Orientation
LOWER TOWN
Most visitors to Brussels stick around the Grand Place, drawn to its dozens of bars and waffle stands. But tear yourself away to discover the Lower Town’s local markets, independent bookstores, restaurants, and important sights. The interesting side streets of this area positively bubble with activity, and you’ll find nightlife, quirky sights, and plenty of little peeing statues. The main Metro stop here is ×Bourse, in the Grand Place. To the north is rue Neuve, a central shopping district filled with clothing outlets and fast food. East of the Bourse is place Sainte Géry, where you will find some trendy terrace bars.
UPPER TOWN
The Upper Town is large enough that you might wonder why it’s not just called “Everything That’s Not Lower Town.” It’s divided into a number of distinct smaller neighborhoods that wrap around the east and south of the Lower Town. These areas are home to Brussels’s best museums and some fancy shopping. It’s a great area to spend the day beforeheading to the city center for an evening beer.
Broad streets loaded with traffic and long city blocks make the Upper Town difficult to navigate on foot, so take advantage of the Metro and tram lines. The rue Royale will take you from ×Botanique past the Parc de Bruxelles, and into the historic neighborhood known as Beaux-Arts—full of museums, galleries, and grand palaces, not to mention the Belgian Parliament. South of Beaux-Arts are Blvd. de Waterloo and Ave. de la Toison d’Or, which extend to the shopaholics’ paradise of Avenue Louise. Blvd. de Waterloo becomes Blvd. du Midi, which takes you through Marolles, arun-down neighborhood that poses a sharp contrast to the opulent Ave. Louise nearby.
EUROPEAN QUARTER AND HEYSEL
Venturing outside of the city center requires a Metro ride (or a long walk), but a few sights make the trek worth the trouble. Place Schuman, on the eastern side of the city, is home to the European Commission and European Parliament. Rue de la Loi connects pl. Schuman with ×Arts-Loi to the west and the Parc du Cinquantenaire to the east. Rue Froissart runs south from pl. Schuman, leading to place Jourdan, a square with restaurants, pubs, and a pan-European crowd. Behind Parliament is place du Luxembourg (PLux to the EU workers), the busiest square in the area. Most establishments in this neighborhood cater to the EU crowd and don’t have much to offer the student traveler. Home to the Atomium and Mini-Europe, the Heysel area to the north of the city offers a host of skippable sights, some overpriced ice cream stands, and an occasional interesting event.