Royal Greenhouse of Laeken
French and Flemish may be on the tips of local tongues, but Brussels is a
true polyglot, making it hard to find a person who doesn’t speak English.
Commuting into the city is just as easy as communicating, with six hourly
trains running from the airport to Brussels Central Station, and taking
just 18 minutes. From there, a vast network of subways, trams, and buses
weave through the tightly-knit neighborhoods. In many cases, your
foot-power will be enough, starting with the city’s most famous icon, the
Grand-Place, just five minutes walking time from the station. Like most
of Brussels’ primary sights, hotels, and restaurants, the Grand-Place is
found in the City Center, or in easy striking distance in the surrounding
neighborhoods of Ixelles, Saint-Gilles, Anderlecht, Laekan, and Saint-
Josse-ten-Noode. Tap into the pure spirit of Brussels at these ten sites:
THÉÂTRE ROYAL DE TOONE
The actors who take the stage at this
theatre may be wooden in composition
but not in expression, thanks to nearly two
hundred years of history, starting in 1830,
when Antoine (Toone) Genty founded
this marionette theater. With more than
1,300 han d-carved figures in the inventory
(each with its own tailored costume),
there’s a huge cast of characters to draw
from for spoofed-up classics, like Romeo
& Juliet, Cyrano de Bergerac, and The Three
Musketeers. The stage itself is nestled under
angled eaves upstairs, but don’t leave
without seeing the charming downstairs café
and bar filled with vintage puppets, posters
and an impressive menu of Belgian beer.
BELVUE MUSEUM AND
COUDENBERG CASTLE
After fire engulfed the castle of Coudenberg
in 1731, the 700-year-old residence of central
Brussels soon disappeared from existence
altogether, buried from view under the Place
Royale and surrounding neighborhoods. It
wasn’t until the 1980s that serious excavation
commenced, and today, several parts of
the ancient castle are open to the public,
including stairs, passages, cellars, a chapel,
warehouse, and the former Rue Isabelle.
Flesh out the history above the ruins at the
BELvue Museum, where two floors of striking
exhibitions present the history of Belgium in
a bright, modern way, with many interactive
elements, including cartoons, making it fun
even for those who generally hate museums.
CANTILLON BREWERY
Enjoy a sip of Brussels’ revered lambics,
gueuze, and kriek beers, especially those
concocted at this legendary brewery, the
SUMMER 2017 27 FLYWASHINGTON.COM