It is not common for Mademoiselle Bon Plan not to write a blog post herself, but due to circumstances and a schedule that sometimes rivals a government minister’s, she lets her favorite photographer—that is, me—write an article (at his own risk!). So, in addition to the photos in this article about the Géoguide Coups de cœur in Brussels, released on the occasion of the new travel book series for several major destinations around the world, I am putting down the DSLR and picking up the pen (yes, I’m literally writing this with a pen!) to share some great tips and addresses that I had the chance to test during this marathon day in Brussels.
For your information, this new Geoguide Coups de cœur collection from Gallimard already features 10 destinations (Brussels, Canary Islands, Cuba, Guadeloupe, London, Martinique, Mauritius, Reunion, Rome, and Venice) and I suspect it will continue to grow. These books complement the extensive Gallimard guides by offering more compact formats (tailored for short trips) with a beautiful selection of addresses and a pleasant layout.
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Table of Contents
The Horta Museum
The Horta House/Museum is simply unmissable. Located slightly outside the city center, this Art Nouveau monument, a true figurehead of that aesthetic revolution, is the work of the master himself: Victor Horta. On top of all that, it was his home and his workspace—nothing less! Built at the very end of the 19th century, this building is just as splendid, if not more so, on the inside as it is on the outside. Unfortunately, taking photos inside is forbidden, so I cannot share its splendors with you!…
Nevertheless, you should know that Victor Horta placed great importance on highlighting an “organic” and, above all, functional decoration. Every nook and cranny and every piece of furniture were thought out in the finest detail to achieve a unique atmosphere (every door handle is different!). The result is fascinating, and I wouldn’t say no to living there! Anyway.
Horta Museum 25, rue Américaine 1060 Brussels (Saint-Gilles) Open from 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM, Tuesday to Sunday. Last entry at 5:00 PM The morning is reserved for group tours Price: 10 € for adults and between 5 and 6 € for reduced rates
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The restaurant Les Filles
Les Filles is a trendy address that features a cozy dining room where guests are invited to share a meal around a large wooden table. On the menu: fresh food sourced from local producers, varying with the seasons. In addition to a very friendly team, the quality is definitely there. The day I tested it, it was a vegetarian menu (which I am absolutely not), but the meal was delicious!
The unique feature is that the restaurant exclusively offers a set menu with a lunch option for 19 € (starter + main + dessert), dinner for 29.50 €, and a weekend brunch for 22 €. So for all those famous indecisive people who can’t choose their dish, this really makes things easier…
Les Filles 46 rue Vieux Marché aux Grains / 1000 Brussels Open 7 days a week from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM and from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM - 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on weekends and public holidays
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The Brussels Beer Project
This brewery has everything to please aficionados of the thousand-faced beverage. Here, the beers are brewed where they are drunk, and sometimes the names and ingredients are chosen by the customers! Moreover, each month new experiments are added to a menu rich in gustatory surprises. I can only warmly recommend this address for having a good beer (which is “somewhat” of an obligation during a visit to Belgium).
Brussels Beer Project rue Antoine Dansaert, 188, 1000 Brussels Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM
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The boutique Belge une fois
This charming boutique is an Ali Baba’s cave of “made in Belgium“. From a simple chair to T-shirts with Belgian expressions, postcards, jewelry, beers, and mugs… In short, you can find everything at Belge une fois! For those looking for things to bring back from their trip to Belgium, it is undeniably a good place to do so. Of course, one must sometimes appreciate a certain assumed kitsch, but it usually turns out to be in very good taste.
Belge une fois Rue Haute 89, 1000 Brussels Open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM except Saturday and Sunday
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Thanks to Géoguide and Gallimard for this beautiful discovery.
I hope that with all this I have made you want to discover or rediscover Brussels, and if you also have your own favorite addresses for this city, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
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GEOGUIDE GIVEAWAY:
Gallimard has offered me the chance to give away a total of 5 of these new Geoguide Coups de cœur books (each guide worth 8.99 €) for the destination of your choice (Brussels, Canary Islands, Cuba, Guadeloupe, London, Martinique, Mauritius, Reunion, Rome, or Venice). There will be 5 winners in total!
So, I am going to distribute the prizes as follows:
- 2 guides to be won right here on the blog
- 1 guide to be won on twitter
- 1 guide to be won on facebook
- 1 guide to be won on instagram
The blog giveaway: 2 Geoguide Coups de cœur (so 2 winners) for the destination of their choice among those available, of course (no, Gallimard isn’t going to write a new guide just to make you happy :p)
To participate, simply leave a comment below this article telling me which destination you would be most interested in winning?
A random draw will determine the 2 winners of the 2 guides on the blog, among the people who answered this question. Good luck to everyone!
Rules:
– Giveaway limited to Metropolitan France
– + 1 chance if you are a fan of the blog’s facebook page; + 1 chance if you follow the blog’s twitter page; + 1 chance if you follow the blog’s hellocoton page + 1 chance if you follow the blog’s Instagram page + 1 chance for every share of the article (don’t forget to leave your usernames in your comment if you want to benefit from additional chance(s))
– 1 entry per IP address
– giveaway start date Wednesday, November 15, 2017 – entry deadline Saturday, November 25, 2017 and result the next day on the blog in an edit to this article
Edit of November 27, 2017:
Following the random draw, I am pleased to announce that the 2 winners of the Géoguides Coups de cœur of their choice are lili cha and Marie-Eve Hoguet.
Congratulations, I will contact you shortly by email. Thanks to everyone for participating!
Find all my articles on Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia) below:
⇒ All my articles on Belgium
⇒ All my articles on Flanders
GENERAL INFORMATION ON BELGIUM
⇒ Brussels, the capital
⇒ Belgian gastronomy
⇒ Bed and breakfasts in Belgium
MY ARTICLES ON FLANDERS
⇒ Bruges
⇒ Ghent
⇒ Leuven
⇒ The Belgian Coast and Ostend
MY ARTICLES ON WALLONIA
⇒ The Gaume Province
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization is mandatory before any use
