Brussels, Belgium — Activities
Brussels Culture
Brussels' cultural life is booming, despite a lack of funding partly caused by the French-Flemish language divide.
The ‘What's On' sections of the English-language Bulletin, the Wednesday edition of Le Soir and the free weekly Brussel Deze Week (www.brusseldezeweek.be) all provide cultural listings. Information and tickets are available at the Brussels Tourist Office, Hôtel de Ville, Grand-Place (tel: 02 513 8940) and the Fnac store at the City 2 shopping complex, Rue Neuve (tel: 0900 00600).
Music and Dance
Halles de Schaerbeek
The Halles de Schaerbeek hosts large-scale opera, theater and dance performances, as well as pop acts.
Rue Royale Sainte-Marie 22
Tel: 02 218 2107.
Website: www.halles.be
Palais des Beaux Arts
The principal cross-cultural venue in Brussels is the Victor Horta-designed Palais des Beaux Arts, which hosts major art exhibitions, theater, dance, and classical music. The Palais des Beaux Arts is home to the National Orchestra and Philharmonic Society, which organizes most of the major concerts in Brussels - the season runs from September to June.
Rue Ravenstein 23
Tel: 02 507 8200.
Website: www.bozar.be
Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie
Prestigious local and touring productions are staged at the national opera house, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie. De Keersmaecker's Rosas Company (dance) also performs here.
Place du Monnaie
Tel: 070 233 939.
Website: www.lamonnaie.be
Theater
Kaaitheater
Kaaitheater is the main Flemish theater in Brussels; its studio venue is at rue Notre-Dame du Sommeil 81. The works of radical choreographers are also staged here, as well as at Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg (Royal Flemish Theater), rue de Laeken 146.
Place Sainctelette 20
Tel: 02 201 5959.
Website: www.kaaitheater.be
Théâtre National
Théâtre National is one of the leading French-language theaters in Brussels.
Boulevard Emile Jacqmain
Tel: 02 203 5303.
Website: www.theaternational.be
Théâtre de Toone
At the 17th-century Théâtre de Toone, classics such as Faust and King Lear are performed in French and Flemish (peppered with local dialect) by marionettes manipulated by seven puppeteers. Performances are occasionally in English.
Petite rue de Bouchers 21
Tel: 02 511 7137.
Website: www.toone.be
Brussels Tours
Walkingtours
The compact city center of Brussels could have been tailor-made for walking tours. The Brussels Tourist Office offers three-hour guided tours on a variety of themes including architecture, history, culture, cartoons, gastronomy and classical Brussels. Departure points vary depending on the tour chosen. Among the tours offered are a circuit of Art Nouveau Brussels and a walk in the footsteps of Charles de Lorraine. A series of historical tours are offered on various dates by Itinéraires. Highly recommended are visits to original 14th-century streets beneath the Palais Royal.
Brussels Tourist Office
Tel: 02 513 8940.
Website: www.brusselsinternational.be
Itinéraires
Tel: 02 541 0377.
Website: www.itineraires.be
Bustours
Open-top, hop-on hop-off bus tours are available from Brussels City Tours and City Sightseeing. The bus sets off from Central Station and stops at many famous sights, such as the Atomium, Grand-Place and the Mannekin-Pis, on this round trip. Tickets are valid for 24 hours. Both companies offer a range of other tour options, including excursions to other Belgian cities including Bruges and Antwerp.
Brussels City Tours
Tel: 02 513 7744.
Website: www.brussels-city-tours.com
City Sightseeing
Tel: 02 466 1111.
Website: www.city-sightseeing.com
Sports Activities
Sport
Football and cycling are the national passions. Brussels’ football clubs, RWDM (website: www.rwdm.be) and Union St-Gilloise, have their fans but RSC Anderlecht (website: www.rsca.be) is the ‘top’ team, based at Stade Constant Vanden Stock, Avenue Théo Verbeeck 2 (tel: (02) 522 1539). Anderlecht vies with Club Brugge for dominance of the domestic league, and sometimes makes it into the UEFA Champions League. Footballing passions were raised to fever pitch in the European Championships 2000, which was hosted jointly by Belgium and the Netherlands. The renamed and reconstructed stadium, Stade Roi Baudouin, Heysel (tel: (02) 479 3654) is the national venue, hosting the Belgian team’s home games and the cup final.
Belgium has an impressive record in cycling and Eddy Merckx did a fine PR job for the country by repeatedly winning the Tour de France in the 1960s and 1970s. His glory still lives on, celebrated annually in the Eddy Merckx Grand Prix, on the last Sunday of August – further information on (02) 349 1911.
The major athletics event is the annual Ivo van Damme Memorial IAHF Grand Prix (tel: (02) 878 2025; website: www.memorialvandamme.be) held in the Stade Roi Baudouin in late August/early September, attracting leading world athletes. Anyone take part in the Brussels Marathon, held annually in late August, starting at the Esplanade du Cinquantenaire and finishing at the Grand Place (tel: (011) 459 9978).
Fitness Centers: The vast Golden Club, Place du Châtelain 33 (tel: (02) 538 1906; website: www.goldenclub.be), offers weights machines and fitness classes and has the added kudos of being the place where Jean-Claude van Damme started off his action movie career. Opened for the first time in November 2004, The David Lloyd Center at Uccle offers a range of activities including, naturally, tennis (tel: (02) 534 9000; website: www.davidlloyd.be).
Golf: Brussels Golf Club (tel: (02) 672 2222; website: www.brusselsgolfclub.com) is located at Chaussée de la Hulpe to the south east of the city center, and offers day membership for an 18-hole round at €50 during the week and €60 at weekends. The 18-hole Royal Amicale Anderlecht Golf Club, Rue Scholle 1 (tel: (02) 521 1687), is located within Brussels itself. The club charges €33 for a day of golfing during the week and €50 at weekends, when prior reservation is recommended. Membership is not required. Brabantse Golf, Steenwagenstraat 11, Melsbroek (tel: (02) 751 8205; website: www.golf.be/brabantse), is situated close to the airport. Membership is required and green fees are €35 weekdays and €45 at the weekend. The Royal Golf Club of Belgium (tel: (02) 767 5801; website: www.ravenstein.be) is situated 17km (10 miles) to the east of the city at Tervuren. Visitor’s green fee is €90.
The Fédération Royale Belge de Golf (tel: (02) 672 2389) can provide information on Belgium’s golf courses. Several golfing packages are available in a program created by Martins Hotels (website: www.passbw.com).
Swimming: There are plenty of pools in Brussels’ sports centers. The one at the Center Sportif de Woluwe St-Pierre, Avenue Salomé 2 (tel: (02) 773 1820) is Olympic-sized. Océade, Bruparck (tel: (02) 478 4320; website: www.oceade.be), within splashing distance of Mini-Europe (see Further Distractions), is a modern ‘fun’ baths.
Tennis and Squash: The Center Sportif de Woluwe St-Pierre, Avenue Salomé 2 (tel: (02) 773 1820), has squash, badminton and tennis courts. Tennis is also available at the David Lloyd Center (see Fitness Centers).
