brussels dialect means someone of mixed origins, symbolizing the mixture of populations living in Brussels.

To me this sculpture is a funny spot to show to friends, a laugh, a way to explain Brussels. And if you are lucky, walking along the street you may find the original dog model for the sculpture: his owner Mark lives in the neighborhood!

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The Zinneke | Art & culture
Rue de Chartreux 31h | Center
24 hours daily

This spot is a bit tricky, I must confess, but I couldn’t keep for myself this excellent spot.. so if you do not have a legal residence in Belgium you won’t be able to go back to your local place with a movie, but, even so, I’m sure you won’t regret the visit!

Why is Excellence a place you should know? Because, unlike the million other video clubs around the town, it’s not dedicated to the blockbuster but to all good movies, from many different director and countries. Visiting this place will remind you that Cinema is considered as the Seventh Art.

They have an amazing stock of movies; you can spend hours in their racks. And they do not have only old movies, but also all the newest ones…

The boutique and art gallery is also exellent… so you will be able to leave with a little souvenir!

And if you’re from the city; it’s possible to keep a movie for one week… If you organise a cineclub, please: invite me!

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Video club Excellence | Art & culture, Cinemas, Relaxing | Dvd € 3.00
Bd Anspach, 94- 96 | Center
12:00 – 23:00 daily