One of my favourite things about Brussels is how dizzyingly diverse the city is. There is space for every culture to express itself and sometimes you feel like you've stumbled into a foreign city, just by turning the corner.
The city has a long history of Portuguese immigration and the area around Place Flagey is something of a 'Little Lisbon'. It's fitting, therefore, that on a corner of the square you can find this memorial to Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. It is a giant metal head set on some typical Portuguese pavement, known as calçada portuguesa.
I love how random it is and how nicely it represents that Brussels is a home for many different cultures.
The statue was damaged by storms a few years ago but has been restored and returned to its home. A fitting metaphor, perhaps, for the resilience of Brussels' immigrant communities, which make the city a true mosaic of cultures.
Rue des Cygnes & Place Eugène Flagey
€
free
Find your way with 295 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
Loved this Spot?Join your international community. Share your favs and become part of our international community!
Delicatesse Declerc will offer you all the cheesiness you've been missing in the heart of Ixelles. Soft creamy, old, blue, any type of cheese...
by
What I love about Perruche is that it caters to all needs. It is a place frequented by families, students and friends (big tables for your bday drinks!).
by
It has everything anyone with a little interest in art would want: photographs, exhibitions, coffee, cakes, and even some animals and farming activities.
by
This cultural center organizes activities year-round from feminist conferences to cultural exhibitions. Check out their upcoming events before you go!
by
I love museums where I can touch and experience the things they're trying to show. At the Museum of Urban Transport Brussels you can do just that!
by
Le Chat is one of the most famous cartoons in Belgium for being cynical and very on point (and I think it perfectly embodies the Belgian way of life).
by
What I love about La Ferme Rose is that it brings together many artists from the neighborhood at the many markets it organizes on the weekends.
by
"Flamme" in Brussels keeps it simple: here you'll find an assortment of sausages prepared in front of you on the grill, above the fire...
by
"Brasseries Georges" is one of the veritable culinary institutions of Brussels. I like its shellfish and beef cuts and its long, continuous opening hours!
by
"Le Balmoral" Brussels started back in '89 as a milk bar and today it looks more like an American diner. I always feel like I've gone through a time warp.
by
"Station Brussels-Congress" is my favorite train station in Brussels. It is often dead. Except when an event is held! Then, the bar opens...
by
295 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
Authentic Stories by Real People
Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌
✓ 0 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
✓ 295 Insider Tips