A Pit Stop in Brussels, Belgium
You know what I hate? Leaving a city I just got to and not getting to really see it. It’s just such a tease. Such was the case with Brussels, Belgium. But even though I only got to see the city for a few hours during my little pit stop, I still really enjoyed my time there! Here are a few things to do in Brussels if you only have a few hours there!
Technically, I’ve “been” to Brussels, but when I say “been,” I mean that I was there for a few hours and only had time to walk around the main square, eat some waffles, and buy some Belgian chocolates before having to leave. So, does it even count?
But in a few hours, I was absolutely floored by the architectural beauty of Brussels’s “Grote Markt” (Main Square).
………and also blown away by the DELICIOUS waffles (yes, plural…) that I consumed in my short time there.
Why the quick pit stop in Brussels, you ask? Well, at the time I was on an organized tour of Europe. We basically went around Western Europe by bus over the course of a month. In most places we got to stay for at least a day or 2. We even had a few 4-day stops in big cities. But there were a couple of quick pit stops and Brussels was one of them. Since that tour, I’ve managed to revisit many of the cities and spend more time there, but Brussels is one I haven’t (yet) made it back to.
Our bus dropped us off in the middle of town, right next to the central square. There is no other word to describe the buildings surrounding this square other than OPULENT. It was absolutely breathtaking.
After gaping at the buildings and taking in the hustle and bustle of the square for a while, we decided to grab some lunch. And what better thing to eat for lunch than…BELGIAN WAFFLES?! Dessert for lunch is always a good idea, by the way.
After we completely stuffed our faces, the obvious choice of what to do next was to stop to buy some Belgian chocolate! Duh. We stopped at a great little shop that let you pick your own assortment of chocolates. I stocked up on chocolates for family members as gifts (and, ok yes, some for myself too).
After basically buying out Brussels’s sweets, we wandered around for a little while longer. We stopped by the famous Manneken Pis, a statue of a little naked boy peeing into a fountain. We wandered around the grand buildings of the city centre before (reluctantly) getting back on the bus to continue our journey.
Even if you only have a few hours in a place doesn’t mean you can’t see snippets of the best it has to offer! Just like when I had a short pit stop in Stratford-Upon-Avon on my way to London, I was able to see some beautiful sights in Brussels during my quick visit. I saw enough, in fact, that now I want to go back and see more!
