Belgium Travel Guide

Brussels
Before heading to Brussels, a number of Germans asked me why I was going, saying that it wasn't the best city to visit. I'm glad I didn't listen to them. I spent a great day eating, window-shopping, and wondering around.

Attractions
Musee Bruxellois de la Gueuze, Cantillon Brewery, Rue Gheude 56, Tel. 00 32 2 521 49 28. Admission 3.50. The nondescript wooden garage door gives little away about what's inside. The reasonable entry fee to this operational brewery allows you to take a self-guided tour, replete with a detail brochure, and taste two of the lambic beer brewed here. For any one interested in beer, brewing, factories, traditional production methods, or "old stuff" this is a must-see attraction. (See Beer, Beer, Beer.)

Restaurants
The cobbled streets between the Grand Place and the Saint Hubbert Royal Galleries are lined with tons of restaurants – all competing for your business with grandiose seafood displays and hawkers trying to get you to come in. Though I generally don't like to eat in this type of tourist-laden neighborhood, I decided to give this area a try since to sculptural mounds of fresh fish, mussels, scallops, clams, and lobster looked so delicious. I made my selection by going to a place that looked cozy, busy, and didn't pressure me to come in.

• La Cotelette, Rue des Bouchers 300, tel. 02-512 59 19. Our meal was a little price, but we walked away happily filled to the gills with great mussels and beautiful paella chocked filled with lobster, shrimps, scallops, clams, mussels, and white fist. (See Mussels in Brussels.)
• La Maison des Crepes, Rue du Midi 18, tel. 0475 95 73 68. In a town known for its chocolate, I was surprised the it was a little difficult to find a place for dessert. Once spotted though, La Maison des Crepes was worth the hunt. A small coffee shop with a local feel, they offered good coffee and a standard, but tasty selection sweet crepes.
• Lebeau Soleil, 25-27 Rue de Rollebeek, 0479 420 382. This cafe/studio, run by a livey violin maker and his bow making partner, offers a nice brunch served on tables between the instument-making work benches.

Accommodations

• Bedford Hotel, Rue du Midi 135, Tel. 32 2 507.00.00. Great location within easy walking distance of the Grand Place. Breakfast included. Small rooms, not the best bed, but still one of the best deals in a town commands high-priced rooms.