# Brussels, a European Capital



## Benonie

Wikipedia:



> Brussels is the capital and largest city of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union (EU). It is also the largest urban area in Belgium.
> The city has a population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan area with a population of over 1.8 million, both of them the largest in Belgium. Since the end of the Second World War, Brussels has been a principal centre for international politics. Hosting principal EU institutions, the secretariat of the Benelux and the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the city has become the polyglot home of numerous international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants.


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## OMH

wow..really beautiful pics of a beautiful city


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## Prosciutto

Looks like a really neat place. Thanks.


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## Delirium

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

excellent :happy: :drool:


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## Benonie

Thanks! Some more pictures.


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## lumumba

We want more,we want more,we want more,we want more.
I love it.
Patrice


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## Tetramesh

I've always found Brussels to be a charmless place that I just can't come to like. However, I was there last week to see a show at the Koninklijk Circus and the route between there and the central rail station seemed quite interesting although it was dark. After seeing your great photos I think I'll have to give Brussels another chance and pay it a visit.


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## Ekumenopolis

Wow! Tour du Midi looks huge in the last pic! Gorgeous city, i love the mixing of new and old!


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## Joka

That thing is huuge! Do you have any pictures from the inside?

Brussels looks very diverse.


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## canucker16

wow. some extraordinarily beautiful buildings. lovely


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## Benonie

Joka said:


> That thing is huuge! Do you have any pictures from the inside?


It's the palace of Justice. When it was built in the 19th century, it was the biggest building in Europe








(picture: _Damn I'm good_)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_Courts_of_Brussels

Wikipedia:



> _Dimensions_
> The Brussels Palace of Justice is bigger than St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The building is currently 160 by 150 meters and has a total built ground surface of 260,000 m². The 142 meter high dome weighs 24,000 tons. The building has 8 courtyards with a surface of 6000 m², 27 large court rooms and 245 smaller court rooms and other rooms. Situated on a hill, there is a level difference of 20 meters between the upper and lower town, which results in multiple entrances to the building at different levels.





> Brussels looks very diverse


Yes it is, and that's what I like most on Brussels. It's a chaotic city with a mix from medieval towers to glass skyscrapers in one nut shell.
I post more pictures in the future.


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## Encore

Brussels Law Courts idd is a very impressive building! When I have the time I always take a look inside when I'm around . Inside the building, you're feeling like a Lego man .

Diversity like in Brussels you can find almost everywhere in Belgium. That's what makes Belgium a bit 'unique' and not like other country's. The mix of architecture styles in our landscape is huge. Sometimes it's very nice, sometimes not...


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## Benonie

*Marolles*

In the shadow of the Palace of Justice lies the Marolles, once an old and poor working-class quarter, now a trendy and popular neighbourhood with intimate bars and restaurants, antique and design shops. At sunday there's a fantastic flee market at the Vossenplein.
In the Hoogstraat the painter Pieter Breughel lived and died, and the world famous jazz-musician Toots Tielemans was born in the same street.


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## Delirium

you've captured Brussels amazingly well, an excellent tour :happy:


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## Benonie

*More Marolles*


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## Klausenburg

Very nice pictures indeed. If it is posible I would like to see more pics from residential areas of Brussels.


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## alitezar

So beautiful. Awesome shots. Thanks


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## Josh

Nice thread!


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## Nijal

nice pics! It seems to be a lot of pedestrian ways in Bruxelles. I live 100km from Bruxelles but I never went to this city.
Anyway, it's clear it is a diverse city.


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## Libra

Looks great


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## Mishevy

Marolles seems very unique and nice because it captures the real spirit of Brussels, unlike the boring EU institutions. This is a Brussels we rarely get to see and is practically unknown worldwide. More pics about that would be extremely welcome! :cheers:


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## Patachou

Nijal said:


> nice pics! It seems to be a lot of pedestrian ways in Bruxelles. I live 100km from Bruxelles but I never went to this city.
> Anyway, it's clear it is a diverse city.


incroyable


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## Encore

Nijal said:


> nice pics! It seems to be a lot of pedestrian ways in Bruxelles. I live 100km from Bruxelles but I never went to this city.
> Anyway, it's clear it is a diverse city.


Mmm you also live 30 km's from Ypres and you also never have been there. Why is that? Where do you live?


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## Nijal

Encore said:


> Mmm you also live 30 km's from Ypres and you also never have been there. Why is that? Where do you live?


I live in Lille in France near the belgian frontier.
But I've decided to visit this beautiful country that is Belgium (I only know Tournai and also Antwerp!) and the Netherlands too.


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## Patachou

Encore said:


> Mmm you also live 30 km's from Ypres and you also never have been there. Why is that? Where do you live?


schande, onbegrijpelijk.
Hé al naar Oostende geweest!! 

groeten


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## Overmundo

Brussels is amazing!!!Nice thread!


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## schmidt

Beautiful Brussels! And I had read soemwhere here in SSC that buildings were not very well kept and the city was dirty for Western European standards. WTF?! The city looks superb and the buildings are very much ok!


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## Filipe_Teixeira

European Capital ? :lol:


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## Benonie

Filipe_Teixeira said:


> European Capital ? :lol:


:? Why not? It's a capital IN Europe and the political centre OF Europe.



> Brussels has become a significant centre for international institutions, notably those of the *European Union*. The city also plays host to the headquarters of the *North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)* is based in the city along with *1000 other international organisations *and *2000 international corporations*. Brussels is *third in the number of **international conferences *it hosts, also becoming *one of the **largest convention centres in the world*. The presence of the EU and the other international bodies has led to there being *more ambassadors and journalists in Brussels than Washington D.C..* International schools have also been established to serve this presence.
> 
> (...)
> 
> *Brussels is considered as the de facto 'capital of the European Union'* due to its history of hosting the EU's institutions, even though the EU has not declared any official capital city. The city plays host to *the official seats **of the European Commission* (in the Berlaymont building) and the *Council of the European Union *(in the Justus Lipsius building facing it). Furthermore *three quarters of the work of the European Parliament *takes place in the city at its Brussels hemicycle (its official seat is Strasbourg).
> 
> (...)
> 
> Brussels is also served by direct high-speed rail links: to the London by the Eurostar train ; to Amsterdam, Paris and Cologne by the Thalys; and to Cologne and Frankfurt by the German ICE.


_(Wikipedia.com)_


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## Svartmetall

It's a very impressive looking city, much nicer than the rumours surrounding it that's for sure.


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## hix

Svartmetall said:


> It's a very impressive looking city, much nicer than the rumours surrounding it that's for sure.


What rumours are that? Anyway, thank you Benonie for the nice pictures.


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## snot

Very nice pictures Benonie!

Brussels has a reputation of being dirty, and on some places it is.

Shame for the surounding of Brussels-South, the mayor trainstation where highspeed trains from London and Paris are arriving. Lot of homeless, alcoholics, dirt and unpleasant neighbourhood.

But Brussel has a lot of nice neighbourhoods, great monuments and a nice chaotic mix of different kind of architecture.


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## Svartmetall

^^ Thanks! You saved me writing a reply as you said exactly what I was going to say!

Basically, to answer your question Hix - "what he said".


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## Benonie

Klausenburg said:


> If it is posible I would like to see more pics from residential areas of Brussels.


I don't have a lot of pics about the great residential areas.
But here's a link to some great pics made by Snot. It's shows the nice belle-epoque district of Schaarbeek, one of the most underrated parts of Brussels.


http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=367015


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## Benonie

Nijal said:


> I live 100km from Bruxelles but I never went to this city.


It's only 35 minutes by high speed train from your city, Nijal. But don't be ashamed, I visited Lille for the first time last year...and was very surprised about it. I post those pics in another thread.


Some more Brussels photo's. 
The _Parc Du Cinquantenaire_ is situated in the east of Brussels, near the EU-quarter. It's best known for its excellent museums like the _Museum of __Art and History_, _The Military Museum _(with splendid airplane collection) and _Autoworld_, one of the biggest old-timer collections in Europe.

In the park you'll also find Belgiums _Big Mosque _and at the edge there's the well known Berlaymont-building, home of the European Commision.

The residential area around the parc is a threasery of belle epoque and art nouveau.


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## Kendesa

Nice pictures!


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## snot

Benonie said:


> I don't have a lot of pics about the great residential areas.
> But here's a link to some great pics made by Snot. It's shows the nice belle-epoque district of Schaarbeek, one of the most underrated parts of Brussels.
> 
> 
> http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=367015


Those pics are not mine, i posted the link where i found them in the first post.

This is my personal picture thread, with real snot made pics.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=587261


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## snot

Great pics in your last post, Benonie!

I love this one from the park!


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## Benonie

snot said:


> This is my personal picture thread, with real snot made pics.
> http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=587261


I'm glad you've posted your oldies again, Snot. They're just great!
More recent pics of the splendid neighbourhood round the EU-quarter on this thread:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=588904


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## Bristol Mike

Wonderful shots there. Great pictures of a beautiful city which also looks very diverse indeed! I agree with Klausenberg, some more residential pics would be very nice!


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## Benonie

> *The Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art * chronicles the history of Belgian comics. Housed in a former department store which was designed by the Belgian art nouveau architect Victor Horta.
> 
> The full range of comic art is covered, including science fiction, wild west, crime and politics as well as children's comics such as The Smurfs.
> 
> It has several exhibits on Belgium's most famous comic characters Tintin and Snowy and their creator Hergé.
> 
> _(Wikipedia)_


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## Benonie

> *Atomium*
> _Wikipedia_
> 
> The Atomium is a monument built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Designed by André Waterkeyn, it is 103-metre (335-feet) tall, with nine steel spheres connected so that the whole forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.
> 
> Tubes which connect the spheres along the 12 edges of the cube and all eight vertices to the centre enclose escalators connecting the spheres which contain exhibit halls and other public spaces. The top sphere provides a panoramic view of Brussels. Each spheres is 18 metres in diameter. Three spheres are currently (2008) closed to the visitors, others are easily reachable with escalator. The vertical vertex contains lift which has been very fast and advanced at the time of building.
> 
> The Atomium is one of the most visited attractions in Brussels today. In 2008 the Atomium will celebrate its 50th Birthday, with activities planned all year, including free admission for those turning 50 between April and October.

























































Free Brosella Folk and Jazz Festival in the shadow of the Atomium. (Ossegempark)


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## Mishevy

Wonderful photos! More, please!


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## Benonie

Mishevy said:


> Wonderful photos! More, please!


Thanks, next stop 


> *The Royal Museum for Central Africa * is an ethnographical and natural history museum in Tervuren in the green suburbs of Brussels, Belgium. It was first built to show off King Leopold II's Congo Free State for the 1897 World Exhibition. It focuses mainly on Congo, Belgium's former colony. The sphere of influence however extends to the whole Congo River basin, Middle Africa, East Africa and West Africa, but tries to integrate Africa as a whole.
> _(Wikipedia)_


You can get there very easy by tram 44 from the city centre. It follows the splendid Tervurenlaan and passes the nice Sonian Forest on its way.
The museum itselfs is situated in a very nice parc.


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## Nijal

Bruxelles seems to be a very interesting city.
It is also the capital of "bandes-dessinées": comics!


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## Benonie

*Brussels North District in Black & White*


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## Thermo

Those black and white pics look so depressing.....


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## Benonie

Thermo said:


> Those black and white pics look so depressing.....


As you should know, the North District is not the most happy-area in Brussels. And it was a grey and rainy day, so the original colours were even more depressing.
Hope you liked the full-coloured pics on the other pages...


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## De Klauw

Nijal said:


> Bruxelles seems to be a very interesting city.
> It is also the capital of "bandes-dessinées": comics!


Why do you keep calling it Bruxelles? You're discriminating the Dutch speakers!


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## Josh

^^Oh please :|


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## Benonie

De Klauw said:


> Why do you keep calling it Bruxelles? You're discriminating the Dutch speakers!


_Nijal _is a French speaking SSC-member. He's not discriminating anyone.
After all this is an international forum where people try to communicate in English or partly in their own language...


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## Mishevy

Because I don't want to discriminate Slovenian speakers, I'm going to call it Bruselj from now on :nuts: :lol::lol:


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## Benonie

Mishevy said:


> Because I don't want to discriminate Slovenian speakers, I'm going to call it Bruselj from now on


Thanks for helping us... 

To please Thermo... some more (depressing) black and white pics from othet Brussels areas.


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## Slartibartfas

Mishevy said:


> Because I don't want to discriminate Slovenian speakers, I'm going to call it Bruselj from now on :nuts: :lol::lol:


Hey you are discriminating the German speaking Belgians! Its Brüssel... :nuts: jk


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## Benonie

*Basilica of the Sacred Heart*


> _Wikipedia_
> 
> The national Basilica of the Sacred Heart or in Brussels is the sixth largest church in the world. It is situated in the territory of the Koekelberg municipality.
> The church, on Koekelberg hill, is a landmark on the Brussels skyline. It is the largest building in Art Deco style in the world, being 89 meters high and 167 meters long. The cupola platform gives an excellent city panorama over Brussels and the wider area of Flemish-Brabant. The middle nave is 141 m long and at its widest the building is 107 m. The cupola has a diameter of 33 m. The church has room for 2000 people.


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## Mishevy

Brussels looks huge.


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## Benonie

*Old Anderlecht*



> *Anderlecht* is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within the Anderlecht municipality_.(Wikipedia)_








































































Béguinage



















House of Erasmus,


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## Bristol Mike

Lovely tour fo pictures there. The black and white adds effect to those pictures.


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## Puinkabouter

Smack me! I've visited Brussels regularly for pretty much my entire life and I didn't even know Anderlecht was so pretty. Silly me.


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## Benonie

Puinkabouter said:


> Smack me! I've visited Brussels regularly for pretty much my entire life and I didn't even know Anderlecht was so pretty. Silly me.


Shame on you Puinkabouter! Anderlecht is well worth a visit, with easy acces by metro.
But the 'pitoresque' part is very small. Only a few streets and houses.


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## VelesHomais

It looks too good to be a real city


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## Puinkabouter

Benonie said:


> Shame on you Puinkabouter! Anderlecht is well worth a visit, with easy acces by metro.
> But the 'pitoresque' part is very small. Only a few streets and houses.


Shame on me indeed. The only things I've ever seen of Anderlecht are the IKEA store and some commie blocks. :nuts:


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## taboe

Some pictures of the business district:





































At night:


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## Benonie

taboe said:


> Some pictures of the business district[/IMG]


Nice pics!


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## Benonie

*Hallepoort/Porte de Hal and surroundings*

Some pics from the Halleport, the only remaining gate of the 14th century city walls. The gate was recently renovated and reopened this month. as a historical museum.

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3. South of the gate is the Brussels municipality Sint-Gillis.









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10. The Hallepoort









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19. From the roof you have excellent views over the city.









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23. The _'Nationale Basiliek van het Heilig Hart '_ te Koekelberg, one of the tallest churches in the world.









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25. De _Zuidertoren_. Brussels highest and loneliest skyscraper.









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28. Town hall of Sint-Gillis.









29. The Waterloolaan, part of the Brussels _Small Ring._









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31. Dome of the _Palace of Justice._









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33._The Marolles_. Popular working class neighbourhood.









34. The tower of the Brussels Town Hall, Sheratonhotel and Dexia Tower.









35. Dexia Tower again with on the right the tower of Kapellekerk, where the famous painter Pieter Brueghel is buried.


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## Nouvellecosse

Wikipedia says it has a metro population of only 1.35 million. I'm wondering how accurate is this is because from the pictures it looks more like a metro of 4or 5 million.


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## Puinkabouter

Nouvellecosse said:


> Wikipedia says it has a metro population of only 1.35 million. I'm wondering how accurate is this is because from the pictures it looks more like a metro of 4or 5 million.


It kind of depends on what boundaries one sets. The municipality of Brussels has only 145.917 inhabitants. But the city of Brussels consists of more than one municipality. The most accurate administrative border is that of the Brussels Capital Region, which has *1.031.215* inhabitants, including other large municipalities such as Schaarbeek (113.493), Anderlecht (97.601) and Molenbeek (81.632). This region is very urban with an average density of 6390 inh./km².

The real urban area already exceeds the boundaries of this region, so the number of 1.35 million is a safe estimate for the city. The metro area has been estimated to somewhere between 2-3 million, but I don't remember where I read that.

Brussels also lies in the middle of a rather dense (semi-)urban area in the heart of Belgium, called 'the Flemish Diamond', between the cities of Antwerp, Leuven, Ghent and Brussels itself. There's an english wiki page about that area, where 5.5 million people live: click!.


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## VelesHomais

By the way it's just the European Union capital  there's no capital of Europe, unless we consider Strasbourg as such because it houses the Council of Europe.


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## Nouvellecosse

Puinkabouter said:


> It kind of depends on what boundaries one sets. The municipality of Brussels has only 145.917 inhabitants. But the city of Brussels consists of more than one municipality. The most accurate administrative border is that of the Brussels Capital Region, which has *1.031.215* inhabitants, including other large municipalities such as Schaarbeek (113.493), Anderlecht (97.601) and Molenbeek (81.632). This region is very urban with an average density of 6390 inh./km².


Very interesting! It's definitely a more impressive city than I had imagined. And the architecture is truly spectacular...


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## Benonie

Burislav said:


> By the way it's just the European Union capital  there's no capital of Europe, unless we consider Strasbourg as such because it houses the Council of Europe.


OK, it's the capital of the European Union.
But the Council of Europe houses in Brussels, in the Justus Lipsius Building, left on this pic:










Right on this photo a part of the Berlaymont Building, seat of the European Commision.

Not on this picture, but in the same neighbourhood, you will find the European Parliament.


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## Bristol Mike

Lovely shots. Brussels really is very diverse and quite exspansive by the looks of it. Nice photos all round, I prefer the old architecture though. Very elegant.


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## Thermo

Some more by EvanG:



EvanG said:


>


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## Benonie

Nice pics by EvanG, thermo...but... hno:


Jan said:


> This section is to present *self made* images of urban settings, this to distinguish from the general Cityscapes and Skyline Photos in which all urban images can be posted.


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## Marin85

ahah, so much Portuguese flags!


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## Parabellum

Very nice all these pics, excellent job.


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## VelesHomais

Benonie said:


> OK, it's the capital of the European Union.
> But the Council of Europe houses in Brussels, in the Justus Lipsius Building, left on this pic:
> 
> Not on this picture, but in the same neighbourhood, you will find the European Parliament.


I thought that Council of Europe is housed in Strasbourg... strange


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## Josh

Burislav said:


> I thought that Council of Europe is housed in Strasbourg... strange


The Council of Europe is indeed in Strasbourg while the Council of the European Union is in Brussels. These are two different institutions that should not be confounded.


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## Kevlargeist

I don't see why some people find Brussels boring. I've never visited the city but all these pictures suggest that you only have yourself to blame in case you don't know how to spend your time in Brussels.


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## snot

Benonie said:


> Nice pics by EvanG, thermo...but... hno:


selfmade from another forummer, mister-follow-the-rules


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## VelesHomais

Josh said:


> The Council of Europe is indeed in Strasbourg while the Council of the European Union is in Brussels. These are two different institutions that should not be confounded.


ah ok, so I WAS right  thanks


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## Mr Bricks

Absolutely fantstic! Easily one of the best cities in Europe.


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## Onoudidnt

its so easy to think of a city so closley related to politics and bueraucracy(have i spelled that right?) as being boring. thats why this thread is important


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## Puinkabouter

You're almost there: bureaucracy


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## Benonie

SuomiPoika said:


> Absolutely fantstic! Easily one of the best cities in Europe.


Thanks. I hope to visit your fantastic city next year. 
We're planning a trip through the Baltics and like to start our trip in wonderful Helsinki. I'm sure the Finnish capital is as beautiful as people say.


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## Benonie

Some pictures I took while nipping a coffee on the roof-terrace of this splendid 
museum-restaurant. www.mim.fgov.be




































































































































































_Urban chaos_ in Belgium. To be continued.


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## christos-greece

Some awesome pics :cheers: ^^


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## Benonie

^^ Thanks!
Some pictures taken from the 10th floor of Parking 58 in the city center:


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## christos-greece

Very nice too


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## Benonie

christos-greece said:


> Very nice too


Thanks! 

More Black & White:


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## Benonie




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## madridhere

Very nice pictures. Thank you.


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## Vincedem

Im wondering if there are in this part of the world any more chaotical cities than Brussels. It´s amazing that a place that is so close to the well-structured Netherlands can be like that.

I really appreciate it!


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## Mishevy

Artistic photos. Very nice .


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## Benonie

Vincedem said:


> Im wondering if there are in this part of the world any more chaotical cities than Brussels. It´s amazing that a place that is so close to the well-structured Netherlands can be like that.
> I really appreciate it!


Indeed, it's crazy.

Allthough I like the well structured (and beautiful) Dutch cities a lot, I think Brussels has got a more diverse and surprising architecture. Sometimes (very) ugly, but sometimes of a stunning beauty.

Some 19th century neighbourhoods belong to the best preserved art-nouveau threasuries in Europe. 

see: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=715662

And some monuments are world-class buildings.


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## Benonie

In colour again:


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## Benonie

The renovated Horta-entrance of the Brussels Central Station. 
It's almost a direct link between the station and the _Grote Markt/Grand Place_.


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## christos-greece

WOW!! ^^


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## Benonie

christos-greece said:


> WOW!! ^^


Yep, but most travellers don't find their way to this renewed entrance.
The Central Station in Brussels is a underground station designed by the famous architect Victor Horta. There are a lot of entrances to the big hall and the platforms, some new, some old and dirty.
At this moment, the renovated Horta-entrance is by far the nicest one.


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## antigoon99

nice pic's Benonie!!!

:cheers:

greetz Antigoon99


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## christos-greece

Benonie said:


> Yep, but most travellers don't find their way to this renewed entrance.
> The Central Station in Brussels is a underground station designed by the famous architect Victor Horta. There are a lot of entrances to the big hall and the platforms, some new, some old and dirty.
> At this moment, the renovated Horta-entrance is by far the nicest one.


Indeed


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## Benonie

From the same architect of the Central Station is the Palais of Fine Arts, shortly Bozar. It's a concert- and exhibitioncomplex with 8 floors and like the Central Station it's mainly an onderground constructions as well. It's an art-deco-masterpiece and the testament of this famous Belgian architect *Victor Horta*.

The big _Henri Leboeufzaal _underwent a complete renovation in recent times. When it was built it had the best acoustic in the world.


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## christos-greece

Looks nice...


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## Eric Offereins

That hall is a piece of fine arts itself.


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## Benonie




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## Benonie




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## Benonie

On this photo you can see the highest 'building' in Belgium.
It's the VRT-communication tower in the Brussels' suburb _Sint-Pietersleeuw._










Some more _'spielereien':_


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## Benonie




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## antigoon99

Benonie said:


>


^^this could be a painting in a museum...

btw, do you have by any chance more pix from the stock exchange? I find it the most beautiful building of Brussels :cheers:

greetz Antigoon99


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## Kuvvaci

beautiful city


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## Benonie

antigoon99 said:


> btw, do you have by any chance more pix from the stock exchange? I find it the most beautiful building of Brussels


Indeed.
But I only have these two:


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## Benonie

^^ I've found some more on my Hard Disc.



















Other pics of the same neighbourhood.


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## Bristol Mike

Lovely piccies and lovely city. I would love to visit Brussels sometime, it looks like a truly fascinating city!


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## Kame

antigoon99 said:


> btw, do you have by any chance more pix from the stock exchange? I find it the most beautiful building of Brussels :cheers:


Two more for you!



















(pics by me)


----------



## antigoon99

thanks for the pix of the stoch exchange!!! :cheers:


----------



## christos-greece

Amazing Brussels


----------



## groentje

If I think of it (I easily forget) I'll try to make some and post them, with some of Vorst/Forest, St-Gilli/es and Ixelles/Elsene.


----------



## Vincedem

groentje said:


> If I think of it (I easily forget) I'll try to make some and post them, with some of Vorst/Forest, St-Gilli/es and Ixelles/Elsene.


Nice!

Always good to see something else then the typical tourist pictures!


----------



## groentje

Sorry, didn't found the time, it will probably be for next week.
Just to keep you all warm, some views taken from the balcony of my appartment some time ago. The works on the roundabout are finished now. Located in Vorst/Forest, near Vorst/Forest Nationa(a)l, an ugly bunker, but probably one where some of the best gigs take place.








The open space on the left is going to be developed, probably some day after the crisis :colgate: 








The big blocks are typical for many developments from the seventies. Not very nice, but with lots of greenery and a nice view. The tank station below is no longer used.


----------



## Wimpie24

andy_wakey said:


> Is Brussels predominantly French or Dutch Speaking? Most of the signs I saw were in French.


It's officially bilingual so all official (traffic) signs are bilingual.


----------



## Mishevy

Wimpie24 said:


> It's officially bilingual so all official (traffic) signs are bilingual.


Officially it is bilingual, but in reality the vast majority of Brussels is French-speaking.


----------



## Benonie

Two weeks ago I made this little film, crossing Brussels by train from North to South. It's not the nicest area driving through.
It's my first (and only) video on Youtube, so quality is not that good...


----------



## Mishevy

Truly huge and concrete... but areas like these are in fact similar in most cities in proximity of railroads.


----------



## groentje

Some photos I took some hours ago. 
Vorst/Forest St Denis quarter. 
The Church








Town Hall. In this photo, it looks like a nice building, and it is, but a little rundown.








Detail








Snapshot of the interior








The old Abbey








Entrance to the Abbey








St Denis Square. In the background the Audi plant, formerly VW.
















The Church By Night


----------



## groentje

Avenue Van Volxemlaan and sideways, the Duden Park is a block away. Photos are some weeks old.
























Another day. Yes, it rains here, too.








House in the street. I'm afraid the windows will be replaced some day by some far less imaginative windows.








The new Art Centre Wiels, an old brewing hall.








More old brewery, this is Brassweb, with the Dutch Library and a part of the French cultural centre.








Other side of the road:


----------



## groentje

St Gilli(e)s, the Barrière/Barreel. It was quite late in the evening, the sun was almost gone.


----------



## christos-greece

Awesome and very nice -updated- photos @groentje :cheers:


----------



## groentje

And the next tour. From Louise to home, via the community limits of St-Gillis. 
rue Blanche, sideroad of the Avenue Louise. A very typical view, some older buildings, some uninspired appartment blocks, and cars everywhere. Whe're in Brussels proper (Louise), St-Gilles starts about halfway this street.









However, communes are really side by side in this area. The next street already:









This nice house is the Ciamberlani House on rue Defacqzstraat. It's being restored now:









Same street, looking in the direction of Louise:









And in the direction of Ste Trinité/H. Drievuldigheid. They made an attempt to integrate the modern building in the block of houses:









Holy Trinity Church, in Ixelles/Elsene. The photo is taken from St-Gilles 









What you can find on the square round the church:









And we ride further.









This is Avenue Molièrelaan, on the border of Elsene/Ixelles and Ukkel/Uccle:

























And now it's St-Gilles again, or Forest/Vorst, somewhere in the vicinity of the old prisons:

























Sint-Gillis is calling:









Town Hall of St-Gillis, calling itself a little preposterous Hôtel de Ville (City Hall).









Ste Alène/St-Alena Church along the avenue Villalaan.









Kemmelberglaan/avenue du Mont Cemmel. View on the park of St-Gilles/Forest is included in the price:









I wouldn't mind living here:









The park of Vorst/Sint-Gillis, looking up. In the background the building at Albert.









Another view at the park and a skyline of Brussels:









We 're close to Altitude/Hoogte 100, and St Augustin Church:









Almost dusk, but this view can be admired from avenue Rousseaulaan:









This bunker is one of Brussels' major event halls: Forest National/Vorst Nationaal. I go to the supermarket underneath it.









The End


----------



## Vincedem

I really enjoyed the pictures from the park. Beautiful!


----------



## Benonie

Some recent pics of central Brussels:


----------



## tonyssa

^^
:applause:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Cartel

Amazing photography and city, thanks for sharing


----------



## hix

:banana: Super pictures!


----------



## VicFontaine

city of jean claude van damme


----------



## Benonie

VicFontaine said:


> city of jean claude van damme


Muscles from Brussels! 

More pics:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

^^ Very nice photos Benonie, that part of the city is really nice


----------



## hilow

Fake capital


----------



## Benonie

Ribarca said:


> Very interesting thread. Looking at the pictures it's certain that Brussels is more interesting than most people's vision of the city. Visiting it is another story. It's not a city for walking around. Too many drab areas around even in the center of town.


I do like to walk around in Brussels.... 

There are still some 'drab areas', scarfs of bad urbanistaion during the 'golden' sixties & seventies, that is true.
But there are hundreds of nice squares, streets, boulevards and neighbourhoods that are well worth a visit. In the city centre and in the districts around the Pentagon.
And don't forget the more than hundred parcs and musea. Some of world class.
Like _'Lonely Planet' _says: "Brussels is looking better than ever".


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


> I do like to walk around in Brussels....
> 
> There are still some 'drab areas', scarfs of bad urbanization during the 'golden' sixties & seventies, that is true.


Only during the 60s & the 70s? That's quite an understatement. Benonie, even you as Brussels-lover must admit that Brussels was repeatedly raped over and over and over for the last, at least a 100 or so years by the well connected Belgian construction-mafia (to call their activity "business" is an insult to all businesses).

Brussels is the only large city in Europe that looks like as if it was largly destroyed by world war two bombing... except that there was not such bombing. Yet the city is so scarred and disfigured. I mean let's start with the biggest blunder - the "capital crime" of all that was committed LONG before the 1960s: the total wiping out of the river from the entire city. I mean, can you imagine London draining the Thames river and filling it with unoriginal buildings (shameless imitations of Housemann like the way it happened in Brussels)? Can you imagine Paris without the Senne? Amsterdam without the Amstel? NYC without Hudson? Well, that's exactly what happened to a historic 800 year old city in the heart of Europe, i.e. Brussels.


----------



## EvanG

Let's not exaggerate shall we.  The area around the zenne was certainly picturesque but it was hardly in the same league as your examples. It had long before turned into a smally smelly sewer. I agree it was a loss but one I can live with and it doesn't come close to the destruction caused by the north-south connection on the other side of the ilot sacré. I personaly even consider the filling of the old harbour around the Sint Katelijne a greater loss.


----------



## Josh

^^The Zenne in Brussels was nothing more than a small creek so comparing it to the Seine or the Thames is quite exaggerating. On top of that it was nothing more than an open sewer with mostly favela-like buildings along its banks. So yes it's quite a pity there's no river in Brussels but the Zenne was nothing more than a small creek much like smiliar creeks in Paris or London which have also been covered.

[edit]I see EvanG was a tad quicker...[/edit]


----------



## the Ludovico center

Evan, Josh - sorry but I disagree. Being an Amsterdammer I may be biased about these matters but I think that there is no excuse in the world that justifies wiping out the one main river out of a city upon which it was found and simply stuff the whole place with appartment buildings and roads.

Rivers aren't just "things" you know they have something intangable - they are the life and soul of the city. And no, Senne/Zenne wasn't some little "creek". Check the pic below. If it was a little creek then the city wouldn't have been founded and developed there in the first place, Hello! How convenient of you to forget that, he?


----------



## Josh

The Zenne was a little creek, in fact during summer there was almost no water in it and during the rest of the year only very small boats could navigate the Zenne. That's why Brussels now has a canal connecting it with Charleroi and Antwerp. 

When Brussels was founded the Zenne was nothing more than numerous little creeks and it was only later that they were put together to form one bigger creek. Still to compare it to the Seine or the Thames is really exaggerated.


----------



## Josh

This is the Zenne just north of Brussels :


----------



## hix

the Ludovico center said:


> And no, Senne/Zenne wasn't some little "creek". Check the pic below.


You simple do not understand. If you take a look at the Zenne just outside the city, you can see that it is a little creek. It is maybe only four meters wide. It is not a big river like the Seine or the Thames.

It is true that the city has been the victim of major city works, the north-south railroad as the most important, but today Brussels is again a beautifull city. The scars are almost not visible anymore, and the "drab" area's are being renovated. 

We cannot change the past, unfortunately. But even without the Zenne, Brussels is still a great city.

You may also not forget that a lot of the great buildings, boulevards and parks in Brussels date from the 19th and 20th century. Brussels is the result of this proces of destruction and rebuilding, and I think the outcome is great and absolutely unique. We can weep about the things that have disapeared but it is better to look ahead and to be happy about the beautifull things that came to replace them.


----------



## the Ludovico center

EvanG said:


> Let's not exaggerate shall we.  The area around the zenne was certainly picturesque but it was hardly in the same league as your examples. It had long before turned into a smally smelly sewer.


All rivers were once smelly sewers. But why didn't the Brussels folks implement the sewage system (an invention available since ancient Roman times) and solved that problem that way? Why didn't mayor Anspach do that and instead was allowed to eliminate the foundation DNA of the city?



> it doesn't come close to the destruction caused by the north-south connection on the other side of the ilot sacré.


That was "big blunder number 2" I was saving it for another post in this thread :tongue3: 



> I personaly even consider the filling of the old harbour around the Sint Katelijne a greater loss.


Greater or not it definitely was another big loss, yes.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Josh said:


> This is the Zenne just north of Brussels :


This is the Seine upsream (before it reaches the Paris area










So you see. Like I said: there is no excuse 

By the way that river pic of yours is a modern picture (i.e the river was bigger in the past than it is now after all the destruction and the diversion)


----------



## Josh

That pic of the Zenne is downstream after it has flown through Brussels, close to wear it reaches the Dijle river.
So really it's always been a creek on which only very small boats could navigate during certain periods of the year.


----------



## Lariabian

Very nice city !!!!

Regards.


----------



## hix

the Ludovico center said:


> This is the Seine upsream (before it reaches the Paris area


Josh picture is one downstream. Yours is upstream and is so irrelevant that it becomes silly. You could have taken a picture of the Seine source, to prove what? That the Seine is also a small river sometime upstream? Do you think that there is somebody in the world who doesn't know that? :lol:

There are two facts that you should remember.

1. The people in Brussels today are not responsible for what happened in the past.
2. Despesite that, Brussels is still a beautifull city.

And about the Zenne. That river was much smaller in the city center than on Josh' picture in the north. Any attempt of yours to compare it with the Seine, the Thames, or any other stream is ridiculous. The Zenne is a creek... that's all.


----------



## the Ludovico center

hix said:


> You simple do not understand.


Believe it or not it is you who is not understanding my point.



> If you take a look at the Zenne just outside the city, you can see that it is a little creek. It is maybe only four meters wide.


Yea that's what happened when they BULLDOZED the river out of existence downstream. You get my drift? The river became smaller AFTER they cut the river in two: south of Brussels the river goes into the Charleroi-Willebroek canal. Then north of Brussels water from the canal is "back diverted" into the river-bedding of Zenne. But the amount is much smaller. So basically what you are looking at in your photo is this little "token diverted canal water" north of Brussels!

You get my point now?



> It is true that the city has been the victim of major city works, the north-south railroad as the most important,


Yea, by the way they opened the whole place up again (near the Central Station/Hotel Meridien area).



> but today Brussels is again a beautiful city. The scars are almost not visible anymore, and the "drab" area's are being renovated.


It looks better than it used to be, I agree... but but  



> We cannot change the past, unfortunately. But even without the Zenne, Brussels is still a great city.


But it could have been better! The loss of the river has definitely affected the mentality of the city (it paved the way for the further mismanagements that were to come later on) this all points to the loss of identity caused as a result of the loss of the river imho.



> You may also not forget that a lot of the great buildings, boulevards and parks in Brussels date from the 19th and 20th century. Brussels is the result of this process of destruction and rebuilding, and I think the outcome is great and absolutely unique. We can weep about the things that have disappeared but it is better to look ahead and to be happy about the beautifull things that came to replace them.


You have a point there. This whole thing has created a certain chaotic charm. But don't forget that Brussels is not Las Vegas. It is an city with a history. That should count for something, imho.


----------



## hix

the Ludovico center said:


> You get my point now?


You are so wrong! The water of the Zenne does not go into the canal at all. Where did you get that strange idea? 
When you see old pictures of the Zenne in the city center you clearly see that is was then also nothing but a creek. I'm surprised you do not see that.


----------



## Josh

The Zenne was not cut into two, the water flows under Brussels, it's certainly not diverted into the canal.


----------



## Josh

This is the Zenne in Anderlecht, just south of the city centre of Brussels, so as you can see it's always a creek, before it enters the city and after it flows out of the city.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Okay, fine by me if you want to be silly enough to believe that the canal and the diverted river just go parallel next to each other for a mile or two without cross-connection channels between the two, then go ahead, believe that fantasy.


----------



## hix

the Ludovico center said:


> Yea, by the way they opened the whole place up again (near the Central Station/Hotel Meridien area).


They did that because the street and surrounding are being refurbished. These are the plans:


----------



## hix

the Ludovico center said:


> Okay, fine by me if you want to be silly enough to believe that the canal and the diverted river just go parallel next to each other for a mile or two without cross-connection channels between the two, then go ahead, believe that fantasy.


Silly? It's a fact. Do you have proof for you theory? I do not think so. :lol:

Why don't you save your reputation now before it's too late? Admit that you are wrong and we can go on.


----------



## Benonie

That's true. Schaerbeek has got a bad reputation. But most of the place is rather safe.
I will pass Saint-Josse later in this thread, but only the 'richer' and urban part of it, close to the Brussels city center.


----------



## groentje

How do you do that? St-Joost is only 1,1 km². 
Schaarbeek is larger, and therefore not all parts are as dodgy as next to the North Station and St-Joost. In the East, around Josaphat Park (did you take pictures of that as well, Benonie?), you are in a very residential area, almost next to the European Quarter.


----------



## Benonie

groentje said:


> How do you do that? St-Joost is only 1,1 km².
> Schaarbeek is larger, and therefore not all parts are as dodgy as next to the North Station and St-Joost. In the East, around Josaphat Park (did you take pictures of that as well, Benonie?), you are in a very residential area, almost next to the European Quarter.


I jumped out of the bus at Madou. That's next to Saint-Josse town Hall.
And no, unfortunately I don't have pics of Josaphat Park and surroundings... lack of time cause I had to get in to the city center.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Basically both communes can be diivided into two: the low-lying sections toward the westside (the river valley) which is dominated by rows of "commoner" houses, and the "upper east side" which is generally full of rather chique residential buildings/mansions.

I had an internship in a firm right on Boulevard Lambermont. That whole area is pretty chic and posh. Pure architecturally speaking the buildings in the Josaphat area are just as chique looking as those on Louise Avenue or anywhere else in Brussels. 


The problem is that you can't drow a clear straight line between the two sides. One minute you could be walking on a street full of rows of plain houses and then you turn one corner towards the easterly direction and suddenly you are surrounded by broad boulevard full exquisite buildings in varying architecture.

For example in St josse/joost within one or two minutes you go from the middle of (mainly Turkish dominated) shabby ethnic areas you turn one or two corners and suddenly you end up in the middle of the spectacular Livingstone/Ambiorix square area. Same thing in certain places in Scharbeek


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


> That's true. Schaerbeek has got a bad reputation. But most of the place is rather safe.


Looking at you taking photos might give the (mostly Moroccan) street-groupies/thugs an impression that you are a journalist and they don't like journalists, especially the ones with cameras


----------



## groentje

And in Brussels, Vorst, St-Gillis... More shabby looking parts and more posh places are mixed. And even architecturally it's not always clear, since lots of nice city parts have been neglected, as in so many other cities.


----------



## hix

No doubt, Benonie, you pictures are always super! :banana:


----------



## Embrace57

Stunning pics of this great capital of our European Union! :cheers:
Especially those in found at number 8! :banana:


----------



## Puinkabouter

Indeed, you're doing a great job at showing the best assets and the lesser known qualities of our (as Belgians as well as as Europeans) Capital. Keep it coming kay:


----------



## Benonie

Thanks guys! 
I took the bus to the city center, but jumped of at Madou-metrostation near Madou-tower. 
This is situated on the eastern 'Pentagon'-ring road. It marks the border between Saint-Josse and Brussels-city.



















Astro Tower and Saint-Josse town hall.


















Residential tower at Saint-Josse.


















Finance Tower.









The renovated Madou-Tower nowadays hosts 1.200 EU-bureaucrats.



























Inner Ring Road 'Pentagon'









Madou Metro Station.


----------



## christos-greece

The architectural style from the center of Brussels its indeed great, very nice; those -old- traditional buildings are great


----------



## Benonie

We descend the metro and get out at Naamse Poort/Port de namur.

Pictures taken between _Port of Namur _and _Square Louise_.


----------



## Chadoh25

Great photos!


----------



## Benonie

Thanks Chadoh! 

From Louise Square we take the metro to Rogier Square and North Business District.


----------



## Benonie

More North District.


----------



## Benonie

More glass, concrete and steel.


----------



## snowman159

Great photos! Keep up the good work. :applause:


----------



## antigoon99

great pic's even the North Space looks good on your pic's ...keep posting them


----------



## kardeee

Great thread Benonie! Brussels is indeed fascinating!


----------



## Benonie

Thanks guys! More North District:
































































Communication Center North.


















Premetrosystem at Brussels-North Railaway station.


----------



## Andre_idol

I must say I didn´t like some train stations...and that´s an example. How many years have Brussel-Noord?


----------



## Filou

Brussel noord is 56 years old (1952). The south station has about the same age. Both station are renovated at the moment. The south station will get new platforms and a new platformroof.

This is the part of the platforms at Brussels South that is allready been renewed. The rest of the platforms will be the same:


----------



## Puinkabouter

^^ That's not a certainty! The renovation of Brussels' main railway stations is something that is systematically put behind by the national railway company, on other railway projects, such as the recently extended Antwerpen Centraal, or Liège's new station by Calatrava.

For decades already thorough renovations to the Brussels stations have been promised by authorities, but year after year the necessary funds get postponed, time and again. It's a painstakingly slow process...


----------



## Benonie

Andre_idol said:


> I must say I didn´t like some train stations...


I agree. Brussels North is old-fashioned, Brussels South is just ugly. At least the platforms of the national train connections are.


----------



## Andre_idol

Makes no sense having something like Antwerpen Centraal and Liège´s station and in the capital have something like we see. Hope see them renovated next time I go there.


----------



## Benonie

Andre_idol said:


> Makes no sense having something like Antwerpen Centraal and Liège´s station and in the capital have something like we see. Hope see them renovated next time I go there.


We couldn't agree more!


----------



## Benonie

> *Sint-Gillis/Saint-Gilles* is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region. It has a multicultural identity stemming from its diverse population. The housing stock varies from semi-derelict tenements near the Brussels-South railway station in the north, to elegant patrician houses on the southern borders with Uccle and Ixelles, to tourist hotels at the inner end of the Charleroisesteenweg. Saint-Gilles is also known as one of the centers of artistic and student life in Brussels.


_(Wikipedia.com)_


----------



## Benonie

> *Forest or Vorst *is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.
> The town is commonly known for its concert hall (Dutch: Vorst Nationaal, French: Forest National). It also houses an important jail and an Audi factory


_(Wikipedia.com)_


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie

Same grey day, but another part of town. Some quick shots from the European quarter and the Jubelpark. 

Not the most lovely neigghbourhood in Brussels, but improvement is on the way in the near future.


----------



## Ribarca

Great shots. Seems like a great city. I love the fact that this city seems so unplanned. Coming from Holland where everything is planned that is a good thing.


----------



## groentje

Well, what you have too much, we have too little. A little bit of planning wouldn't hurt the city and its livability.


----------



## Benonie

Two more pics I took from the train:


----------



## Jakareh

All this interesting stuff and Brussels has what, about a million residents? The crappy US city I live in has twice that many people and hardly one worthwhile thing to look at.


----------



## cristof

>


just an interesting pic about the modern part of the European Capital -Espace Nord-


----------



## cristof

>


Near Brussel Central's railway station.


----------



## cristof

Jakareh said:


> All this interesting stuff and Brussels has what, about a million residents? The crappy US city I live in has twice that many people and hardly one worthwhile thing to look at.


well u know, it's Europe


----------



## Bristol Mike

Great shots there, love the last shot of the penultimate update with the lamposts lining the avenue, gives an appearance of a wall.


----------



## Mercato

*Place du Petit Sablon, Bruxelles*

Hi guys, some shots of the city centre during snow.


----------



## Mercato

*Place du Petit Sablon, Bruxelles*


----------



## Andre_idol

Great pictures of Brussels


----------



## Benonie

Thanks!

More *EU-quarter* - European Parliamant and Brussels Luxembourg train station:


----------



## Chadoh25

Great updates!


----------



## Filou

great pictures! thanks benonie. :cheers:


----------



## christos-greece

Really very nice updates of Brussels once again, Benonie 
This is Metro gate?


>


----------



## Josh

^^No, it's the entrance of Luxemburg train station.


----------



## AMS guy

It was a real pleasure to look at this thread. Brussels is so fascinating kay:


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks!


Josh said:


> it's the entrance of Luxemburg train station.


Yes indeed. It was and still is the station where people take the train to Luxemburg, that's why it's called Luxemburg-station. 










This is the old facade of the Luxemburg station. The old station was demolished to construct the EU-buildings and there's now an underground station, integrated in the buildings of the European Parliament.


----------



## PortoNuts

The EU quarter is great! Outstanding medium rise buildings kay:

Please more photos of this (still) underrated city.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks!



PortoNuts said:


> The EU quarter is great! Outstanding medium rise buildings kay:


Most people in Brussels don't like parts of the steel, glass and concrete jungle of the European Quarter. A big part of the 19th century Belle Epoque area of the former_ Leopold-neighbourhood _was destroyed to create this _'European monster'_...

But improvement is on the way. There has allready been a renovation of the public areas, parcs and old buildings, more residential flats are built and there's a new '_Masterplan_' for the _Wetstraat/Rue de la Loi_, where Berlaymont (European Commission) is situated.
This plan includes more offices, much more houses, shops, highrises and green spaces. It should become something like this:





















PortoNuts said:


> Please more photos of this (still) underrated city.


Oké, more European Parliament!


----------



## PortoNuts

Love the glass and the steel :drool:

Cities can keep turning of the century look while modernising.


----------



## Andre_idol

Yes, I remember that place


----------



## Benonie

^^ And I remember your pics of the EP. 


PortoNuts said:


> Love the glass and the steel :drool:
> 
> Cities can keep turning of the century look while modernising.


I agree. But in some parts of Brussels there is too much glass and steel.


----------



## Kappa21

All the pictures show grey skies? How come? :?


----------



## hellospank25

Any photos of the atomium?


----------



## Filou

Kappa21 said:


> All the pictures show grey skies? How come? :?


Maybe because they are taken in wintertime? :naughty:


----------



## Benonie

Kappa21 said:


> All the pictures show grey skies? How come? :?


Grey skys are rather common in this part of Europe... But there are some blue-sky pictures on other pages in this thread! 



hellospank25 said:


> Any photos of the atomium?


There are some on post 42, page 3:

























































Partly cloudy....


----------



## hellospank25

^^ Thanks! I see that there is a tram that goes to the Atomium
Could you tell me what tram number it is and where it departs from and at what stop i need to get off?


----------



## Puinkabouter

There is a tram indeed - lines 23 and 51. Tram 23 is an option if you're around the Big Arch in the Jubilee Park, you can take it in the underground tram station Montgomery. Tram 51 goes by the centre of the city (the so called 'Pentagon'), and you can take at the IJzerplein.

But there's also a metro station very close to the Atomium as well, and that's probably faster and easier to navigate. Metro 6 station "Heizel". Here's a map of the metro network. Heizel station is in the top left-hand corner of the map: CLICK!


----------



## Benonie

I think it's easier to take the metro indeed. Direct metrotrain 6 from Brussels-South railway station or another line with change at _Beekkant_ metrostation.

We return to the European Quarter for a walk to the hilly *Leopold Park*.




























Part of the famous and splendid Museum of Natural Sciences.




























This should become a new European Museum in the future.


----------



## christos-greece

Very nice updates about Brussels as well; those buildings in the city are gorgeous :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thanks Christos!

More* EU-Quarter:*







The *Committee of the Regions *is EU's assembly of local and regional representatives.


The *Résidence Palace*. Former art deco luxurious apartment block.
It is formed of three buildings, a press centre and a building currently being renovated for use by the European Council.


The former *Van Maerlant Convent*, now a meeting point fot Eurocrats.


On the left, the* Crown Plaza Hotel*, which will be demolished soon. On the right, the Lex Building.


The *Lex building *is an annex building of the Council of the EU (its main building is the Justus Lipsius building) 




The *Berlaymont Building *houses the headquarters of the European Commission.








On the left, the *Charlemagne building*, which houses the Directorate-General for Trade, the Directorate-General for 
External Relations and the Directorate General for Enlargement of the European Commission.
In front the entrance to Shuman Metro and underground Railwaystation.

The *Justus Lipsius building *is the headquarters of the Council of the European Union









The ugliest street of Brussels, the Wetstraat/Rue de la Loi, leads from the EU-quarter to the city Center and contains 
masses of Offices. Old and ugly offices!









In 2025 it will become something like this:


















:banana:


----------



## Benonie

Maritime district, north of the city center. Here some new urban projects including highrises are planned in the near future.

















































































































































Location future *Premium Tower*:









Premium tower and surroundings:









Dockside Tower:


----------



## Filou

Great pictures as usual, Benonie. Let's hope the premium tower will be build very soon! :banana:


----------



## christos-greece

Awesome photo-tour of Brussels once again kay:


----------



## Bristol Mike

Fantastic tours. Interesting looking development plans there. I also do like that lamp-post lined avenue which I think I have commented on before and there are almost American-looking buildings in that last update too.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks Christo and Mike!


Bristol Mike said:


> I also do like that lamp-post lined avenue which I think I have commented on before


That's the ugly Wetstraat... 


Bristol Mike said:


> and there are almost American-looking buildings in that last update too.


^^ The North District near Brussels North railwaystation:


----------



## Benonie

> *Laeken* or Laken is a residential suburb in north-west Brussels. It belongs to the municipality of the City of Brussels.























> The neo-gothic Church of Our Lady, initially built as a mausoleum for queen Louise-Marie, wife of Leopold I, whose children included Leopold II of Belgium and Empress Carlota of Mexico. The church contains the royal crypt, where the members of the Belgian Royal Family are buried.



























































> *Royal Castle*
> The Royal Castle of Laeken, official home of the Belgian Royal Family is situated here. The castle was built between 1782-1784 by Charles de Wailly. It was partly destroyed by fire in 1890 and rebuilt and extended by Balat. It has been the royal residence since the accession to the throne of King Leopold I in 1831.























> Statue of Leopold I of Belgium in front of the Castle.























> The royal castle domain also contains the magnificent *Royal Greenhouses* of Laeken, a set of dome-shaped constructions, accessible to the public only a few days a year. They were designed as by Alphonse Balat, with the cooperation of the young Victor Horta


.



















_(Info sources: Wikipedia.com)_


----------



## brisavoine

Brussels before WW2.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Not much has changed in that area...


----------



## Federicoft

Les Marolles, one of the most charming areas of Brussels. Anybody willing to explain what happened to the rest of the city (Bruxellisation etc.)?

Btw, there's an excellent restaurant just behind the Law Courts.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Most of the city is still standing, as you can see on a lot of pictures in this thread.
But some area's were demolished, for the construction of the north-south railwaytunnel in the first half of the 20th century.
Or for new office buildings, like the North Buisiness District and the European Quarter in the second half of the 20th century.


----------



## Filou

Federicoft said:


> Anybody willing to explain what happened to the rest of the city (Bruxellisation etc.)?


Actually, most parts of the city are very well preserved. When you strawl around in neighbourhoods like Schaarbeek, Ixelles/Elsene, St Gilles, in the city center around the royal palace, St Catherine, the Marolles, ...
It is a good idea to look at the beautifull things Brussels has to offer today and not to focus on what is lost.


----------



## Federicoft

I tend to disagree. Uncontrolled developement, an erratic mixtures of styles, replacements of old buildings with new ones all are a quite visibile occurrence in large parts of the old city inside the Pentagon, especially the Northern and Eastern parts. 

This doesn't mean Brussels hasn't a lot to offer of course, but I can assure you it is something that surprise an external visitor. Probably it even adds charm to the place (I enjoyed your city very much btw).


----------



## Benonie

Federicoft said:


> Uncontrolled developement, an erratic mixtures of styles, replacements of old buildings with new ones all are a quite visibile occurrence in large parts of the old city inside the Pentagon, especially the Northern and Eastern parts.


Indeed, I can agree. Bad urbanisation in after WOII caused a lot of dammage, also in the Pentagon. Some of the wounds are healed, others will stay forever. 
But a lot remained intact and there's a mixture of old and new, beauty and uglyness, grey and colourfull, big and small etc...


----------



## cristof




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## Benonie

^^ Nice shot Cristof. 
I'm glad you can see more and more bikes in Brussels kay:


----------



## Filou

^^ I hope that, one day, Brussels will be as bikefriendly as Copenhagen or Amsterdam.


----------



## cristof

Benonie said:


> ^^ Nice shot Cristof.
> I'm glad you can see more and more bikes in Brussels kay:


apparently the sun may change the habits lol...it is true, lots of missing Villio at the stations this day  but i cannot say i'd enjoy to bike in a street like rue de la loi even if they have built a new cycle lane...








the "rue de la loi" street...


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## Benonie

I also did notice some Villo-stations in the city center were almost empty on weekdays. kay:
But it's not a pleasure to bike in some areas of Brussels, that's true. The cyclelanes in Wetstraat are too small and pedestriands are using them often.
Maybe that will change with the new 'bicycle-highways' they've planned to and from Brussels.


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## christos-greece

Very nice photo by cristof


----------



## Benonie

Some more pictures of the Park of Laeken, the Japanese Tower and the Chinese Pavilion near the parc:


----------



## Filou

Very nice, Benonie! Let the pictures flow!


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## HenMDev

nice.


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## Kappa21

China town? Brussels? :?


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## Buffalo Soldier

Not China Town, Chinese Pavilion.


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## christos-greece

Lovely, very nice view of the city from that park 


>


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## Benonie

christos-greece said:


> Lovely, very nice view of the city from that park


Indeed. But the weather was very grey so quality of my last pictures is rather bad.
The views are much more lovely on a clear and sunny day.


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## Filou

Well, Benonie, I hope you will go back and make some more off your super pictures on a sunny day. Keep up the good work! :banana:


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## christos-greece

Benonie said:


> Indeed. But the weather was very grey so quality of my last pictures is rather bad.
> The views are much more lovely on a clear and sunny day.


True... i remember old photos of Brussels (probably i saw them here)


----------



## Filou

Kappa21 said:


> China town? Brussels? :?


King Leopold II wanted to be able to make a stroll and watch all kinds off exotic buildings close to the royal palace. He ordered to build the Japanese tower and the Chinese pavilion...
The Chinese pavilion was build between 1901 and 1905. It is situated in a special designed parc. It is a museum and hosts Chinese furniture, Chinese porcelain and tapestries...

It is certainly kitch, but the location and the historical meaning, makes it now an important landmark in the north of Brussels...


----------



## Benonie

Filou said:


> Well, Benonie, I hope you will go back and make some more off your super pictures on a sunny day. Keep up the good work!


Thanks Filou! I returned on sunny thursday for another a walk through Brussels. I started at the Brussels-Luxemburg train station in the heart of the European Quarter.


----------



## Benonie

Griekse schone of Duitse furie?....


----------



## Filou

Thanks for the update, Benonie.  Very nice pictures.


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## Benonie

^^ Thank you!

More European District:


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## christos-greece

^^ Amazing, very nice views of Brussels


----------



## Filou

Keep it comming, Benonie! :applause:


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## Slartibartfas

>


I think the area in the background is interesting. After all its in between the European Parliament and the Council and Commission. That sort of wasteland there wasn't optimal. I am glad to see that they are finally doing something about it and construct some urban buildings of the sort the EU district needs: Mixed use residential and retail real estates.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Indeed. Untill the eighties the European district was kind of a desaster. Nowadays there are big and good plans for a better public area, more green spaces and more houses and retail:

Let's have a closer look to the area you've mentioned:


----------



## Benonie

From Leopold Park to Berlaymont-Buidling:


----------



## Andre_idol

Great photos of the European district Benonie


----------



## Thermo

Brussels in the sun :cheer:

Great pics, Benonie.


----------



## Benonie

EU-quarter especially for Andre and sun for Thermo! 

More EU-quarter: the Wetstraat/Rue de la Loi.


















































































Ready to be demolished:


----------



## PortoNuts

Beautiful modern district. :drool:


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## Andre_idol

Thanks Benonie


----------



## Benonie

^^ You're welcome! 

We walk north to the well kept streets of the 19th century Leopold Quarter.


----------



## Vincedem

Stunning area!


----------



## Slartibartfas

^^ Indeed and this Leopold quarter is right next to the EU institutions? If they only could bring such pleasing atmosphere back to monstrous streets like the rue de loi. Of course it could never be as cozy but it could be at least human scale and not as terrible as it seems to be now.


----------



## Benonie

Yes, it's just north of the EU-quarter, as you can see on this picture:










And a complete neighbourhood like this was demolished to built the European (and Belgian) office buildings....

There is a new plan designed by the french architect Christian de Portzamparc for the future of the Wetstraat/Rue de la Loi, with more retail, residential area's en greenspaces, but it will not be as cozy as the old area. 

It should become something like this:



TomTack said:


> Today
> 
> 
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> 
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> 
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> 
> 
> 2009-2011
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 2011-2014
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 2015-2018
> 
> 
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> 
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> 
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> 
> 
> 2018-2025
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 2025


The Wetstraat is the red line. European buildings like Berlaymont (4-wing building on the right) are situated along and south of this red line.
The old and cozy Leopold Quarter is just south of it.





Bazar said:


>


----------



## Benonie

We walk further to the green 'Squares', famous for some excellent art nouveau-houses:




























"Hotel van Eetvelde" from architecr Victor Horta.








































































Maison Saint Cyr (architect: Gustave Strauven) under renovation.








































































Hotel Van Eetvelde bis:









And the annex:


----------



## groentje

Thanks for showing my city, Benonie!


----------



## christos-greece

Indeed, very nice - beautiful sunny photos from Brussels kay:


----------



## Skrapebook

It looks very english in lots of places! :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

^^ Maybe. Some British people seems to like the city:



> *Brussels versus Paris? No contest*
> 
> _Mark Skipworth doesn't have a clue about what is or isn't cool, but his teenagers assure him that, as a short-break destination, Paris is passé and Brussels rules. _
> 
> *"The big misconception about Brussels is that its streets are nondescript and littered with EU bureaucrats. It's actually an old city of melancholic charm*"
> 
> I never thought I'd end up saying this: Brussels is cooler than Paris. Not that, as a middle-aged fogey, I have a clue about what is cool and uncool. But the teenagers who reside under our roof – a 15-year-old daughter going on 25, and a 17-year-old style-guru son (the Critics) – tell me so. I made this discovery late last year with the prospect of a rare long weekend away in commiseration over my 51st birthday. Paris would make the perfect city break, I declared. You must be joking, the Critics replied: "It's boring, old-fashioned and full of surly French people".
> 
> Europe's famous battlefields Leaving aside the almost universal put-down of the Gallic race by British teenagers today, I've got to admit there's now some truth in what they say. When I was a teenager, Paris seemed like the most exciting city in the world; it flattered the young into thinking they were grown-ups. When I went there at the age of 16, the Deux Magots café of Sartre and de Beauvoir, the Rock'n'Roll Circus nightclub where Jim Morrison once played, not to mention all those Manets and Renoirs, then in the Jeu de Paume, left their indelible mark. Even the bare-breasted beauties of the Folies Bergère appeared still risqué by British standards.
> 
> Today, all those attractions have either disappeared or been swamped by tour parties from Tokyo or Tulsa.
> 
> For those seeking travel rather than tourism, Paris offers few genuine discoveries. Small wonder that my teenage arbiters of taste are not impressed. But would Brussels fare any better?
> 
> From the moment we left London St Pancras on Eurostar, the omens were good: "It's even 10 minutes quicker than going to Paris!"
> 
> The big misconception about Brussels is that its streets are nondescript and littered with EU bureaucrats. It's actually an old city of melancholic charm – Charles V, the Spanish Hapsburg emperor who ruled a quarter of the globe in the 16th century, was born there; it's bursting with art nouveau buildings, crowned by the World Heritage town houses of Victor Horta, and glories in the gilded exuberance of the Grand-Place, one of the finest squares in the world. The EU district, which we were careful to avoid, is miles away from the centre. I don't believe the Critics really registered that the Belgian capital they encountered and the "Brussels" of Euro-sceptic myth are one and the same place.
> 
> The seediness of large parts of the city is, for me, one of its biggest attractions. It's not exactly run-down, but the moment you step off the Eurostar you enter a kind of northern Naples, enriched by Arab and west African influences. The nearby flea market in the old Marolles district is a wonder to behold, with genuine bargains, from porcelain medicine jars from the 19th century to Seventies Starsky & Hutch sunglasses – all the rage, according to one Critic – and carpets from Cameroon. In fact, it's just like the Paris flea market of 30 years ago.
> 
> The big cultural attraction right now is the recently opened Magritte museum, and deservedly so. With so much mischief and humour on show – about 200 paintings and other works by the Belgian surrealist, housed in a special annex of the impressive Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts – it's an instant hit with the Critics. Compare their reaction to Paris and the Mona Lisa: "We came all this way to see that? It's so small!" The museum shop is excellent for "wicked" souvenirs, too.
> 
> And so to the clincher – the food. Ever struggled to eat out well in Paris? That chic brasserie on the Left Bank not quite what it was cracked up to be? Brussels turned out to be a much easier place in which to refuel the Critics. Lying in wait down side-streets off the Grand-Place are one first-class moules restaurant after another. And if seafood is not to everyone's taste, the steaks won't disappoint in the appropriately named rue des Bouchers. It's reassuring to know that as visitors on a family budget you can't really go wrong.
> 
> My favourite diner is Chez Vincent, with its kitchens that you have to walk through to get to the restaurant – guaranteed to get the juices going – and tilework that has retained its fin de siècle charm.
> 
> Factor in the excellent buffet breakfasts that we enjoyed at the boutique hotel Dominican, a sumptuously-converted abbey where the French painter Jacques-Louis David once lived, just minutes from the Grand-Place, and the Critics were won over.
> 
> Elsewhere, there are waffles to die for (and you probably will) sold from scores of street vendors and small kiosks. Try them with fresh strawberries and vanilla cream. The Royal Saint Hubert Galleries – Brussels' answer to Milan's covered shopping arcade – is an obstacle course like no other. Instead of Prada, it's the exquisite Neuhaus chocolate shop that you somehow have to negotiate past. We eventually plumped for the lesser-known Corné, also in the Galleries, out of pure chocolate one-upmanship. "You won't see these anywhere in London, Dad," I was informed by one Critic.
> 
> The city is at its best after dark. The guild houses of the Grand-Place take on an eerie glister in the street light while the pubs do a roaring trade. Over a glass of bière blonde at the Mort Subite, we looked out on romancing Bruxellois rubbing shoulders with flushed and happy tourists.
> 
> The waiters, all black waistcoats and thick white linen aprons, are welcoming and informative about their (very strong) beers. (Similar treatment in Paris? I think not.)
> 
> It was good to have the Critics all to ourselves for a couple of evenings, chatting away in a Belgian bar about life, the universe and everything. Was this outbreak of bonhomie the result of a cracking day's sightseeing, the satisfaction of a good dinner or simply being away from Blighty and its economic woes for a day or two? It was probably the beer, actually.
> 
> So, Brussels or Paris? Brel versus Hallyday; Trappiste versus absinthe; Tintin versus Astérix, waffles versus croque-monsieur; the Atomium versus the Eiffel Tower. The Critics have chosen. Now it's over to you.


source: The Telegraph

I don' t know if "Brussels is cooler than Paris". 
I love Brussels, I love Paris.
Different cities, different scale, both very interesting.


----------



## Benonie

We keep on walking to:



> *
> Sint-Joost-ten-Node or Saint-Josse-ten-Noode* is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.
> 
> On has got a total population of 23,785. The total area is 1.14 km² which gives a population density of 20,664 inhabitants per km². With only 1.14 km², Saint-Josse-ten-Noode is both the municipality with the smallest territory and the highest population density in Belgium.
> It's also the poorest municipality of the country.


_(source Wikipediacom)_


----------



## Bristol Mike

Fantastic pictures there Benonie, Brussels looks amazing the sunshine. Lovely residential areas too, very attractive architecture. That Art Nouveau building with the circular window at the top is very interesting!


----------



## Slartibartfas

These neighborhoods are incredibly lovely indeed.


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## Benonie

^^ Thanks guys! I agree. 



Bristol Mike said:


> That Art Nouveau building with the circular window at the top is very interesting!


That's the Maison Saint Cyr, one of my favourites.


----------



## christos-greece

Indeed for once again, very nice photos from Brussels, Benonie


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## Benonie

Thanks Christo!


----------



## Mahratta

Great shots, Benonie. Wish I was back in Brussels...


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


>


I think that that Basilix farm is there "for old times sake" so as to say that grazing cows still exist within brussels territory. I don't think that the person, supposedly the last farmer in Brussels, is making all his money just by milking those cows :>)

An indication if that is the farm's isolation. So far as I know, in the whole wide area, there is not a single other farmland or grassland, certainly not one where animals graze. The continuous built-up area continues from here on and extends across the nearby motorway junction and beyond, becoming part of the adjacent Flemish suburb.

Oh and by the way, this computer I am using to type this post is bought at that exact store you're looking at in the picture! 
.


----------



## Filou

the Ludovico center said:


> I don't think that the person, supposedly the last farmer in Brussels, is making all his money just by milking those cows :>)


There are still 50 farmers active within the bounderies of the Brussels region. Don't make the mistake to think that a farmer who has a field with cows in Brussels automaticaly is limited to Brussels for his farm and does not own fields elswere. Maybe he has fiels at the other side in the flemish region aswel? Check google earth to see how much farm land still exist in Brussels, it's surprising. There are also several active farms in Brussels, some of them in Anderlecht (Neerpede).

I suggest you try the green promenade of the Brussels region, it give you a totaly different impression of the green site of the city...


----------



## PortoNuts

Wonderful buildings! :applause:


----------



## the Ludovico center

Filou said:


> There are also several active farms in Brussels, some of them in Anderlecht (Neerpede)...


Oh yes, of course, Neerpede! But the farmers over there are real farmers with real fields, not symbolic little "farms" with 12 or 13 cows in a city park. Indeed, all those 50 or 60 farmers you're talking about are found right there in the same area, i.e. Neerpede (where else?).

And speaking of which, this Neerpede "panhandle" may indeed technically be within Brussels but for practical purposes it is part of the wider "Pajot" countryside. And Neerpede is also situated well outside the Brussels ring motorway and is therefore very often "cut off" from Brussels city maps... so let's pretend as if it doesn't really count as proper Brussels :colgate:


----------



## Benonie

the Ludovico center said:


> so let's pretend as if it doesn't really count as proper Brussels :colgate:


I don't think Brussels politcians (FDF...) would like to hear that.... :lol:


----------



## Benonie

Nice clip on Youtube:




_Image-mix by Laurent Sebastien and Tresor._


----------



## Mike____

^^to sad that song is in french.. dont understand any word of it :/

cant believe that some people even dare to say that Brussels is the worst capital in europe -___-" ugh


----------



## Benonie

^^ I don't understand much neither, but I like the sound French hip hop. 
And after all, a majority of the Brussels population speaks French...



Mike____ said:


> cant believe that some people even dare to say that Brussels is the worst capital in europe -___-" ugh


Just fools who don't know the city or just visited a little part of Brussels on a cold and rainy day while they had a fight with there wife and broke a leg on the stairs of their cheap hotel in a rough neighbourhood.... :colgate:


----------



## Benonie

Ninoofse Steenweg towards Weststation. One of the busy old roads which connect the city center with the gritty multicultural suburbs.


----------



## Benonie

The renewed *Weststation* will be an important public transport junction in the near future, when the Brussels RER it GEN finally has been completed. 
There are connections between train, metro, bus and tram.
The enviroment now is a multicultural mix of urban chaos and the area is rather shabby. But I suppose that will change once the RER is completed.


----------



## Mike____

great pictures!


----------



## retro7559

*sorry for the late response*



WLTR said:


> Frankly speaking, I'm not sure that it's Brussels photo, maybe from Paris. I don't remember ))) Check it through serial numbers of the cars


Rue sans Souci at Ixelles it is a specialist in Citroën parts especially for 2CV that's why this vue looks a bit like Paris in the 70's or 80 's


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks!


----------



## Benonie

We continue our tour along the shabby Ninoofse Steenweg towards Ninoofse Poort.













































































































This old and famous Gueze-brewery will become a hotel in the future.


----------



## Thermo

When 2 cities meet


----------



## Nabucco

Will you take pictures this weekend of the Grand Place?
http://www.bruxelles.be/artdet.cfm?id=4664


----------



## Coolkenneth

I love Brussels


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks! 



Nabucco said:


> Will you take pictures this weekend of the Grand Place?


There are some pictures of Grand Place on previous pages.

We continue our walk through Brussels and follow the 'frontier' between Brussels-City and Anderlecht. 
A multicultural, shabby but sometimes 'explosive' neighbourhood....


----------



## Benonie

As you could see, we reach the Brussels South railwaystation. Allthough it's the busiest trainstation in Belgian and a 
major European fast-train-hub, the area around the station must be the most horrible on the entire continent...

But this_ 'Luchtvaartsquare/Square de l'Aviation'_ is rather pretty:

































































Zuidertoren/Tour du Midi, the highest and loniest Brussels scraper:










Entrance to one of the tramtunnels under the trainstation:


----------



## Benonie

Brussels South Raiway Station.
A major fast train hub with TGV, Thalys, ICE and Eurostar-connections to London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Paris, 
Cologne and Frankfurt.


----------



## Benonie

South Market. Every sunday morning near the trainstation.


----------



## Filou

Super Benonie! Did you visit the market at the abattoir in Anderlecht aswel?


----------



## Benonie

No, but I did visit the Sunday market in nearby Saint-Gillis. See next week!


----------



## Kampflamm

Brussels South looks quite nice. Did they renovate it recently?


----------



## groentje

Benonie took photos from the 'TGV-platforms', ranking from numbers 1 to 6. These are indeed renovated already 10 years ago, together with the main corridor downstairs (which already could use a renovation, imho), but the older tracks, from 7 to 22, still have old and completely rundown platforms. It's a shame, really.


----------



## Benonie

There are some spectacular plans to built a V-tower above the platform of Brussels South Trainstation. Constructions should start in 2013 or so.


----------



## Mike____

Cant wait for that thing ^^


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


> As you could see, we reach the Brussels South railwaystation. Allthough it's the busiest trainstation in Belgian and a
> major European fast-train-hub, the area around the station must be the most horrible on the entire continent...
> 
> But this_ 'Luchtvaartsquare/Square de l'Aviation'_ is rather pretty:


So I see Benonie that you've found one of those typically Brussels "hidden treasures" that unexpectedly show up around the corner when you think you're in a boring/shabby neighbourhood


----------



## christos-greece

Really an awesome, very nice photo update about Brussels, Benonie


----------



## Thermo

Benonie said:


> There are some spectacular plans to built a V-tower above the platform of Brussels South Trainstation. Constructions should start in 2013 or so.


Do you know when they're gonna give some more information about this (massive) project? Several months ago the press conference was postponed due to a train accident (Buizingen), but now we don't hear anything about it anymore....


----------



## Benonie

^^ Like so many projects in Brussels (and Belgium) , there's hardly any information to find in advance.


----------



## christos-greece

V-tower? I also would like to know more about this project...


----------



## Benonie

^^ We don't know much about it neither. It's still in an embryonal stadium.
It's designed by architect Jean Nouvel and should be built in a couple of years.
At the outside there will be gigantic mirrors which reflect the city.


----------



## Spookvlieger

If anything gets of the ground of this project, it will be a pleasant surprise!

Great pictures Benonie. Love this tread!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks mate! 

Some more photos of the area around Brussels South and the 'Luchtvaartsquare/Square de l'Aviation', but this time on a sunny sundaymorning.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ on picture number 4: The round opening in the house. Was that an art nouveau styled house before? If so, it's a real shame...I can't say I don't like what they did to it but this style is rare and should be kept in honor!


----------



## Mike____

Be Manos isnt that a design Hotel ?


----------



## Spookvlieger

I searched it down.. it is...


----------



## Benonie

I think they raised the right building to make it a bigger hotel under one roof.


----------



## Bristol Mike

Great stuff as usual, very summery looking shots there!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks Mike! And it was hot, that's for sure.
Our final destination that day was the _Brosella Jazz Festival _at the Green Theater, near the Atomium. I think it was one of the warmest days this summer.


----------



## JLAG

Benonie I "found" this thread in your signature and what an excellent photo-thread this is. Excellent pictures of a great city. Thanks and :cheers:


----------



## christos-greece

BTW, nice updates you posted Benonie kay:


----------



## Benonie

Joka said:


> That thing is huuge! Do you have any pictures from the inside?


Finaly I had the chance to visit this giant Palais of Justice and I to take some pictures inside.

Taken on the _*Car Fee Day *_2010.


----------



## Chainedwolf

Great Shots!!


----------



## Filou

Super, Benonie! :banana:


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks guys. Some more pictures I've taken during the _Car Free Day _last sunday:


----------



## capricorn2000

wow, this is one extensive city tour Benonie,
Areas around the city are equally beautiful.
when I visited Brussels in late 80's I just stayed at the Grand Place and its suroundings
and a half-day bus tour to the EU hq.
I'm really surprise and there's even a grazing ground for cattle.
thanks mate and keep it up.

Check my *Victoria* photos @*My Travel Photos Update*


----------



## Mike____

amazing pictures benonie!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks Capricorn. Brussels has changed in a very positive way since you've visited it in the eighties, as you will notice in this thread. Buildings, monuments, streets and squares have been renovated, restaurated, renewed, rebuilt etc... and this proces is still going on today.
The EU-quarter was like a war zone in that days, but is getting nicer every day. (see earlier pages)


----------



## Benonie

Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg:























































Church of Saint Jacques and Great Synagoge.


















Church of our Lady sur Sablon


----------



## groentje

Thanks for updating us, Benonie


----------



## Jesús E. Salgado

Nice


----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice new photos from Brussels, Benonie


----------



## LtBk

Once again, great pictures of a highly underrated city. BTW, is Brussels still growing in population?


----------



## aster4000

great shots specially the interiors of Palais of Justice and the church of St. Jacques.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks guys! 


LtBk said:


> BTW, is Brussels still growing in population?


Yes it is, both the Brussels Capital Region as the Brussels Metropolitan Area are growing, mainly by immigration. Brussels now houses about 1.114.042 people (6.903 inh./sq km) people, while in the ninetees that was only 950.000 inhabitants.
There's now a growth of about 20.000 inh./year.
The metropolitan area (Brussels + suburbs) has got about 2.000.000 inhabitants.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie

Library of the National Bank of Belgium:


----------



## the Ludovico center

^ Too late, all the snow melted yesterday (saturday)


----------



## Benonie

hellospank25 said:


> Benonie why don't you have any photos of Brussels covered in snow?
> Isn't it snowing there lately?


Yes it was. But I live and work 75 km (50 miles) west of Brussel so I mostly come there on weekends. And as Ludovic mentioned snow was melted on Saturday.
New sno expected tomorrow!


----------



## Benonie

More pictures of this highly damaged part of town, rather empty on Sunday noon.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ Didn't know about the 'guust flater' or 'Gaston Lagaffe'


----------



## groentje

It's close to where the Comics Museum is. Probably that's the link.


----------



## Benonie

It's at the stairs to the Zandstraat/Rue des Sables, indeed.
It's there allready several years.


----------



## ZevenZonden

2 pics that I found on my HDD of which I have no idea where they came from. If I find out who took them I'll be sure to add the credits.


----------



## Benonie

Nice pictures you've find there. That's of course the Square Roegier near the North District. The square is now undergoing a massive renovation:



Bazar said:


>


----------



## Benonie

National Bank of Belgium.










Saint-Michaelscathedral.


----------



## aster4000

nice shots...


----------



## ajaaronjoe

European Capital? :dunno:


----------



## groentje

Europe, as in European Union. Yes, we know, the Union doesn't have a capital, but it is the primary seat for the European Institutions. 
But hey, let us just enjoy the photos.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Thanks for the pictures of the inside of the cathedral Benonie!


----------



## LazyOaf

Great photos, ah brings back memories of my trip in 2008, i loved brussels! :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

ajaaronjoe said:


> European Capital?


Okay, there's not an official EU-capital but:



> Brussels has become a significant centre for international institutions, notably those of the European Union. The city also plays host to the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATOis based in the city along with 1000 other international organisations and 2000 international corporations. Brussels is third in the number of international conferences it hosts, also becoming one of the largest convention centres in the world. The presence of the EU and the other international bodies has led to there being more ambassadors and journalists in Brussels than Washington D.C.. International schools have also been established to serve this presence.
> 
> (...)
> 
> Brussels is considered as the de facto 'capital of the European Union' due to its history of hosting the EU's institutions, even though the EU has not declared any official capital city. The city plays host to the official seats of the European Commission (in the Berlaymont building) and the Council of the European Union (in the Justus Lipsius building facing it). Furthermore three quarters of the work of the European Parliament takes place in the city at its Brussels hemicycle (its official seat is Strasbourg).
> 
> (...)
> 
> Brussels is also served by direct high-speed rail links: to the London by the Eurostar train ; to Amsterdam, Paris and Cologne by the Thalys; and to Cologne and Frankfurt by the German ICE.


_(Wikipedia.com)_


----------



## Benonie

Shell Building or _Central Gate_, built 1931-1934 in Art Deco style, designed by architect Alexis Dumont.



















The Gallery Ravenstein, also designed by Alexis and Philippe Dumont in 1954 in the so called 'International Style'.










Rather empty on sunday noon...














































It leads to _Bozar_, or Palace of Arts. Concert hall and exhibition rooms, a later work by Victor Horta.


----------



## Spookvlieger

I always loved that Gallery Ravenstein has mosaics inside 
Nice pictues of The bozar!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks! I've posted some pictures of Bozars concert hall some years ago.



Benonie said:


> The big _Henri Leboeufzaal _underwent a complete renovation in recent times.
> When it was built it had the best acoustic in the world.


----------



## Spookvlieger

It really is a very beatiful building. I went there with architecture class 2 years ago. I stayed in the Concert hall for 15 min or so. We needed to make a sketch of the inside.
It think it's much better than the Opera of Brussels.


----------



## Benonie

hellospank25 said:


> Benonie why don't you have any photos of Brussels covered in snow?
> Isn't it snowing there lately?


In Belgium it has been snowing quite a lot last weeks, but yesterday in Brussels there was only a thin white blanket:


----------



## Urbanista1

very intriguing city...I remember spending a brief afternoon there many moons ago and having french fries _with mayonnaise _for the first time.


----------



## Buffalo Soldier

Benonie said:


> In Belgium it has been snowing quite a lot last weeks, but yesterday in Brussels there was only a thin white blanket:


Wow. Great pics!


----------



## christos-greece

The winter view of Brussels, is really very nice


----------



## Benonie

Thanks guys. More winter in Brussels:


----------



## manrush

Brussels looks so lovely in the snow.


----------



## Benonie

Indeed. But since staurday (when I took this ones) it snowed a lot more, so now it's a thick blanket od snow.

Some pics of Brussels SSC-member Filou:



Filou said:


>


More pics!


----------



## christos-greece

As i said: the winter view of Brussels is really very nice; those new photos (^^) approves that


----------



## Spookvlieger

Great set of pictures again!


----------



## Bristol Mike

Lovely snowy piccies there, more snow than the city centre of Bristol for sure.


----------



## groentje

And some more snow this night, approx. 5 to 10 cm extra.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ you bet
I woke up to 20 cm of snow this morning!


----------



## Benonie

^^


groentje said:


> And some more snow this night, approx. 5 to 10 cm extra.


Officialy there's now 16 cm of snow at the Royal metreologic institute at Uccle, Brussels.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ And offically 27 cm of snow at the Military airport base of Kleine Brogel and 31 cm of snow at the Military airport Brustem of Sint-Truiden. 

But 16 cm is a lot for Brussels. It's always a few degrees wamer in Brussels....


----------



## Ni3lS

Great pics Benonie. Enjoy reading your thread


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks!



joshsam said:


> And offically 27 cm of snow at the Military airport base of Kleine Brogel and 31 cm of snow at the Military airport Brustem of Sint-Truiden.


It snowed that much that a church in Diepenbeek collapsed  some hours after Midnight Mass. Probably the flat roof could no longer carry the weight of the snow...


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ I read about that... Those people where very lucky!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Guest

What can I say ? Pure magic, a winter wonderland  Great pics mate, stay warm but don't remain indoors - more pics please :colgate:


----------



## Benonie

Thanks Sydney. Allthough weather is gonna be warmer next days, some winterpics are yet to come!


----------



## Bristol Mike

Great shots mate, loving that weather though the temperature has crept above freezing over the last 24-48 hours here so a lot of the snow is 'going going gone'  . Look forward to more though.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Love the pic with the Palace of justice!

Wich tower is in the back ground?
Tour sablon must be on the right I guess but i've never seen this one before near the Palace of justice...


----------



## Puinkabouter

That's the Generali Tower on the Avenue Louise: click.


----------



## Spookvlieger

THx


----------



## Benonie

joshsam said:


> Wich tower is in the back ground?
> Tour sablon must be on the right I guess but i've never seen this one before near the Palace of justice...


It's not realy next to the Place of Justice, but further away at Avenue Louise, like Puinkabouter wrote.


----------



## Nightsky

Nice photos of Brussels. The streets seems well plowed compared to here in southern Sweden.


----------



## groentje

It wasn't plowed, as far as I know, we don't even have snow plows. We put salt on the snow and ice to make it melt (temperature was at lowest -10°, mostly just -3 to -5°). By now, most snow is gone, here in Brussels.


----------



## the Ludovico center

^ Guys you're misunderstanding something. Benonie posted that last photo to answer a question. I don't believe he took the photo today (although the snow has gone and melted, there should still be bits and pieces of residual snow left here and there........ at least on the rooftops (roofs don't get plowed or salted 

.


----------



## Buffalo Soldier

groentje said:


> It wasn't plowed, as far as I know, we don't even have snow plows. We put salt on the snow and ice to make it melt (temperature was at lowest -10°, mostly just -3 to -5°). By now, most snow is gone, here in Brussels.


We do have snow plows.
First salt, then snow, then plowing, then salt.
That's how it happens in Belgium 

edit: excuse me: that's how it should happen


----------



## groentje

I saw several salt cars driving and spilling there salt on the 10 cm thik layer of snow. That's why I doubt we have one (or enough).


----------



## Benonie

*HAPPY NEW YEAR SkyscraperFriends!*


----------



## Benonie

Time to enter the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, one of the biggest churches in the world:




























Up to the dome:


----------



## aljuarez

wow... the interior of the church looks good, but those views look amazing!!!!


----------



## capricorn2000

the basilica is massively built but nice.


----------



## groentje

Thanks again, Benonie


----------



## Spookvlieger

Very nice vieuws from Koekelberg! Would you mind if I repost last one in your name in the European Skylines tread Benonie? Or post it there yourself 

I reposted it ... If you don't like it just remove


----------



## Benonie

^^ No problem, allthough I don't find the Brussels' skyline that good...
Where do I find that European Skyline-thread?


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ The picture is worth posting overthere... 

Here is the tread: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=180814&page=32


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ That really is an interesting point if you want an overall view of Brussels.
Picture four is so mysterious, I like it!


----------



## ZevenZonden

3rd pic reminds me a bit of Fallout 3's capitol wasteland.. I like Brussels tho, it's not a pretty city and looks downright dirty, but that's exactly what I like about it. Glad I don't live there, though. Especially as a Fleming...


----------



## ZevenZonden

Josh said:


> ^^Kan een mod eens een ip-check uitvoeren? Schrijfstijl en taalgebruik komen mij bekend voor.....


Dit is mijn eerste en laatste account hier... check away.


----------



## ZevenZonden

Benonie said:


> hno: Yeah sure!
> Antwerp is so much better, nicer and cleaner than Brussels that *in the elections of 2006 one third (33,51%!) of the Antwerp population voted for the extreme right facist Vlaams Belang*... or maybe that's just what your international friends like about it....
> 
> (Oké, that's politics again, but you've asked for it!)
> 
> (My excuses to the Antwerp forum members who didn' t vote VB, cause I like Antwerp too ... )


Yeah, and in Brussels and the rest of your socialist paradise (funded by Flemish handouts) more than half of all people (the ones without any money of themselves) keep voting for the ultra leftist socialist PS... Stalin versus Hitler. I don't know which is worse.


----------



## quadi

sorry that I have to say it, I don't vote for the Vlaams Belang, but you can't say that it's fascistic, that's what the media and the other political parties wants to make people believe. Vlaams Belang is just giving other, more extreme solutions for the problems in this country, and they are a lot braver then other political parties in Europe like the PVV, the DF or the FPÖ.


----------



## Filou

Please, this is Benonie's photothread. Keep your politics out of it.


----------



## Puinkabouter

quadi said:


> and they are a lot braver then


Then (eng.) = toen (nl.) / dan (in een tijdsbepaling, nl.) = puis/alors/ensuite/... (fr.)
Than (eng.) = dan (in een vergelijking, nl.) = que (fr.)
Braver (eng.) = dapperder (nl.) = plus brave/plus courageux (fr.)
Braver (nl.) = tamer (eng.) = plus docile (fr.)

That aside , I think there were already plenty of debate topics on this website were political rant can take place. It would be very gallant if people who feel they could enrich the world with their political opinions would do so in the appropriate threads, and let this just be a photo thread.

That, though, does not mean reactions should be limited to a series of "ooh"s and "aah"s. If a person has a less optimistic experience to share, he has the same right to express it as anyone who wants to say something nice about what he sees (or does not see). But let those expressions be in direct relation to the visual aspects of the city, and not to the political backgrounds of the city. It's gotten extremely annoying, all that endless jabbering about politics and stuff hno:


----------



## Thermo

Benonie said:


> hno: Yeah sure!
> Antwerp is so much better, nicer and cleaner than Brussels that *in the elections of 2006 one third (33,51%!) of the Antwerp population voted for the extreme right facist Vlaams Belang*... or maybe that's just what your international friends like about it....


Sorry Benonie, but this comment is really "onder de grordel" as we say in Dutch. Let me remind you that the VB has lost the latest elections in Antwerp. And still, that doesn't mean we're all a bunch of fascist, you know. Really low comment.

ps: Zevenzonden, please don't compare Brussels to Antwerp. I've stopped doing that a while ago, because saying that Antwerp is somewhat better or more livable/beautiful than Brussels is enough to trigger an avalanche of negative (sometimes even hateful) comments from the Brussels boys. 

ps: Josh, ik neem aan dat je mij bedoelt? Check mij IP gerust 

pps: I really really like Brussels. I even opened some threads about Brussels looking at its best. But please, accept that there are different opinions and admit it, Brussels hàs a very dark side too. Ofcourse it's not a "dump" like Zevenzonden writes, but there are some areas where even the police are afraid... Brussels is a great city with an even greater potential, but it's (very) poorly managed. 19 different 'communes' with all a different mayor and several different police zones, etc... Something has to be done.

// sorry for this offtopic


----------



## Benonie

Thermo said:


> Sorry Benonie, but this comment is really "onder de grordel" as we say in Dutch. Let me remind you that the VB has lost the latest elections in Antwerp. And still, that doesn't mean we're all a bunch of fascist, you know. Really low comment.
> 
> ps: Zevenzonden, please don't compare Brussels to Antwerp. I've stopped doing that a while ago, because saying that Antwerp is somewhat better or more livable/beautiful than Brussels is enough to trigger an avalanche of negative (sometimes even hateful) comments from the Brussels boys.
> 
> ps: Josh, ik neem aan dat je mij bedoelt? Check mij IP gerust
> 
> pps: I really really like Brussels. I even opened some threads about Brussels looking at its best. But please, accept that there are different opinions and admit it, Brussels hàs a very dark side too. Ofcourse it's not a "dump" like Zevenzonden writes, but there are some areas where even the police are afraid... Brussels is a great city with an even greater potential, but it's (very) poorly managed. 19 different 'communes' with all a different mayor and several different police zones, etc... Something has to be done.
> 
> // sorry for this offtopic


No problem Thermo. And I was just angry when I wrote that, because Zevenzonden "haalt het bloed vanonder je nagels" as we say. His "black and white"-vision makes me angry. I think both cities have there positive and negative points. It's not all gold in Antwerp and rubish in Brussels. Also Antwerp has got its dirty streets and social and demographic problems. And no, I don't like the solutions of VB, still the biggest party in the council... Just like I don't like the 'little' politics in Brussels

And ZevenentachtigZonden is spoiling my thread! I hate that.

Anyway, Thermo, you didn't quote my last phrase in that post, which relatives my angriness:


> (My excuses to the Antwerp forum members who didn' t vote VB, cause I like Antwerp too ... )


----------



## quadi

I already thought that the word brave wasn't correctly used...
but sorry benonie, this is a beautiful thread, keep going...


----------



## manrush

Oh no you don't. You extremists won't despoil this thread like you did the Lille thread.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Can somebody tell me what that white clad building is? Everytime I pass by I wonder what the hell it is (there's no label on the building that is visible from the street pavement. The entrances and exits are weird and the windows seem to be "two way mirrors" (you can't see anything thru the windows from the outside regardless of the source of light. If it was a sensitive embassy there would have been at least a flag. So I presume it is not an embassy or a consulate. I wonder if it is the headquarters of Belgian secret police/Spy agency... or the entrance of an underground NATO bunker a.k.a. "war room" :naughty:


Benonie said:


> 43.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 44.


----------



## quadi

mostly, anonymous buildings like that are used by lobbies, but I won't dare to say it about this building...


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ It's the building of the NMBS (B-rail) central support. They do the managemant of all stock and goods of B-rail.


----------



## Guest

I love the contrast between the old and the new - great stuff mate :colgate:


----------



## Thermo

@ Benonie: I understand, mate. 'Zand erover' as we say in Dutch 

Please continue to post your great pictures kay:


----------



## christos-greece

I also would like to see some more photos from Brussels


----------



## ZevenZonden

Same here, I would *love* to see more pictures


----------



## ZevenZonden

manrush said:


> extremists


Who here is an extremist? I only see people with different opinions.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^can't you just back off and let it go? jesus!
There should be no more pics on this page, only on the next one...


----------



## Benonie

We take the metro back to the city center:










Royal Palace.










Hotel Errera, office of the Flemish prime-minister at the Park Warande.


----------



## VelesHomais

I didn't realize that Brussels had trams like these, they look like they would fit better in eastern Europe 









nice pics


----------



## Benonie

Back to the Canal.





































The immense roof of the slaughterhouse, seen from a distance.










Along the canal.


----------



## Benonie

Walkingfurther along the old canal zone and its shabby sidestreets.


----------



## Ni3lS

Cool photos. Big ships and very narrow canals! Were they designed to handle such big ships/boats?


----------



## Spookvlieger

Beatifull Benonie. I have never seen this area of brussels before


----------



## christos-greece

Cool, very nice photos from the old canal zone


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks Christo!


----------



## Benonie

At the Vlaamsesteenweg/Dansaertstraat we walk into the historic town.


----------



## Guest

Loving those wind mills, it adds an element of fun to the streetscape and brings back memories of my childhood - thanks mate


----------



## Benonie

^^ My pleasure Sydney!


----------



## Benonie

We enter the old city center from the west.

Dansaertstraat:


----------



## Spookvlieger

Do you know how the building in picture 7 is called? Reminds me of London architecture


----------



## Benonie

^^ I agree, looks very British. But I don't know if it has got a name. I think it's just an anonymus apartment-building.


----------



## Bristol Mike

I agree, they do looks a lot like many of the buildings in London. Great pictures Benonie - Brussels looks fantastic in winter sunshine.


----------



## Filou

joshsam said:


> Do you know how the building in picture 7 is called? Reminds me of London architecture





Benonie said:


> ^^ I agree, looks very British. But I don't know if it has got a name. I think it's just an anonymus apartment-building.


I think you're talking about the "banana-building". It was build by a familly (Gérard Koninckx Frères) who made a fortune importing exotic fruits, mainly from the Belgian-Congo. It consists of two seperate buildings. The one on the right has fresco's with banana's oranges etc on it...
It was build in 1927.


----------



## Benonie

Filou said:


> I think you're talking about the "banana-building". It was build by a familly (Gérard Koninckx Frères) who made a fortune importing exotic fruits, mainly from the Belgian-Congo. It consists of two seperate buildings. The one on the right has fresco's with banana's oranges etc on it...
> It was build in 1927.


I think Johsam mentioned this London-style apartment complex:










And I suppose the Banana-building is this one:










Anyway, thanks for the extra information. I heard and read about it earlier, but I didn't realise I've pictured it.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ Yes indeed filou, thanks for the information  nice to know...
And I meant indeed the first pic you reposted benonie


----------



## Filou

Benonie said:


> And I suppose the Banana-building is this one:


Yes, you're right!


----------



## Deanb

nice ones


----------



## christos-greece

As usuall, great and awesome photos of Brussels Benonie


----------



## Benonie

Thanks mate!


----------



## Puinkabouter

From a mobility point of view it was an unwise decision, yes. From a construction point of view, it was a logical choice, because it's easier - or at least less tricky - to build a metro underneath a boulevard than underneath building blocks.

The actual stupidity may have been the relocation of the North station a couple of decades earlier. In order to connect a pass-through station to the North-South tunnel, the old station on the Rogier square (where the metro interchange station is) was abandoned and a new one was built on the current site.


----------



## Wapper

Great thread. It took me a few days to read through the whole topic, but it certainly wasn't a waste of time 

I visited Brussels a few times, but I always went to see the same quarters. I know the centre, the european quarter and the vicinity of the cinquantenaire pretty well, but I've never seen the rest. I intend to explore these parts of town a little more however.
I also like the area around the Zoniënwoud/forêt de Soignies. It's not completely in Brussels, but it borders the city at least partially. Do you have pictures of this area? It is really nice imo. I could make some pictures myself, but I am in vienna until summer.

What strikes me when I am in large foreign cities, is that the buildings there are mostly more similar to each other. Ther are at least about the same size and height. In brussels (in most Belgian cities actually), almost every building looks completely different and every building has a different size. very tall buildings stand next to very small houses. Maybe this is also a reason why Brussel looks a little chaotic to foreigners.


----------



## Helmet222

Wapper said:


> What strikes me when I am in large foreign cities, is that the buildings there are mostly more similar to each other. Ther are at least about the same size and height. In brussels (in most Belgian cities actually), almost every building looks completely different and every building has a different size. very tall buildings stand next to very small houses. Maybe this is also a reason why Brussel looks a little chaotic to foreigners.


And this is exactly what I love about belgian cities.


----------



## Wimpie

I hope that Brussel will one day play out the art-deco cards as an iconic building style for the city. It is possible to implement art deco in new modern buildings or use it as an overal modern building style. It would make me love Brussels even more 

To contribute to this topic with an image, I took this one of the south tower (during our rush towards the south station in spring, only there I realised that we were in fact in Brussels)


----------



## Wapper

Helmet222 said:


> And this is exactly what I love about belgian cities.


Well, me too. When I am in a foreign city, I am always impressed and I like it very much, but still I long for good old Belgium very quickly.

Great picture Wimpie, and great traffic jam too


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks guys and thank you for that urban picture Wimpie.


the Ludovico center said:


> when you think about it it is actually a scandal that the an entire "ring" metro system is built so close to the station but completely bypasses this station one stop before it reaches it, thereby creating a ridiculous bottleneck (especially during rush hour) whereby too many people get out of the metro and board onto trams and then get immediately out after making only one stop!!! (between metro station 'Rogier' and that big train station) It shows you how stupid the Brussels metro system planners were.


I agree it would be better if the North Station was connected by metrolines 2 en 6. But as Puinkabouter mentioned, it was technical and financial easier to follow the big Boulevards.
But I don't agree the Brussels metro planners were stupid. The big Brussels stations are all well connected by metro and/or tram and premetro.
Brussels South (metro 2 - 6, premetro and tram), Brussels-Central (metro 1 - 5). Also other stations like Shuman (metro 1 - 5) and Weststation (2 - 5 - 6 and tram) Simonis (2 - 6) or even Delta (5) have direct metro connections.

North Station doesn't have a heavy metro,that's true. But it is well connected with the city center, the north and even the south of the agglomeration by premetrolines 2 en 3. This north-south premetro will be tranformed into a heavy metro in the future. The lines will be extended to the north (Schaarbeek). And of course you can take any NMBS-train to Brussels Central and South, about every minute or so.

And I think most passengers who arrive at Brussels North work or live on walking distance of that station (Schaarbeek, North District, KBC, T&T...)

Of course, there will always be traintravellers who have to take metroline 2 or 6, so have to change from premetro to metro at Rogier. But they can always choose to make the short walk to Rogier. There are a lot of metro-corridors in other European cities where the walking distance between 2 lines is longer...

So yes, connections in Brussels North Station aren't perfect for some travellers. But no, it's not because of stupid planners.



Wapper said:


> I also like the area around the Zoniënwoud/forêt de Soignies. It's not completely in Brussels, but it borders the city at least partially. Do you have pictures of this area? It is really nice imo. I could make some pictures myself, but I am in vienna until summer.


I have some pictures of the forest. I will post them later in this thread.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


> I agree it would be better if the North Station was connected by metrolines 2 en 6. But as Puinkabouter mentioned, it was technical and financial easier to follow the big Boulevards.


Of course it's always easier to build an underground that only follows the above-ground boulevard. But then what is the point of building metro? Isn't it to cut corners and go under buildings and provide more direct connections between important places/areas? In other words it was not a smart idea to force the whole "ring" metro line to follow the patterns of streets and boulevards. Do you know any metro line in London or Paris that only follows the street-pattern above without diverting for a portion of the line at least? 

And yes, you could say that in the short term they saved money by not taking the metro to the train-station but not in the long term: The reason why they are now renovating and restructuring 'Rogier' at a high price for a long time (more than 4 years?/2008-2012) is because of the overcrowding of Rogier underground which simply doesn't have the capacity to handle the large crowd that is diverted to it. 



> And I think most passengers who arrive at Brussels North work or live on walking distance of that station


Well look at the cause and effect: the North station is poorly connected within it's local area - it has no strictly east-west going metro or tram or even bus connections. As a result a high amount of potential users (for example those who reside or have something to do nearby in places like south Laeken (Pannenhuis/Belgica area) completely ignore the North-station because they are forced or diverted away from it. So it's not fair to divert traffic away from the (north-south-wise) highly interconnected train station and then complain that not enough locals use it. The reason they are not using it is because they are all down there pushing and shoving and bumping each other inside the (almost permanently overcrowded) subway corridors of Simonis & Rogier :lol: . One other good reason to take advantage of the size of North station is also to prevent the Brussels south station from overcrowding (both have trains that go the same places so you can use one train station to "carry" traffic for the other).



> The big Brussels stations are all well connected by metro and/or tram and premetro.


Except Luxemburg station which has none of that kind (not even a tram connection) but that may change in the near future
.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ but the luxemburg station is not an very important hub I guess...
Trains pass trough that station on their way to the south...

And if people need to get anywhere from the Luxemburg station they can take one of the 10 buslines that stop there...

I think there where (are???) plans to connect Brussels South station with Luxemburg station.


----------



## Benonie

^^ There were plans ...There's only a real plan for metro-extension to the north now.


the Ludovico center said:


> And yes, you could say that in the short term they saved money by not taking the metro to the train-station but not in the long term: The reason why they are now renovating and restructuring 'Rogier' at a high price for a long time (more than 4 years?/2008-2012) is because of the overcrowding of Rogier underground which simply doesn't have the capacity to handle the large crowd that is diverted to it.
> 
> Well look at the cause and effect: the North station is poorly connected within it's local area - it has no strictly east-west going metro or tram or even bus connections. As a result a high amount of potential users (for example those who reside or have something to do nearby in places like south Laeken (Pannenhuis/Belgica area) completely ignore the North-station because they are forced or diverted away from it. So it's not fair to divert traffic away from the (north-south-wise) highly interconnected train station and then complain that not enough locals use it. The reason they are not using it is because they are all down there pushing and shoving and bumping each other inside the (almost permanently overcrowded) subway corridors of Simonis & Rogier :lol: . One other good reason to take advantage of the size of North station is also to prevent the Brussels south station from overcrowding (both have trains that go the same places so you can use one train station to "carry" traffic for the other).
> 
> Except Luxemburg station which has none of that kind (not even a tram connection) but that may change in the near future
> .


I don't think the corridors of Brussels North train station can handle more passengers than now. 
And of course Rogier metro Station is overcrowded on rush hours, like any other important metrostation in Brussels and other big cities.
If metrolines 2 en 6 would cross premetrolines 3 en 4 in Brussels North Train Station, man oh man, thàn we should have a real big capacityproblem....

And Rogier is also an important metrostation, not only because people have to change there to or from Brussels North, but mainly because it's an important destination itself. With Brussels main shopping street, main shopping center, biggest hotelcomplex, second highest office tower and lots of other offices and hotels just around the corner. 
If I take line 2 or 6, most people who leave the metro there, are going to the shopping street.
So if the ring metroline would pass along Brussels North, there wouldn't be a metrostation at the most crowded Brussels shopping area, and visitors would have to change to the premetro at Brussels North...

Luxemburg-station doesn't have a metro- or tramconnection (that's why I didn't mention it ) but Shuman is not that far...so people who want a metroconnection in the European quarter, still have other choices and can get of the train in Shuman.


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## Filou

the Ludovico center said:


> The reason why they are now renovating and restructuring 'Rogier' at a high price for a long time (more than 4 years?/2008-2012) is because of the overcrowding of Rogier underground which simply doesn't have the capacity to handle the large crowd that is diverted to it.


That is not the reason for the renovation of the station. The capacity will remain the same after the renovation. The renovation is part of the refurbishment of the square above and fits the renovationplans for a lot of stations in Brussels.
Your statement that Rogier is renovated because of overcrowding is absolutely nonsens, I'm sorry to say.


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## groentje

Wasn't a lightrail line planned from the East via the North Station to Thurn & Taxis and beyond? It would (partly) resolve the question of East-West traffic from North station.


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## Filou

Yes, and it still is...


----------



## Benonie

Anyway, Ludovico could have made a point. It _maybe_ would have been better if North Station had direct acces to the ring metrolines 2 and 6. Allthough I don't think Brussels North should be able to handle all that extra passengers traffic and the main shopping area wouldn't have a connection with the heavy metro system. 

But I still don't agree that the current situation is because of the stupidity of the Brussels metro constructors, as Ludovico mentioned. Don't forget the metro was planned at an era the Brussels' population was shrinking dramaticly, while since the last decade the population is growing fast, as well as the number of Eurocrats who work at the explosive extended European Union in the 21ste century.

So the overpopulated metro was something that couldn't be predicted in the seventies and eighties.


----------



## Wapper

Benonie said:


> I have some pictures of the forest. I will post them later in this thread.


I can't wait. It is one of my favorite spots in belgium


----------



## the Ludovico center

Filou said:


> That is not the reason for the renovation of the station. The capacity will remain the same after the renovation.


I'm sorry but you are the one who's completely wrong. In fact part of the underground expansion work is already done. The metro station underground has already been (underground space wise) expanded five or six years ago.

One of the things they did at that time was they addressed the overcrowding issue (that is definitely above most or probably even above all other metro stations) head-on. They created this extra public space (walking area) in the underground hall/passage by removing the marble-plated concrete walls that completely enclosed and covered the stairs and escalators area inside middle of the hall (it originally looked like the escalators and stairs were like doorways that "went into" an enclosed "box" shaped space. This expansion "exposed" the stairs and escalates and created one large unified space around them that people could walk over or stand or do whatever they want. That means less pushing and shoving against each other since the space (in width) almost doubled as a result of the removal of the enclosing walls. 

Only this metro has been expanded that way. You can even see the trace of the old walls that existed 5 years ago when you look at the roof of the hall: the newly created space around the stairs has flat concrete roof and doesn't have what the original hall-space has: an alloy/metallic/whatever roof decoration:


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


> Anyway, Ludovico could have made a point. It _maybe_ would have been better if North Station had direct acces to the ring metrolines 2 and 6. Allthough I don't think Brussels North should be able to handle all that extra passengers traffic and the main shopping area wouldn't have a connection with the heavy metro system.


Well my theory is if those lines went through north station then part of the shopping and other facilities and activities would have also spread around instead of being concentrated at Rogier (keep in mind that the metro station came there first before most of those other things that are now there).

Anyway who knows? Those are "what if" questions that will never be answered. I mean look at the North station's big hall right next to the actual train station. That multi-story atrium area would or could have been a gigantic multi story American style mall instead of the half-empty place it now is... where it's so big enough and empty enough to attract acrobatic break dancers & skateboarders who actually do their stunts right inside the hall (both upstairs in the big hall and in the downstairs passage which leads to the bus stops. That's how big the space is inside North station!!! You can pull stunts on skateboards!!! Now tell me which other station can you do that without bumping into a wall or a pillar or a person (most likely all three at the same time) within two seconds?
.


----------



## Filou

the Ludovico center said:


> I'm sorry but you are the one who's completely wrong. In fact part of the underground expansion work is already done.


No, it's not because some renovation works have been done that the capacity has expanded.
The only thing you prove is that some works have been done, but nobody denies that...
The reason the station is being renovated is to make it a more modern and pleasant station.
You're jumping to conclusions here.
Also the station is busy, not because it's not under the northstation but simply because the entire network is reaching it's saturation...



> Only this metro has been expanded that way.


Completely wrong. Similar upgrades have been done and will be done to other stations. Soon the central station metrostation will be renovated and the platforms will be widened.

So all these works have nothing to do with you imaginary error of not connecting lines 2 and 6 to the north station.

And the capacity of the Rogierstation did not and will not change in the future. The size of the platforms will stay the same... renovation the mezanine does not augment the capacitity of the station, like you seem to think.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Filou said:


> No, it's not because some renovation works have been done that the capacity has expanded.
> The only thing you prove is that some works have been done, but nobody denies that...
> The reason the station is being renovated is to make it a more modern and pleasant station.
> You're jumping to conclusions here.
> Also the station is busy, not because it's not under the northstation but simply because the *entire network is reaching it's saturation*...


Exactly. I only pointed out one of the reasons that help saturate the network. I could continue and say the network has other "big flaws" for example the lack of north-south metro line (originally planned very long ago) which is blocked by one out of the 19 municipalities: Uccle. They said there ain't gonna be one square inch of a metro tunnel in Uccle territory.

But the metro planners thought that was a bluff and went ahead and started building the tunnel (they calculated that once the metro was on it's way the municipality would change their stance. But that didn't happen. That's why the underground tunnel ended up being built within ONE stop from the territory of the "metro forbidding municipality" at the last underground station which is "Albert" (had they continued to extend the tunnel southwards and built one more underground station, then that station would have just been inside Uccle.

So you are right there is saturation but the reasons for it are ridiculous. I can't imagine one Paris arrodissement single-handedly veto-blocking the existence of a vital/principal Paris metro line and jeopardizing the function and efficiency of the entire system. But in Brussels that's normal everyday politics
.


----------



## Filou

the Ludovico center said:


> That's why the underground tunnel ended up being built within ONE stop from the territory of the "metro forbidding municipality" at the last underground station which is "Albert" (had they continued to extend the tunnel southwards and built one more underground station, then that station would have just been inside Uccle.


Once again you are wrong. The next stop (Altitude 100) would not have been in Uccle but in Forest/Vorst. As is the Albert station...
You let your imagination work too much. The reason the north south metro is not yet full metro has nothing to with the municipality of Uccle. Or how do you explain that the extention to Schaarbeek and Evere was not build aswell? As for all the other plans in Jette, Molenbeek, Berchem, Ixelles....
The real reason is lack of money.
Please stop writing these things, they're not true.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Filou said:


> Once again you are wrong. The next stop (Altitude 100) would not have been in Uccle but in Forest/Vorst. As is the Albert station...


The Albert station is already in Vorest I know that, but I'm talking about the north-south metro line EXTENDING from Albert southwards.

That one original north-south line had already a metro line-number assigned to it. And that number was 3. And last time I checked that line 3 goes to Uccle. 

Maybe they planned to add other north-south lines after they first laid down number three - that may be what you are talking about Filou. But I'm talking about the original north south line and that line is number three.


----------



## the Ludovico center

I just found out I was absolutely right!!

Here is the original 1969 plan with metro number 3 on it, heading right to Uccle!












Filou said:


> You let your imagination work too much.


Busted! :hi: You were the one with the wild imaginations

There was no metro line planned that went to Altitude 100. in fact I now suspect that by the time the tunnel reached Albert the metro was probably already blocked and cancelled and that may be the reason why the station platforms at Albert are all low ground level tram-only platforms (no portion of Albert station has any elevated metro-train-door level platform like most of the other premetro stations have

In any case what now exists (the tram tunnel that divides into branches at Albert is all something that was realised as a sort of 'plan B' because Ukkel/Uccle single handedly blocked and essentially "killed" plan A, which was metro line number 3

.


----------



## Filou

the Ludovico center said:


> I just found out I was absolutely right!!
> 
> Here is the original 1969 plan with metro number 3 on it, heading right to Uccle!.


Nobody denied that the original plans where not executed! On your map you see also extensions towards Schaarbeek, Berchem and Ixelles that where never build. Is this also because of Uccle?



> Busted! :hi: You were the one with the wild imaginations


I'm getting tired of this! The original plans and also the more abitious ones of the 70ties where not finished, not because of the commune of Uccle, but because lack of funds.




> no portion of Albert station has any elevated metro-train-door level platform like most of the other premetro stations have


That's not true, go back to the station and watch the elevated metro parts...hno:



> Albert is all something that was realised as a sort of 'plan B' because Ukkel/Uccle single handedly blocked and essentially "killed" plan A, which was metro line number 3


Will you stop now, please. hno: The plan you posted is not the only plan. There is another from the seventies which was even more abitioius. It has changed over the years and was never finished. This you can see for yourself in the metrosection on the Belgian forum.
Nobody denies there have been plans to extend to Uccle and that they were never build. Posting early metroplans does not prove anything. It only proves that the metro today is not what the first planners imagined.


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## the Ludovico center

Filou said:


> Nobody denied that the original plans where not executed! On your map you see also extensions towards Schaarbeek, Berchem and Ixelles that where never build. Is this also because of Uccle?


This is not rocket science Filou. Obviously once Uccle said no, the metro people concluded it was no longer worth installing a hacked away metro branch - a heavily amputated "line 3" and moved on to plan B: keep the trams. And also maybe they hoped that one day Uccle may change it's mind. 



> The original plans and also the more abitious ones of the 70ties where not finished, not because of the commune of Uccle, but because lack of funds.


You know that's rubbish. Lack of fund my ass. It's (mostly) federally funded remember? If they had more than enough money AND time to extend the fringe/end-points of all the currently existing metro lines during the past 30 or or so years (all throughout the eighties, the nineties and the naughties they kept extending the "final destinations" of the existing underground lines) if they had time and money for that then they sure have had time and money to prioritize ONE single line at one time during those long 30 years, namely lay the north-south metro line and be done with it. But they didn't, because they couldn't, because Uccle/Ukkel said "not in our backyard". 



> go back to the station and watch the elevated metro parts...


I'll give you that one. You may be right. I wasn't sure of my assertion about the platforms. There may indeed exist obscure elevated sections that I missed to notice in passing. That's perfectly possible with such a three-directional station as Albert. Anyway I've had enough of this. I've already made my point and provided and uploaded the ironclad evidence. Now hopefully Benone will resume posting new pics
.


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## Filou

You are hopeless... hno:


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## Benonie

Oké folks, let's stop this discussion here. This is a photothread after all. There are threads about Brussels metrosystem on other SSC-subfora.



the Ludovico center said:


> Now hopefully Benone will resume posting new pics


Sure, I continue my tour as planned with pictures of....the Brussels metro! :lol:

Metrostation Delta.














































Metrostation Hankar.


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## Filou

Your pictures of the metro are very nice, Benonie. I know it's very difficult to do, but you seem to have no problems with it.


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## Wapper

Wow, the grafitti/painting (whatever it may be) is nice. I've never seen such a special subway station.


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## Filou

The painting is by the Belgian artist Roger Somville. It is also one of my favorite stations. But the rest of the station is quite normal! :lol:


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## Benonie

^^ Thanks guys. We get out of the metro at station Kunst/Wet.


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## Buffalo Soldier

Great series, the last one.
Very divers/eclectic!


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## Guest

Loving the mural at the train station - it looks as if it is on fire. Gr8 work mate, thanks


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## Benonie

^^ Thanks! And yes, Hankar is one of my favourite metrostations in Brussels too.


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## Benonie

More Kunst/Wet neighbourhood:


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## Spookvlieger

The 5th picture is really nice Benonie


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## Wapper

Beautiful under the winter sun.


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## Benonie

^^ Thank you.

Killing time at Brussels South.


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## Wimpie

I love the neo-art deco style found in that part of the city, cool pictures.


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## PortoNuts

:applause:


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## Benonie

^^ Obrigado!


----------



## Benonie




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## Spookvlieger

The picture with the red train is very nice


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## Benonie

Thanks. I think it's the oldest type of commuter train running on the Belgian railways. 










It's a not renovated one in old red levery, so it will be replaced by the new Siemens-Desiro in the near future.









pic: Maarten Schoubben


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## Spookvlieger

Yep they are quite noisy and bumby those old red ones, but I like the leather seats inside. They sit 100times better than the seats used today...


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## Wimpie

I totaly agree! Especially the First Class compartments, they radiate luxury as where the renovated versions today differ barely from the second class compartments.

I've been in a renovated type of the right train seen in this picture, when it comes to comfort it is really not an improvement. The colonial first class has been replaced with some random gray, hard seated, interior. The second class compartments were equipped with blue-leathered seats that were more comfortable as the first class seats today!










But yeah, this is kinda off-topic


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## christos-greece

Amazing, very nice new photos from Brussels


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## the Ludovico center

Wimpie said:


> I totaly agree! Especially the First Class compartments, they radiate luxury as where the renovated versions today differ barely from the second class compartments.
> 
> I've been in a renovated type of the right train seen in this picture, when it comes to comfort it is really not an improvement. The colonial first class has been replaced with some random gray, hard seated, interior. *The second class compartments were equipped with blue-leathered seats* that were more comfortable as the first class seats today!


Agreed! :lol:

I remember a few times when I was on on that grey train and when new people come in and desperately ask you where the hell the second class is (cuz the very good looking dark-green leather seats fooled them into thinking that they were standing in a 1st class compartment).


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## Buffalo Soldier

Biggest difference is 1st class has a 1 on the doors, second class a 2


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## Spookvlieger

^^And that you pay a lot more...I don't get why anyone would like to travel first class for the short distances most people travel in Belgium...


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## Wimpie

I commute every day between Aarschot & Leuven, a 14 minute trip on an IR train and 11 minutes on an IC train.
However this section is so overcrowed that often 1/3 of the people waiting for a train is left behind on the platform. This line is also use by people who work in Brussels and either have their connection to a Brussels line in Leuven station or have a direction with Brussels.
Because I was left on the platform so often, I deciced to upgrade my 3-month transit subscription card to first class. Also quite crowded but atleast I can take the train.

When it comes to those things it's quite a bitch to live that close to the capital of the European union


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## Buffalo Soldier

joshsam said:


> ^^And that you pay a lot more...I don't get why anyone would like to travel first class for the short distances most people travel in Belgium...


Of course the biggest difference is 1st class is never overcrowded. That's the main reason people want to travel 1st class...


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## Benonie

To Brussels by car:














































We arrive at Bosvoorde/Boitsfort, in the green, southern outskirts of Brussels.



















Park Tournay-Solvay


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## Benonie

Thanks!
Next to the Park Tournay-Solvay, there's the Sonian Forest, the 4500 ha or 11.000 acre 'green long' at the southern edge of Brussels. It's well conected by tram and bus from the city center.


----------



## the Ludovico center

"Sonian" haha (the english name sounds funny cuz it's not familiar) but I like the forest. I'm a forest guy while many people prefer a more open countryside with meadows and sheep and what-not. 

Anyways, that forest looks better in the summer when it's all green, especially on Woluwe (east-side) where there is a tram going right through it ... that part is very beautiful.


----------



## Ni3lS

You added some great new photos. Brussels seems to be a fun city to visit.


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## christos-greece

Indeed those new photos are really great


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## Wimpie

I like that forrest alot, I've only had the chance to see it in summer. Until you posted these great pictures


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## Benonie

^^ Thanks guys. 

Of course the Brussels neighbourhoods around Sonian Forest are home to the rich and wealthy...





































We jump back into the car for a sightseeing-tour through Brussels..










_Maison Delune _at Franklin Roosevelt Avenue, an art nouveau gem.










ULB: University of Brussels.










Generaal Jacques Avenue with _Residence de La Cambre_, the oldest residential tower of Brussels (1939).










The expensive Avenue Louisa:



















Inner Ring Road:









































































E40 from Brussels to Ostend:


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## Benonie

Some weeks ago we visited the exhibition _'America, it's __our history'_ at Tour & taxis. That's an old, 19th century industrial warehouse near Brussels' Canal. An impressive monument which has been restaured. The now somewhat desolate site around it will be transformed to a residential quarter and a park:


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## Benonie

Through the misty North District back to Brussels North Trainstation:


----------



## rychlik

ed.


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## rychlik

Toronto?


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## Benonie

^^ On a smaller scale... :lol:

But to be honest, Brussels has got more in common with Montréal, like its size, language, multiculturalism, land relief, old town combinated with modern highrisis etc...


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## Spookvlieger

Great new pics Benonie


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## Benonie

*Brussels-South railway station.*


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## Wapper

Yes, the Zoniënwoud/Forêt de soignies/Sonian forest:banana: I absolutely love that forest with its "cathedral trees". It's very nice during autumn.

The pictures taken from car and from the train are also great. I can't get enough of this thread


----------



## Benonie

Wapper said:


> The pictures taken from car and from the train are also great. I can't get enough of this thread


Thanks Wapper. I still have got a lot of urban photos to show. 

More Brussels South:










The so called 'covered street', where bus, tram and taxi meet.



















Metro and premetrostation under Brussels South. Connections between metro and underground tram.


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## Benonie

Some more pictures taken in Brussels' premetro. Most of Brussels premetronetwork (underground tram) was converted to a 'heavy' metro in the past. In the future, the north-south axis will be converted too.

Station Saint-Gilles.




























Station Albert.









































































And by tram we reach the Brussels' commune of Forest:


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## Spookvlieger

Thanks for those pics of a place in Brussels I've never been to


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## Bristol Mike

Great shots there as usual Benonie!


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## Guest

Fannytastic mate :applause:


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## the Ludovico center

What kind of camera are you using Ben (marquee/brand name)? 

I'm tempted to buy a piece soon and, your brand seems one of the very good ones out there (assuming that you're not a cameraman with a very high-end professional device equipped with state-of-the-art imaging technology, (cuz that w'd be too much gaga for a mere 'consumer' like me :>)
.


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## Benonie

^^ It's a very simple and quite cheap one. A Fuji-HS-10 bridge camera. I am very satisfied about this one. Not perfect, but easy to handle and to take with you everywhere and anywhere.


----------



## capricorn2000

great photo shots ben.
I particularly like your photo set of the park.


*Vancouver&Burbs* *TravelPhotosUpdate*


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## Benonie

Thanks Capricorn. I hope to revisit the Sonian Forest on a sunny day in spring or summer, when every plant is bright and green.


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## the Ludovico center

Fujifilm; great! I'll check it out.

Thanks for the heads up!


----------



## Spookvlieger

Benonie said:


> Thanks Capricorn. I hope to revisit the Sonian Forest on a sunny day in spring or summer, when every plant is bright and green.


Small preview 









http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Zonienwoud.jpg/800px-Brussels_Zonienwoud.jpg


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## Mike____

^^lovely picture!


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## Benonie

Yes it is! 

Still walking around in Vorst/Forest, the first day of spring.


----------



## Deanb

great, yet VERY COOOOOLD!


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## Spookvlieger

^^It's 23°C so not that cold now 
Last pic does feel cold indeed...
The 18th century architecture is just great!


----------



## Thermo

These museums need a renovation!


----------



## Guest

I love the composition of this photograph ....










Well done :colgate:


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## Wapper

Great great pictures Benonie. Fantastic thread.:cheers:

Just a question: did you already take some pictures of the stocletpaleis/palais Stoclet in St. Pieters Woluwe? It is one of the greatiest examples of jugendstil architecture and certainly one of the greatest buildings in Belgium. Unforunately not many Belgians have heard about it.

Sorry if you already posted pictures of it, but I don't want to check the whole thread again.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks guys!

@Wapper. We've passed the Stoclet Palace several times by tram on our way to Tervuren, but I never get out. Lack of time, and of course it's a private house, so unfortunatly it's impossible to visit the house.
But we're planning a visit to the renovated Trammuseum some stops further, so I think I walk back to capture this beauty. 



Thermo said:


> These museums need a renovation!


The big Bordiauhall has been renovated recently and the immense Aviation Hall is now under restauration.


----------



## Benonie

Even if you don' t like planes, tanks or other miltary things, a visit to the museum is well worth the effort. There's a 360° panoramic view on top of the triumphal arch. At this moment there's a temporary high class resaturant on top of it -the cube- so it's a 270° view or so.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^Great! That point offers some really nice vieuws!
Love the way you captured the "wetstraat/rue de la roy"


----------



## Fabri88

Wetstraat is Rue De La Loi! ;-)


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^Euhm yes i'm well aware of that. I am from Belgium 
I was just writing as wel Dutch and French name since Brussels is bi-lingual.


----------



## antigoon99

I actually didn't know you could get on the arch itself, good to know!

@Benonie: your thread really is the best way to promoto europe's capital!


----------



## Josh

joshsam said:


> ^^Euhm yes i'm well aware of that. I am from Belgium
> I was just writing as wel Dutch and French name since Brussels is bi-lingual.


You wrote _"rue de la roy"_.....


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^Ai, I see now :nuts:, didin't notice lol


----------



## Wapper

I hope they quickly remove that restaurant from the arch. It looks hideous.

I am surprised though that there seem to be a lot of people on top of thearch. The few times that I was there, it was always completely deserted. Most people just visit a few halls of the museum, but other (older) parts are mostly ignored. The entrance to the stairs is in one of these parts of the museum.


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## Wimpie

Amazing pictures Benonie.


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## Benonie

Thanks guys! :cheers:

Unfortunatly it was one of the rare cloudy days in spring...

I was suprised to see so much visitors in the Military Museum. A lot of them were foreign tourists. So it's no longer a hidden secret. 

Of course, the European neighbourhood is full of highlights, like this museum, but of course the splendid Autoworld and the Royal Museum of Art and History, both at the same complex in Jubelpark.

And it's always nice for the kids to visit the dinosaurs in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences a bit further away.

Jubelpark:


----------



## plugged nickel

Stoclet palace May 2011


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


>


That new boxy deck thing wasn't there last time I walked under that gate.

Presumably it's temporary thing and not meant to stay there forever.


----------



## madridhere

Wonderful pictures!!!!!


----------



## Buffalo Soldier

the Ludovico center said:


> That new boxy deck thing wasn't there last time I walked under that gate.
> 
> Presumably it's temporary thing and not meant to stay there forever.


It will move trough Europe (Switzerland, Sweden and Russia)


----------



## Guest

Fantastic  so many great pics, it's hard to choose a favourite. Thanks


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks!

And yes the cube is a temporary restaurant in a temporary structure. It will be disassembled in July and will move to Stockholm and Moscow.


----------



## Helmet222

apinamies said:


> I think it is paradoxical that near glassy EU buildings which symbolic wealth and power of Europe you have 3rd world neighborhood. :nuts:



Third world? I think that neighboorhood looks nice. Seems to be a lively quarter. You can find places like this in all major belgium cities.


----------



## Clone

Kappa21 said:


> ^^ Looks scary...
> the kinda place that is just waiting for a white-North American to be preyed upon......
> I'll stay away from those areas..........


I don't think this district of Brussels is that dangerous.


----------



## aquablue

You people are clueless. Third world? Have you ever been or lived in the real 'developing world'? Thought so. 

These are poorer city areas. Not everywhere in the first world is going to look like Bevery Hills if you didn't know.

If you ever visit the real third world (i.e, much of Africa, or parts of Latin America, Central/SE Asia) with people living in huts without sanitation and living in squalid shantytowns, you'll see the laughable error in your statement. This is paradise in comparison. Scruffy areas, crime and black people does not = third world in a wealthy nation like Belgium! Get real.


----------



## groentje

Well, of course, there is some violence possible, but even on the Grand'Place, you can be unlucky. Or in a rich neighbourhood in southern Brussels, or in some little village in the Ardennes. Luckily, chances are by far greater you'll pass through without noticing any danger, just have a good time.


----------



## Benonie

The difference between Brussels and other big European cities is that most lower class people and immigrants don't live in concrete blocks in the outskirts, the so called _bidonvilles_. Most of them live in and near the city center, in houses which were left and sold by wealthier Belgian people who moved to villa's in the extended green suburbs around the agglomeration. 
Most of these sometimes rundown or shabby areas are situated in the lower town, west of the center. The African quarter Matonge is one of the few 'black' neighbourhoods in the upper town. That's why it's a bit threatened, it's well located near the chique Naamse Poort and the pricey European district and very close to the touristic center.


----------



## inno4321

Very impressive photos. 
Not only luxury europe's street but also lower class's area.
It is pretty straightforward photos. Remind me my hometown. Thanks.


----------



## Guest

The last post was very interesting, thanks for sharing mate


----------



## wc eend

apinamies said:


> I think it is paradoxical that near glassy EU buildings which symbolic wealth and power of Europe you have 3rd world neighborhood. :nuts:


The urban diversity is exactly what's typica and cool in Brussels, there are neighbourhoods of all sorts, even though it's ridiculous to compare it with the 3rd world.


----------



## Kappa21

^^ I guess its people from the 3rd world looking for a better life in the new world - brussels, belgium. 

You find it in every major city with every major reason. 
They simply dont have the same lifestyle as many in Belgium, but work hard hours and try to give their kids a better life eventhough their is an epidemic of work refusal and racism that hovers above....


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^ Work refusal has most of the time other reasons than racism in Belgium. If one is not willing to follow the rules of the state they live in or follow the dresscode that a certain company has or one doesn't want to take orders from a higher placed person because she is woman, job refusal is normal. If one can not speak either of the country languages, job refusal is normal. If one can not speak the two languages while living in Brussels, job refusal is normal. You could blame it on education, and it is indeed the problem, but don't think they are not cared afther in our nanny state. Free healthcare and the same level of education is free for most of these people, just like for other Belgians. I would blame it on their mentality, the mentality of a smaller group of immigrants that live in the big cities. Radicallized in so many ways. Because if you would not look to the bigger cities in Belgium, but to the smaller ones, you will find immigrants with same level income or higher than the average Belgian.


----------



## GZT

Kappa21 said:


> They simply dont have the same lifestyle as many in Belgium, but work hard hours and try to give their kids a better life eventhough their is an epidemic of work refusal and racism that hovers above....


Saying that lower class immigrants come to work hard hours to give their kids a better life is as short sighted as putting that they come to fraud the social system and do shit.
Both are true.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^Their youth certainly has given themselves a bad name yet again with the latest riots, I'm starting to believe they actually do that for fun to see our reactions on it and then call us racist. This morning I found a paper of the VBL under my door. I mostly do not agree with their views on things but the fact that this type of crimes and abuse of the system should be stopped with hard measurements I fully agree up on. Since they have been treathed with soft hands, they think they can do anything they want now. It's just wrong and it needs to end today!


----------



## Benonie

Please, this is a photoforum. Don't spoil it with social or political discussions. Thanks.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Kappa21 said:


> ^^ Looks scary...
> the kinda place that is *just waiting* for a white-North American *to be preyed upon*......
> I'll stay away from those areas..........


You might as well stay in North America cause Brussels will scare you guaranteed since it has this rather uncommon, un-American charm of quite a lot of central neighborhoods abruptly changing from a higher "class" to lower and vice versa without warning, just by turning around a corner with no cut-through highway or railroad-tracks or other clear-cut divide "demarcating" the border. You could likely find yourself in the middle of such neighborhoods without even looking for them. And so these relatively central areas aren't even the most dangerous part of the city since they have a certain continuity and cohesiveness with the rest of the cityscape. I'm not saying they are idyllic and hunky dory, but only that they are not as dangerous as few other more isolated areas in town and certainly not as scary as those gang-controlled inner-city _no-go_ areas and Deliverance-ish backwood trailer-parks of North America, which is what I would imagine to be places where one is "just waiting to be preyed upon"
.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


>


Pics taken from the upstairs of the McDonalds, right ? 

From there you get nice views of the street scene

Especially on a busy Saturday when the shopping "highstreet" is jam-packed and people, cars and snake-long buses criss-cross each other in all directions of that "T-junction".


----------



## Benonie

^^ Indeed. Unfortunatly it was on a sunday, 11.30 AM. Must be the most quiet moment of the week. But yes, it can be very crowded over there. 

But enough run-down areas. Let's take the metro to the east. On the other side of the European Quarter and right behind the Triumphal Arch lies the districts of Etterbeek.

So it's this part of town, here seen from the Triumphal Arch:










Metrostation Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet:










Metrostation Thieffry at Etterbeek:





































Some lovely streets near the Tervurenlaan:








































































































































And so we reach the majestic Avenue Tervuren/Tervurenlaan:










Which we will explore later...


----------



## Benonie

I should post more decline... :colgate:

Avenue de Tervueren/Tervurenlaan and surroundings:


----------



## Spookvlieger

Great pics Benonie! 
The architecture in that part is just astonishing. I went there last year, also to the houses of Victor Horta.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks! It's indeed an architectural paradise over there!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Kampflamm

Is that a romanesque or a neo-romanesque church?


----------



## the Ludovico center

^ Definitely neo-romanesque.

Brussels is a gothic city. 
The ancient medieval churches are all gothic
.


----------



## Josh

It's the neo-romanesque Saint-Jean-Berchmans church which is part of the Saint-Michel College. It was built from 1908 to 1912.


----------



## Benonie

Indeed. However, where the gothic St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral was originals a romanesque church on the same place. It looked similar to this Saint-Jean-Berchmans church. (which looks a lot like the Basilica of Saint Servatius in Maastricht btw)

Parts of the originals romanesque church can be seen in the basement of the cathedral:


----------



## groentje

There are some churches, St Vincent in Evere, the old church of Berchem, St Lambert in Woluwe-S-L, St Denis in Forest, St Clement in Watermaal... that are romanesque or partly romanesque. Gothic is prevalent, although baroque, neo-styles, and even modern architecture exist in quantities.


----------



## Benonie

The UNESCO-listed Stoclet Palais (1905-1911) on Tervuren Avenue is currently under renovation.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Nice! I visited it once. (with my class of architecture)


----------



## Wapper

Thanks Benonie. I remember asking you for some pictures of this magnificent building


----------



## Benonie

^^ I went there just to please you, Wapper! :colgate:

No, the main reason was a visit to the splendid, renovated Museum for Urban Transport (TRAM) at the same avenue.

















































































































































To be continued.


----------



## Wapper

Looks like a great museum. I will visit it soon. I especially like the old advertisements on the busses and trams.

Are those guys in uniform always there?


----------



## Turbosnail

Need some pictures of Le Grand Place (below) which is my favorite part of Brussels and an exceptionally opulent and mesmerizing mix of Baroque, Gothic and Louis XIV architecture, really makes you feel like you're standing in history and a MUST SEE square of Europe. I think Brussels is an interesting City, pretty much got something for everyone. I'd recommend a bus tour to see some of the Palaces and the Atomium which are dotted around (you can get this with a chocolate tour with City Tours by Le Grand Place) and also recommend a visit to Le Musee des Instruments Musique. Only down side is if you arrive at Midi station it's a bit underwhelming. Will definitely go back there though. Interestingly most people I spoke to there said Antwerp is even better than Brussels to visit! 


Broodhuis at Le Grand Place by Nathan C Wade, on Flickr

Brussels in the Summer by jacketdesplash, on Flickr


----------



## groentje

No Brussels vs. Antwerp discussions, here, but Antwerp is very nice, indeed.


----------



## Turbosnail

Haha, I didn't mean to start one. I suppose Belgian cities are all beautiful


----------



## Wimpie

Amazing pictures of the Transport Museum 
I love the fact that we used to have yellow cabs as well, how/when did that change?


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^How? That no big question really since yellow is considered to 'flemisch'. When? I don't know. Probably when Brussels became it's own region.


----------



## Wapper

Too flemish? Why then are busses and trams still yellow?

Sorry but imo it's a ridicilous tendency to interpret everything as a communautarian problem.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^So why was there a protest againt the yellow stripes on the new design of the cabs? It was to Flemisch believe it or not.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Because Brussels taxi's are now black, and with the yellow stripes it would be too flemish according to some Brussels politicians. 

But I don't think decades ago they changed the yellow colors of the cabs to black because of communautarian reasons. I think they just found it old-fashioned once and black looked more 'chique'. And lots of taxi's are used for ceremonial matters in the weekends (marriages etc...) That's one of the reasons drivers won't accept the recent yellow stripes.

Btw, you can see lots of yellow cabs on old postcards.



Turbosnail said:


> I think Brussels is an interesting City, pretty much got something for everyone. I'd recommend a bus tour to see some of the Palaces and the Atomium which are dotted around (you can get this with a chocolate tour with City Tours by Le Grand Place) and also recommend a visit to Le Musee des Instruments Musique. Only down side is if you arrive at Midi station it's a bit underwhelming. I definitely go back there though.


I agree with that. The enviroment of the main Brussels trainstation is a bit run down. I hope they change that soon! 
Great you liked your visit and thanks for the very fine words about our cities! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie

Wapper said:


> Are those guys in uniform always there?


These are the drivers and conductors of the trams. They run every weekend from May untill September and have rides to Tervuren and a 35 km historical tour through Brussels.
The day we visited the museum, a lot of trams drove continiously along the avenue, because of the annual anniversary feast of Tervuren Avenue. I will post some more pictures of that rides later.


----------



## Benonie

Because Brussels has got a large tram network and a long tram history: 
More pictures of the Urban Transportation Museum.

This was the very first cab in the city: Black with some red. 













































































































A rare trolleybus, the only in the museum.


----------



## Benonie

^^ It was a rather cloudy sunday morning with grey pictures as a result, so I changed the contrast and saturation.



Linguine said:


> beautiful....


Thanks!


----------



## capricorn2000

oh, I just love those vintage trams and buses.
great set of photos.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


>


I always thought it was a pity that that green art nouveau busstop shelter is only found in a couple of stops in east Brussels.

They should have spread it a bit more (to other areas just outside the city-center where the streets are broad enough to allow such a construction).

It gives splendor to an area, like the classic metro entrance does in Paris.

But I suppose the buggers JC Decaux or whoever else is operating the various communes' existing bus-stop advertising billboards would probably object to that idea :|
.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Personaly I like the modern, 'art-nouveau' - version, as you can see in the city center. 
Unfortunatly those will be replaced by new onces in the near future.


----------



## manrush

Benonie said:


> ^^ I agree, I love PCC-trams and will miss them in the future. The Ghent PCC-trams are my all time favourites.
> I especially like the round, female form and the double cabine:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But I'm afraid they can't handle the rise of passengers in the main Belgian cities anymore. Their capacity is much to low. So all of them will disappear in the near future, starting with the Brussels' PCC-trams....


With luck, the Belgian PCCs will end up enjoying a second life somewhere in central or eastern Europe.


----------



## aster4000

nice shots specially those of the old tramvias and buses.


----------



## christos-greece

Indeed, these last photos are just great


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks Capricorn, Aster and Christos! 



manrush said:


> With luck, the Belgian PCCs will end up enjoying a second life somewhere in central or eastern Europe.


^^ Maybe, allthough the oldest are allready very old.


----------



## Benonie

Uccle or Ukkel is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region. It's one of the largest, residential areas in the city. Uccle is known for its well-to-do areas, its green spots and its high rental rates. (source: Wikipedia)


----------



## The seventh shape

Could somebody post up pictures specifically of all the EU buildings? that would be great.


----------



## Benonie

The seventh shape said:


> Could somebody post up pictures specifically of all the EU buildings? that would be great.


Just have a look at posts 392 and 400 on page 20, post 403 on page 21 and the first pictures in post 421 on page 22 of this thread.
You'll find almost all of Brussels EU-buildings there.


----------



## PortoNuts

Really good, keep them coming. kay:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you!  More Ukkel/Uccle:


----------



## Bristol Mike

Very nice shots there Benonie!


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Mike! 

We cycle back to the old city center.














































The Anneessens neighbourhood. A kind of shabby area at the edge of the center.




























Commieblocks which should be torn down...




























But things are improving here.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Pictures of run -down rowhomes always speak to me. I find the attractive in some way. Nicely done!


----------



## groentje

I found some special facades in Kuregem, Anderlecht, in the rue G. Moureaustraat. In it's southern part, some absolutely magnificent sgraffiti. Just a tip


----------



## Benonie

Okay thanks. Love sgraffiti! I have a closer look during my next safari.


----------



## Benonie

joshsam said:


> Pictures of run -down rowhomes always speak to me. I find the attractive in some way.


You'll have to hurry. It will all be cleaned up soon...


----------



## Spookvlieger

Benonie said:


> You'll have to hurry. It will all be cleaned up soon...


The poor still have to live somewhere so other neigborhoods will be rundown by then... Is it a neigborhood with lots of gentrification on going?
Anyway I drove with the train through Brussels yesterday and I notice a condiminon flat between Central and South being demolished. Any idea what building that could be? It was right near the station Chapelle.

The building in the last pic you posted is a beaty!


----------



## Benonie

Thanks!

And yes, I showed the more run down streets of Marolles this time. The more classy en clean side of The Marolles, like Hoogstraat, has been displayed earlier this thread.


----------



## Linguine

Thermo said:


> ^^ Pure disgrace, that area hno:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> These people are eating in the dirt!????? hno:



I agree, I wonder how they can even eat with all the trash lying around....but other pics are nice....thanks.


----------



## Benonie

Cycling through Saint-Gillis:


----------



## capricorn2000

your photos are telling stories, very interesting and I am jealous.
you're one of the best dude.


----------



## toshijmx

Benonie is a great photographer!


----------



## Benonie

Thanks guys, but don't exaggerate.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## Spookvlieger

Beautifull new pics benonie!


----------



## Wapper

Does anyone know anything about the area behind the congress collumn? It looks extremely run down (even for Brussels standards). There are a few buildings (including a parking garage if I'm right), but they seem very neglected. There is a sort of terrace with a nice view over town, but it is full of tall weed. It made a very strange impression on me, because it was almost in the city centre and richt behind one of Belgium's famous monuments. How hard can it be to just cut the weed? Is it an area that is being neglected on purpose, so that they can demolish the buildings later?

Unfortunatelly, I saw lots of astonished and even shocked foreign tourists.


----------



## Thermo

^^ These are the plans for the area:



















It's a very beautiful project. 

Video:


----------



## aster4000

great shots :cheers:


----------



## Linguine

Nice new pics...thanks for sharing Benonie.:cheers:


----------



## streetlegal

What I really love about Brussels is the European street-life and cafe culture . . . just sooo relaxing!


----------



## christos-greece

Great and awesome new photos from Brussels :cheers:


----------



## yabbes

i love all the photos!! (damn i havent even read 1/10th of this thread yet, how could i possibly ask for more photos ) But regardless I WILL.. MEER, DE PLUS, A.U.B./S.V.P. =)))


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks guys.

I'm afraid I'm a bit short of pictures for the moment. Allthough the weather has been gorgeous the last weeks and autumn-images would be great, I didn't make it to Brussels yet. Too much work going on at this moment.

And in my spare free time I'm working on my NYC-Canadian thread, which keeps me busy in the late hours for a while.


----------



## Benonie

Today Steven Spielberg's _"The adventures of Tintin: The secret of the unicorn"_ premièred in Brussels in the presence of the producer. Because lots of famous comic artists and characters are Belgian, Brussels is sometimes refered as the _comic strip capital of the world._
Of course there are the comic walls all around the city and there's the stunning Belgian Comic Strip Center which makes Brussels the place to be for comic-lovers from all over the world.
Since some weeks there's a new comic museum near Central Station: MooF which shows some littel masterpieces of comic strips. 

Some pics taken last week:


----------



## christos-greece

Once again great updates Benonie from Brussels


----------



## Benonie

Thank you very much Christos!


----------



## Godius

Great shots! Do you have a recent picture of the Brouckèreplein? I always love the scenery when I walk around that area, very metropolitan.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks! I'm afraid the last pictures I took there were on the Car Free Day in september 2010. But I think I will visit it again this winter and promise you to make some new ones over there. I think it's one of the most cosmopolitan parts of the city.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Wapper

Is that Sint Joost or Schaarbeek?


----------



## Benonie

Most of these pictures are taken in Saint-Joost, the poorest and most dense populated municipality in Belgium. But I'm walking in the direction of Schaarbeek, and the Jazzstation on the last pictures is in Schaarbeek. It's a famous jazzclub in a former railwaystation.


----------



## Linguine

Beautiful street and urban scenes of Brussels....:cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thanks!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Spookvlieger

Great pictures! looks like an area with great views!


----------



## Benonie

Yeah indeed. I love the hills and urban valleys. Very photgenic.


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^Yes indeed. You get better pictures in a city with more height difference.


----------



## openlyJane

More pictures showing Brussels to be a very attractive city. Do you live there?


----------



## Benonie

No, unfortunately not. 
I live in a city 50 miles northwest of Brussels. But now and than I jump on the train for a visit to the capital and to take some pictures.


----------



## Guest

I love this pic and building - especially with the mural on it. Gr8 shots mate ...


----------



## Benonie

Thanks! I made a picture of the same mural last year:


----------



## Benonie

The Flemish Radio and Television Network (VRT) and the Belgian Francophone Radio and Television (RTBF): 
































































Cemetry of civilian war victims near the broadcasting building.


----------



## Benonie

Jump into the Brussels premetro-network, trams that run partly underground.


----------



## openlyJane

Great pictures. Love the first one!


----------



## Linguine

Very nice updates from Brussels....thanks for sharing your pics.:cheers2:


----------



## Godius

Benonie said:


>


Haha, editing skills +1. I didn't even notice when I watched it for the first time.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks! I thought that yellow banner looked so empty... :laugh:


----------



## Benonie

Some more tram pictures. The new Chronoline 7 serves the eastern part of the capital, from south to north and vice versa.




























Chronoline 3 en 4 are part of the North-South-premetroline under the city center. 




























Premetrostation at Brussels South Railway station.


----------



## Linguine

very nice updates....:cheers:


----------



## christos-greece

Indeed very nice updates from Brussels


----------



## Godius

I like the fact that the Brussels trams are equipped with leather seats, quite luxurious.


----------



## Benonie

Yeah, I love that type of tram. Especially the long 4000-version. But on rush hours even those are too small. Public transportation is growing fast in Brussels. Nowadays more than 1 million travellers use Brussels Transportation System (MIVB) every day, not even counting trains (NMBS) and buses of other compagnies (DeLijn and TEC).


----------



## aarhusforever

^^ Brussels is such a vibrant, amazing and important worldcity...I love it  Thanks for sharing all those great photos, my friend :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

My pleasure and thanks!


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Do you have other updates? Thanks btw for the recent ones


----------



## Guest

The light rail pics are awesome - it is very sexy


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^It's just an old fashioned tramway though, but I agree they look very good


----------



## Benonie

Well, it's an old fashioned tramway but on seperated tracks and in tunnels. It's called a Chronoline in Brussels, which makes it a kind of light rail.


----------



## Benonie

Going north:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## openlyJane

Great pictures.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks Jane!


----------



## Spookvlieger

Very nice pictures benonie! Misty..;I like them!


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Joshsam! :cheers1:

Some more from the same area.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie

^^ And if no time for coocking, get some fries at a real Belgian _Frituur_! :cheers:

More Schaarbeek:


----------



## openlyJane

I love the Black and white photo!

Some very handsome and regal streets and homes.

Remind me, again, where it is that you live?


----------



## Benonie

Thanks!


openlyJane said:


> Remind me, again, where it is that you live?


In a small city, 50 miles north west of Brussels. In between the beautiful cities Bruges and Ghent.


----------



## Guest

Wow, this pic could be blown up and used as a poster, it is very moody  Fantastic stuff !


----------



## Benonie

Thank you very much Sydney! 

Here's a larger version.


----------



## Guest

^^ Thanks :hug:


----------



## Benonie

My pleasure Sydney! 

Schaarbeek Railway Station:


----------



## Benonie

Trains and trams in northern Brussels:


----------



## aarhusforever

Thank you for all the great updates


----------



## wc eend

Nice! Schaarbeek is so under-rated.


----------



## Godius

Lovely updates!

Q: Is the signage in and around the Schaarbeek Railway Station monolingual? It's sure looks like it to me.


----------



## Josh

^^No, it's in both French and Dutch. The other language is on the other side of the sign.


----------



## Godius

^^

Thanks for clarifying that.:cheers:


----------



## hhhhh

*beautiful city.*


----------



## Spookvlieger

Great pictures benonie  really loved them. If you don't mind I'll crosspost your pictures of the Brussels skyline to the European Skyline thread


----------



## Benonie

Yeah, sure! And thanks for the comments.


----------



## christos-greece

Great updates from Brussels, Benonie


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Christos!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## openlyJane

I love the B & W picture above.


----------



## Manneken3000

Thank you soo much for these beautiful photos of Brussels, love them, 
If possible keep posting more. 
Thanks.


----------



## Manneken3000

joshsam said:


> ^^
> Up-site, Premium tower
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thread (french/dutch)
> Thread (english)


Although I love towers in Brussels, I feel this design is a bit too outdated.


----------



## christos-greece

Once again, very nice photos from Brussels


----------



## Spookvlieger

Great shots, that area arund the viaducts looks very neglected though...


----------



## aarhusforever

Thank you for the great updates


----------



## Benonie

Thank you all for the nice comments. :cheers1:



Manneken3000 said:


> Although I love towers in Brussels, I feel this design is a bit too outdated.


Well, it's not sensational or so, but it's a decent one and the first residential tower in decades. I like it and together with the lowrises and the renovated shores, it can bring new life in the almost abandoned area around the northern part of the canal zone.



joshsam said:


> Great shots, that area arund the viaducts looks very neglected though...


Well, it's a concrete jungle in an old industrial part of the agglomeration. But in the nearby area there's a lot of beauty to discover, like Schaarbeek and the royal palace and the Parc of Laken.
And maybe the new shopping center _'Just under the Sky'_ could transform the area over there:


----------



## Benonie

We take Chrono-tram 7 in western direction to Laken:


----------



## Phoenyxar

I was a bit bored and since I was in Brussels friday I decided to watch all the pics in this thread (yes all of them) and I can say... Time well spend! 
Few years ago I used to think that Brussels was relatively dangerous and filthy, but time told me and I started to see a smoother and better side of it and in some way I develloped some pride of it to be our capital city... >:3

Anyway, you make great pictures Benonie, keep them coming! ;D


----------



## Benonie

Thanks mate!

Brussels used to be very filthy untille the ninetees, even in the city center. Since than, thinks have changed and was cleaned up. There are still some shabby and gritty area's, mostly in the western parts, but most of the city has made a big improvement.


----------



## Filou

Benonie said:


> We take Chrono-tram 7 in western direction to Laken:


Great pics as usual, Benonie. But, this is not Laken, it's Neder-Over-Heembeek !


----------



## openlyJane

I love all of the street art.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks. I think it's the biggest graffiti-wall in Brussels.



Filou said:


> Great pics as usual, Benonie. But, this is not Laken, it's Neder-Over-Heembeek !


Thank you Filou. I know north of the tramline is Neder-Over-Heembeek, but south is Laken. And that's where I was going to. The Chinese Pavilion and the Japanese Tower in the Park of Laken .


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^great, never been there, only seen it form distance....


----------



## Benonie

^^ It's possible to visit the pavillion and the tower, they host the Museums of the Far East.


----------



## openlyJane

What fantastic features those temples and pavillions are.

Is there a football team called Inter-Laken?


----------



## Benonie

^^ I don't think so. Interlaken is a city in Switzerland.


----------



## Filou

openlyJane said:


> Is there a football team called Inter-Laken?


There is indeed a football team called FC Interlaken... in Switserland!

http://www.fcinterlaken.ch/

But Laken has a basketballteam. It's called Excelsior Brussels.

http://www.excelsiorbrussels.be/


----------



## the Ludovico center

openlyJane said:


> Is there a football team called Inter-Laken?


Is there is a handball team in or around Liverpool?(where Suarez can be disposed of )


----------



## Benonie

Back to the city center. 

Pre-metrostation De Brouckère:


----------



## openlyJane

A nice set of photos.


----------



## aarhusforever

Amazing European Capital :applause: Thanks for the updates, Benonie :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you again, Linguine and Aarhusforever! :cheers1:


----------



## Filou

Benonie said:


> Let's take Chronoline 7 to the eastern neighboourhoods. We get out at Etterbeek:


The university (campus Etterbeek) and the trainstation of Etterbeek are strangely enough situated in the commune of Elsene/Ixelles. 

As usual, your pictures are outstanding, Benonie! :banana:


----------



## Dr.Seltsam

I like your photos very much! Brussels is wonderful!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thank you folks. I agree Brussels is beautiful and amazing.


Filou said:


> The university (campus Etterbeek) and the trainstation of Etterbeek are strangely enough situated in the commune of Elsene/Ixelles.


As they say in Belgium: _"Why make things easy when you can make them __complicated?" _:lol:

So thanks for the info Filou.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## openlyJane

Your photos have a distinctive angle these days - have you bought a new lens?


----------



## Benonie

No, not at all. I can't even change my lens. Just have this rather cheap camera.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Godius

Are those pictures, in the last updates, taken in the downtown area? 
Crisp pictures, keep up the good work.


----------



## Phoenyxar

Most of them seem to be taken on the Boulevard Louis Schmidt (using Google Streetview) around the Hansen-soulie tramstation, which is... quite far from the centrum actually (4 km from the Grand Place)


----------



## christos-greece

Amazing and very nice updates from Brussels, Benonie


----------



## hhhhh

Brussels is wonderful!


----------



## Benonie

^^ I agree!  And thanks guys.


Godius said:


> Are those pictures, in the last updates, taken in the downtown area?


The last serial is taken in Etterbeek and Elsene, 2 districts east from the city center. About 4 kilometers from downtown, like Phoenyxar mentioned.


----------



## aarhusforever

Thank you for the interesting updates, my friend :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you mate! :cheers2:


----------



## weirdo

It's always a joy to stumble upon threads of wonderful cities with great photography. Thank you for sharing. :cheers:


----------



## Linguine

beautiful and lovely new photos from Brussels...thanks for sharing.:cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Weirdo and Linguini. I'm a bit short of time at this moment, but more Brussels-pics are yet to come. Did I mention that summer is in town allready? :cheers: Love it!


----------



## Buffalo Soldier

Benonie said:


> Thank you Weirdo and Linguini. I'm a bit short of time at this moment, but more Brussels-pics are yet to come. Did I mention that summer is in town allready? :cheers: Love it!


Already? :nuts::nuts:
It was like winter until 2 weeks ago:lol:


----------



## Benonie

Yep, but according to my calendar it should have been spring.


----------



## Buffalo Soldier

I think they traded spring for fall this year (I have high hopes for november!), en than went quickly to summer


----------



## Benonie

Today felt like autumn... 

But these are taken earlier this year:


----------



## openlyJane

I think Brussels is full of charm and magnificent buildings.


----------



## De Klauw

Benonie, how old do you think most of these apartment blocks on your latest photos are? To me it looks like most are from the 30s but I'm not really sure. Still it's quite sad that these blocks fit so badly in the structure of the city due bad urban management (a seven story building next to a two story building, etc.) . Also the use of slates at the side of each building is not beautiful. If they know the building next to it will stay low, why not "finishing" the side of these buildings properly with more decorative materials? This is the Belgian disease.


----------



## Godius

Interesting grey church, a totally different style than the rest of the city.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Nice new sets of pctures here. i really love those old appartments. I think they must from around the interbellum indeed. Great shots!


----------



## Buffalo Soldier

The church strikes me to. Seems kind of 'out of place'. Where is it located?

And I actually enjoy the eclecticism of the city, with buildings of different area and different size right next to each other...


----------



## Benonie

It's part of the Saint Michaels College in Etterbeek. Just at the entrance of the Montgomery tunnel. It's built in neo-romanesque style, which is rather rare.





















De Klauw said:


> Benonie, how old do you think most of these apartment blocks on your latest photos are? To me it looks like most are from the 30s but I'm not really sure. Still it's quite sad that these blocks fit so badly in the structure of the city due bad urban management (a seven story building next to a two story building, etc.) . Also the use of slates at the side of each building is not beautiful. If they know the building next to it will stay low, why not "finishing" the side of these buildings properly with more decorative materials?


I think the oldest and most beautiful onces are built in the 1930's, indeed. I suppose the urbanists and architects thought that once the old and elegant row houses would all have been replaced by that kind of higher buildings. But I agree it's looks somewhat chaotic. Most Belgians are used to it. Only you and me still notice it.


----------



## Wapper

Indeed, it is certainly not the only street in Belgium full of buildings of different sizes:laugh: 
It is quite a mess, but I actually only notice it when I am abroad and I see all those streets full of harmonic buildings.


----------



## DanielFigFoz

Interesting as always!


----------



## Mr_Dru

Very interesting the old en new architecture.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thankx!



Wapper said:


> It is quite a mess, but I actually only notice it when I am abroad and I see all those streets full of harmonic buildings.


Yeah, that's quite a shock for me too. :lol:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Wapper

Nice bulding on that corner on the third picture.:cheers:


----------



## aarhusforever

Nice updates as always from you, Benonie :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thank you Aarhusforever!



Wapper said:


> Nice bulding on that corner on the third picture.:cheers:


Yep indeed. It's a style of apartment-buildings I like a lot. Gives a city some chic appearance.


----------



## Benonie

In spring I took a little ride on the new Tram 62. Opened in september 2011 as a short track from Weldoeners to Da Vinci. But it will only be useful when extended to the (new) NATO head quarter in the near future. At this moment the line is served by smaller trams of type T2000.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Linguine

Wow!....:cheers:


----------



## capricorn2000

great coverage and I particularly like the Grand Place.


----------



## christos-greece

Indeed WOW! Really very nice photos from Brussels


----------



## aarhusforever

^^ I agree  Amazing city


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thank you guys. I can recommend Brussels for a visit! 

@Spurdo: nice picture from the triumphal arch.



the Ludovico center said:


> I was shocked when I saw that tower the other day. I initially thought Paris Hilton may have ordered the removal of her name from her property


Well, I like the shape, which isn' t that bad considering the hotel is 45 years old. But I suppose you mean the tower needs an urgent cleaning up. You're right! There were some big plans for a total renovation, but economic and financial crisis spoiled that plans a bit.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


> I suppose you mean the tower needs an urgent cleaning up. You're right! There were some big plans for a total renovation, but economic and financial crisis spoiled that plans a bit.


No no, I do like the tower too. It's slender and slick. 

My earlier comment was about the fact that it is no longer the famous Brussels Hilton since 2011!

My theory is that the new owners still want people to continue to associate the hotel with the "Hilton" name - that must be the reason why they didn't come up with a true new name and just decided to give it a lame moniker: "The Hotel", so that everbydy will be forced to continue using it's former name in order to identify it, cuz the new name is meaningless (you can't use it in a conversation without additional designation).

And notice how, syllable-wise, the English phrase "The Hotel" is not far away from "The Hilton"


----------



## Benonie

I agree. It's funny they just changed the name in _'The Hotel'_.

"Where are you staying in Brussels?" 
"At the hotel." 
"Which hotel?" 
"The Hotel!" 

and so on....

Clever marketingtrick?


----------



## edubejar

Hi. Where in Brussels or the Brussels Region is this medieval structure?


----------



## aarhusforever

^^ It is an old prison located in Saint Gillis


----------



## Wapper

And it's not really medieval 
The prison of St.-Gilles was built around 1880 and is still used. Most Belgian prisons are very old and they urgently need to be replaced. The prison above actually turned out too small very quickly. Therefore, only a few decades later they built another prison next to it, which is the prison of Vorst/Forest.

The location is here.


----------



## edubejar

^^ Thanks aarhusforever and Wapper.

I am planning a trip to Munich, Paris and London and I'm considering adding Brussels, even if for a 9-hour day trip from Paris by Thalys or London from Eurostar.

OK, who builds such a cool-looking medieval structure in the 19th century other than maybe Disneyworld? I know that Chateau Pierrefonds northeast of Paris was "built" in the 19th century as well, but they actually "rebuilt" Chateau Pierrefonds as it was before it was destroyed--so it already existed. But was this structure in St-Gilles just built for the 1st time in the late 19th century? Strange, even if cool-looking.

I really like the townhouses around that prison. I saw in Bing Maps Birds Eye View and on StreetView in Google Maps. Part of the reason I want to go to Brussels is because of some of the ornate townhouses which you cannot find in Paris but which in London (rowhouses) look very different. We can find townhouses in Lille France (similar to Brussels but less ornate), but not Paris.


----------



## Fab87

It would be very funny to knock at their door after some beers at the near Moeder Lambic pub! :cheers:


----------



## Wapper

It's not that special actually. People in the 19th century liked all kinds of neo-styles, like neo-gothic or neo-renaissance. You will find examples in many European cities. However, this is just some decoration. This building is actually a very good example of a 19th century institution. If you look at it from the air, you will see that it has a star-shape. This way, the guards had an overview over every spot of the building and the courtyard to watch 24/24 over the prisoner's behaviour in an attempt to resocialize them (which is an ideal of that era). In the middle ages, convicts would just be thrown in a dark hole or cellar to rot or they would be physically punished very quickly.

If you like those town houses, it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit Brussels, since the city is just full of them. Many of them are in art-nouveau style or have elements of this style. If you decide to go, you are welcome to ask for more detailed information on the Belgian forum


----------



## MattN

Interesting looking prison. It's a similar architectural idea to Leeds Prison/Armley Gaol.


----------



## edubejar

Wapper said:


> It's not that special actually. People in the 19th century liked all kinds of neo-styles, like neo-gothic or neo-renaissance. You will find examples in many European cities. However, this is just some decoration. This building is actually a very good example of a 19th century institution. If you look at it from the air, you will see that it has a star-shape. This way, the guards had an overview over every spot of the building and the courtyard to watch 24/24 over the prisoner's behaviour in an attempt to resocialize them (which is an ideal of that era). In the middle ages, convicts would just be thrown in a dark hole or cellar to rot or they would be physically punished very quickly.
> 
> If you like those town houses, it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit Brussels, since the city is just full of them. Many of them are in art-nouveau style or have elements of this style. If you decide to go, you are welcome to ask for more detailed information on the Belgian forum


I do like the art-nouveau style townhouses of Brussels which I have located online, including here in SSC, but I also like the less ornate ones.


----------



## Benonie

Well, if you like to stroll along thousands of 19th century townhouses, central Brussels (west of the Grand Place), Elsene, Saint-Gilles and Schaarbeek probably are the best places. You can admire some of these neighbourhood on previous pages in this thread.

There's a new Brussels prison planned in Haren, near the NATO-headquarter. The sit of the old prison will probably be partly renovated and transfromed into a residential quarter..


----------



## Dancer

Brussels is a great little city. I just visited for the first time a few months ago and really enjoyed. I need to go back as I only had an afternoon but Im lucky Im close.


----------



## Wapper

Sure it's not like NY or London, but it's not very small either :dunno:


----------



## Surname47

A wonderful place.


----------



## Fab87

To me, Brussels is not "pretty", but it is for sure cozy, vibrant and interesting. Worth visiting, especially if you go where the locals go.


----------



## fieldsofdreams

First time going through this pleasant and lovely thread, and what really caught my eye: the *Car-Free Day* collection. Now that is something I truly want to see other cities do it because I truly sense that with such an event, it promotes people to walk, bike, roller skate, jog, or do any physical activity even for a day, and it truly helps in many ways: getting to know even more people, looking at sights in greater depth, strolling with less stress or pressure... I mean, Brussels in itself is a truly magnificent city. And for me, walking through the city means I can truly relax and enjoy what the city has to offer.

I am truly impressed with this collection, and I will keep coming back for even more! :hug: and :cheers2:


----------



## Benonie

Well thanks :cheers1:

Unfortunately my Brussels picture stock is empty for the moment. And by a lack of time a quick visit to Brussels is not foreseen in the near future. Maybe later in spring. 

And I agree about the Car Free Day. It's the very best moment for a relaxed visit to the city. They should organise this more often.


----------



## aarhusforever

Benonie said:


> Maybe later in spring.


...can't wait :cheers:


----------



## fieldsofdreams

Benonie said:


> Well thanks :cheers1:
> 
> Unfortunately my Brussels picture stock is empty for the moment. And by a lack of time a quick visit to Brussels is not foreseen in the near future. Maybe later in spring.
> 
> And I agree about the Car Free Day. It's the very best moment for a relaxed visit to the city. They should organise this more often.


Here in San Francisco, we have a rotating event called *Sunday Streets* wherein the City organizes block parties for each of the city's neighborhoods (sometimes up to twice a year), and its goal is not only to lessen cars operating in the streets, but to also foster community bonding and building a stronger community spirit. These events are truly wonderful, with live shows, free food samples, street performances, bicyclists… you name nearly every possible pedestrian activity! And such events are held on the main roads where commerce take place that only a few intersections are left open for through vehicles (including bus lines) to make the even accessible to everybody.


----------



## TeaTree

Beautiful. Thanx.


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist

Nice thread! I came back to SSC and I saw that there where still 64 pages of photos of Brussels for me to browse through


----------



## Kaufmann

Still waiting for more :-o


----------



## Bazar

These pics are not quite as beautiful as Benonie's pictures, but hey, they might be taken from some less common point of view


----------



## Benonie

Thanks for the pictures Bazar, nice shots. And thanks for the tip: I think I will visit Wiel's Art Center at a next visit to Brussels.


----------



## Raphael_SBBR

Brussels is such a nice city. I like ur pics!


----------



## fieldsofdreams

Welcome back, Benonie! I'll tell you: those latest pics are simply gorgeous! I can truly feel the density of the city by looking at how organized and tightly-built those low- and mid-rise structures are in the foreground, as well as the contrasts of high-rise buildings way in the background. I also like the "organic" structure of those streets wherein those may be narrow (but good one-way roads), but the relationships between the street and the structures go hand-in-hand very well that I'd love walking around that neighborhood and take so many pictures! To me, those shots are visually-pleasing, I'd like to plan such neighborhoods myself!

Splendid work again! :hug:


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks mate, allthough the last pictures are not mine. Bazar took them with his mobile phone from the roof terrace of







, which I will visit in the future for some exhibitions and the splendid views. 
So thanks again Bazar for the pictures!


----------



## Benonie

Central Brussels, June 2013:


----------



## Wapper

It's great that this thread is being revived! :cheers:


----------



## traveler

Beautiful!


----------



## Benonie

Thank you guys! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## auggiewren

*Saint Luc institute for art&architecture Saint Gilles*

After lurking for quite a long time scouting for interesting locations, is time to give something back.


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist

nice updates!


----------



## auggiewren

Thanks Hardcore Terrorist  Here another tribute to the blue hour in Brussels from the belvedere of Place Poelaert.


----------



## fieldsofdreams

Those marketplace shots look truly fantastic that I can't believe how diverse those shops are... I mean, while the buildings may look old due to its age, its appeal makes me want to shop in it as often as I want. I mean, I can really see the differences in food quality between what I see in a grocery and at that market, in that many times, items sold at the marketplace tend to be fresher and cheaper than those sold at a supermarket. Let me ask: during the summer, does the market hold outdoor concerts or beer gardens to enjoy the sunshine?

Superb images again, my friend! :hug:


----------



## Benonie

Thanks FOD! 

As I wrote before, this market hall isn't a real market hall anymore, but there are still some occasional sales. Nowadays it's more a exposition, information and event hall. There are a lot of events and exhibitions, year around. Inside as well as outside the building.

There are a lot of fresh food markets in several neighbourhoods, of which the Zuidmarkt is the biggest and most famous.


----------



## Benonie

Where the Saint-Gorikshalls stand now, once was the birthplace of medieval Brussels, on an island in the river Zenne/Senne. The river was coverd up in the city center during the 19th century. Some years ago, a small part of the river was uncovered:


----------



## Benonie

Brosella Folk & Jazz festival, near the Atomium.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## Wapper

Summer in Brussels :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

A hot summer with tropical temperatures this time! :cheers:


----------



## openlyJane

Don't you just love Summer?


----------



## Benonie

Yeah sure! Have some thunder storms, but gardens ans parks needed some rain. :cheers1:


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Those summer photos of Brussels are very nice, btw


----------



## paul62

You have captured the ambience really well. I drove through Brussels once, and regret not being able to spend some time there.


----------



## Benonie

Unfortunately, if you ride through Brussel by train, Brussels looks like a dull and shabby city. If you get out and explore the old city center, the splendid and elegant Upper town, the many belle epoque neighbourhoods all over de agglomeration, the extensive parks, and the many museums, bars, restaurants and concert halls, than you realise what fine and cultural city this is. Despite its grey image.


----------



## AmoreUrbs

Some people are just too quick to make wrong judgements, not just when cities are concerned sadly ^^ .. I know much worse cities, or cities that may be nice but are absolutely dead! As always, great pics


----------



## Benonie

Thanks a lot AmoreUrbs! :cheers:


----------



## paul62

Benonie said:


> Unfortunately, if you ride through Brussel by train, Brussels looks like a dull and shabby city. If you get out and explore the old city center, the splendid and elegant Upper town, the many belle epoque neighbourhoods all over de agglomeration, the extensive parks, and the many museums, bars, restaurants and concert halls, than you realise what fine and cultural city this is. Despite its grey image.


I don`t remember it looking shabby or grey. It looked interesting. It was just unfortunate that I was unable to see more of the city due to time. I think many Northern European cities that have a grey image is simply because of dull weather, and you see a big difference on bright and sunny days.


----------



## Benonie

paul62 said:


> I think many Northern European cities that have a grey image is simply because of dull weather, and you see a big difference on bright and sunny days.


I agree!


----------



## Benonie

Last pictures of the Brosella festival:


----------



## Benonie

The park next to the Brosella festival: Park van Laken.

Atomium.



'American Theater'.



Memorial King Leopold 1th



North District:



Royal Palace of Laeken.



Church of Our Lady of Laeken and North District.



Laken and Schaarbeek.



Royal Palace of Laeken.



Royal greenhouses.



Chinese pavillion:


----------



## Wapper

Great pics. The view from the parc on the city in the valley is great indeed, especially because there are not many place on the northern side of the city where you can have such a panorama.


----------



## Benonie

Only from the Atomium, but you'll have to pay and queue up there. And unfortunetaly you have the city panorama in backlight during most of the day. I should go back ones at early evening or late afternoon.


----------



## Benonie

Back downtown at Sint-Goriks.



Quit courtyard in a busy city:


----------



## sky-eye

Thanks Benonie for these fantastic thread! Brussel is a fantastic city and you show us a lot of it.


----------



## the Ludovico center

City of Brussels in a music video by native born superstar artist (and dare I say musical genius) Paul Van Haver a.k.a Stromae


----------



## charliewong90

very nice shots indeed.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you guys!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Bristol Mike

Lovely photos as always! The old stone buildings are fantastic.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks Mike! :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

The North District seen from the Atomium:


----------



## christos-greece

Once again, very nice updates from Brussels


----------



## Spookvlieger

Nice pictures Benonie! Afther all these years, still surprised about some pictures you take of Brussels! Good job!


----------



## PaintMyGrandmomPink

I only have one word for all those pictures. Extraordinary!


----------



## Wapper

Wow, from that angle, that height and looking over the canal, the North district looks quite tall and impressive. Because of their location in the valley, they do not really add too much to the skyline in most occasions.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you guys: I highly appreciate your comments! :cheers1:


----------



## DaveF12

great photo update..


----------



## Benonie

Thank you. Back to the city center:


----------



## openlyJane

Love that little dog statue!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Yep, me too!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Guest

:lol: I love that statue, it's great :colgate: Thanks for all your hard work mate :hug:


----------



## Benonie

My pleasure and thanks mate!


----------



## Guest

Benonie said:


> My pleasure and thanks mate!


You're most welcome


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

Nice shots. Is that an underground train?


----------



## Benonie

It's a M6 or BOA metro train, in service as Brussels' subway train since 2007.


----------



## Benonie

Belgian Comic Strip Center, chronicles the history of Belgian comics. Housed in a former art nouveau department store designed by famous Victor Horta.


----------



## paul62

^^Tin Tin. A Belgian classic.


----------



## Wapper

Even if you don't care about comics, the museum is a great opportunity to see the interior of a very fine art nouveau building.


----------



## Benonie

^^ I couldn't agree more. It's designed by the world famous art nouveau architecture Victor Horta and one of the few art nouveau masterpieces in Brussels that are open to the public. And you can walk in and admire the construction from incide without visiting the comic exhibition.


----------



## christos-greece

Awesome, very nice new photos


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Christos! :cheers1:


----------



## Get High

Lovely city, nice shots mate!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thank you! 

More Comic Strip Center:







On the opposite side of the road, in a former newspaper publisher building, there's another comic strip museum run by the 
Marc Sleen Foundation. Marc Sleen is a Flemish cartoonist who draws the in Belgium popular Nero-cartoons.


----------



## Benonie

Discover the European Union at Mini-Europe, Brussels.


----------



## paul62

The Atomium. An excellent building. 
Good shots by the way.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Paul!


----------



## openlyJane

^^That's fab! I love model villages/towns. 
Have you ever been to Legoland in Windsor? They have something similar but built out of lego. :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

I didn't even know there's a Legoland Windsor. But I'm pretty sure my kid would love it!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Spookvlieger

Great job on mini Europe Benonie! It's not always easy to find a good perspective overthere....


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Joshsam. It was a fine day, so photographing was quite easy at the park.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

^^ Mini Europe its really lovely, very nice


----------



## Benonie




----------



## openlyJane

Love it!


----------



## paul62

^^Love those small model people.  Surreal.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you both! :cheers1:


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Welcome; and thanks for the updates (mini world) :cheers:


----------



## paul62

:applause: Unusual. Well captured.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Paul and Christos!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie

Canal and North District:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

I really like the Belgian style of street art.

Good shot.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Paul!


----------



## DarkLite

The scale-model buildings are exquisitely made, I would love to take some snapshots and play with angles in that theme park. 

The canal photos are also beautiful, the landscape is well preserved and I'm glad certain perspectives can be seen that haven't been invaded by modern and out of place buildings.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you very much for the support Darklite! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie

Brussels North District:















Brussels-North railway station:


----------



## christos-greece

Awesome, very nice new photos as always 



Benonie said:


>


Awesome model of Acropolis - Parthenon :cheers:


----------



## paul62

Nice pictures of the business area of the city.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Paul. The business area itself is a rather boring quarter of the city.


----------



## Benonie

Brussels' most famous and iconic building: The Atomium.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

Fantastic pictures Benonie. Excellent one; this one.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Paul, I like that one to. Gives a sense of depth.


----------



## openlyJane

Fabulous! 

Are those globes anything other than decorative; do they have any functional use?


----------



## Spookvlieger

Amazing pics from the Atomnium Benonie!


----------



## Wapper

openlyJane said:


> Fabulous!
> 
> Are those globes anything other than decorative; do they have any functional use?


The building doesn't really have a function. It has been created in the form of an iron crystal for the world fair of 1958. The spheres are like rooms that are connected to each other by the large pipes.
I think that the atomium is one of the great symbols of the 1950s. I could only have been made in that period.


----------



## Benonie

openlyJane said:


> Are those globes anything other than decorative; do they have any functional use?


There is a reception room in the lowest globe, a panoramic room at the upper sphere, a restaurant, a sphere with permanent and one with temporary rotating (art) exhibitions. And there's a educational Kids' sphere, where school children can stay overnight.


----------



## Wapper

Um yes, I see now that is what Openlyjane asked. 
But I just wanted to say that the buildig was initially purely created for its form. I assume that there was some sort of exhibition in it during Expo 1958, but that certainly wasn't the main purpose. Maybe the panorama over the fair and the city of Brussels from the top of the building could have been another important reason to build it. 
The plan was to demolish the atomium after the expo, just like all other temporary buildings, but luckily people decided to keep it. It is thus really our own little Eiffel tower


----------



## Benonie

Comic Street Festival and Balloon's Day Parade:


----------



## paul62

^^I love this quirky stuff.


----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates @Benonie


----------



## Benonie

Thank you guys. :cheers1:


----------



## paul62

The parade looks brilliant. I would have loved to have been there myself.


----------



## Benonie

About thet parade, this is only the beginning. The best is yet to come, so stay tuned!


----------



## Wapper

I gets better than a giant Manneken pis?


----------



## Benonie

Indeed, the rest is less horrible, allthough the inflatable Atomium is number 2 on the bad-taste-list.:lol:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates as usually :cheers:


----------



## Drainville

Nice, unique place! Thank you!


----------



## Comfortably Numb

Great updates Benonie. This is a city I'd love to visit and I regret not doing so when I lived in the UK and could have just hopped on the Eurostar.


----------



## paul62

Good stuff again Benonie.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you very much guys! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Leongname

More pictures plz, the beautiful festival is!


----------



## Benonie

Thank you my friend, here are some more:


----------



## paul62

This parade/festival you have captured, is probably my favourite set on your Brussels thread. I would have loved to have been there, camera in hand. Good shots. If you have more, please post.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Lovely pictures Benonie! I myself have never seen this parade in real life... I should do so!


----------



## Benonie

Thanks guys. The colourful parade under the blue sky in between the impressive monuments was great indeed.


----------



## paul62

All different generations enjoying themselves. Wonderful.


----------



## Benonie

^^ We sure did!


----------



## paul62

:applause:And let`s show some appreciation to the dancers too.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

^^ Amazing and very nice photos as well :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Christos! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## SASH

Benonie said:


> The North District seen from the Atomium:


Great City!


----------



## Benonie

Thanks mate, it sure is! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

On this parade, you have captured the real good and happy mood of people getting together.


----------



## Benonie

^^ It sure was a wonderful day! :cheers2:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## SeMiX

Superman photo is great  Thanks Benonie


----------



## aarhusforever

Our European Capital looks amazing :applause:....and the photos of the Comic Street Festival and Balloon's Day Parade are just beautiful...Brussels truly is one unforgettable city  Thank you for sharing, Benonie :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

My pleasure and thanks Arhusforever! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

Excellent shots.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Paul! Last pictures of the Balloon Parade:


----------



## paul62

Is the Balloon Parade a yearly event?


----------



## Benonie

^^ Every two years, I think.


----------



## Benonie

*Southern Brussels: Uccle/Ukkel and Forest/Vorst*


----------



## openlyJane

Interesting to see a suburban railway station. Are they well used? Does not look too well maintained.


----------



## Wapper

This is a posh area of Brussels.

Thoat station is a small local railway station. Most small stations in Belgium look a bit old and worn, but that is mostly sufficient for the small number of passengers they serve.


----------



## Puinkabouter

They are all used well beneath their potential. They get very little investments because the railway company does not deem it necessary for the low number of passengers they serve. Few passengers use it because the stations are uncomfortable. It's a vicious circle.


----------



## Wapper

Well, I don't really see how a small station in Ukkel/Uccle could attract more passengers. I I lived there, I would use the city public transport to get to Brussels South railway station a little bit further an take a fast IC or IR train instead of one of the slow and old local trains that stop in Uccle. But I agree with you that some other local stations in Belgium could and should be improved.


----------



## Benonie

According to Wikipedia there is only one train per hour in each direction and only 253 people get in the train daily. 

I don't think the potential is high neither, the station is situated in a green and residential area with low population density. And there are better options to get to the city or the big railway stations: bus and tram are very frequent. Tram stop Ukkel Stalle on line 4 is part of the north south premetro system.

But I agree with Puinkabouter that lots of smaller stations in the Brussels' agglomeration should have more frequent trains to more destinations. I hope things get better once the Regional Express Network (GEN or RER) is in full operation. In 2020 or 2025 or 2...

By the way Ukkel-Stalle railway station is a protected monument. And station Ukkel-Kalevoet on the same railway line has got almost 1000 travelleres per day.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates Benonie and Merry Christmas to all :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

^^ Merry Christmas! :cheers1:


----------



## DarkLite

I am a little shocked to see people lightly dressed in December in that part of the world!


----------



## Spookvlieger

^^Pictures taken in september I think :yes:


----------



## Benonie

Indeed, allthough now it's not cold for the time of year, the pictures of the Comic Festival were taken during the first weekend in September.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Wapper

Is that the viaduct over the road leading to Beersel?


----------



## Benonie

I don't know. It's the train viaduct over the N261 Stallestraat/Rue de Stalle in Ukkel.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Hardcore Terrorist

Nice pictures! I recently got of a train at Uccle-Calevoet, though I didn't make many pictures.


----------



## paul62

Nice updates.


----------



## openlyJane

A lovely looking neighbourhood.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Lovemy shots of suburban Brussels Benonie! Never I have myself been in that part. I'd love to own a home there however I'd probably will never have the money to afford it


----------



## Benonie

It's not the most expensive quarter of Uccle, but still a bit urban and pricey. The greener areas with more green spaces and villas are more difficult to photograph. So I avoided them.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## openlyJane

The third picture down provides a very appealing residential streetscape. Lovely, solid, well crafted homes.


----------



## paul62

It`s always good to see the residential areas too. Good shots.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you for the comments Jane and Paul.


----------



## christos-greece

^^ As always awesome, very nice updates :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you for the support Christos!


----------



## Wapper

Very nice again. I appreciate that you take many of the pictures when the tram passes. I love trams!


----------



## MyGeorge

great shots of one of my fave cities in the world. you got a chance to take photo of the vintage car.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Wapper and George! :cheers: More trams are yet to come...


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

^^ Once again great, very nice updates :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

And once again thank you Christos! :cheers1:


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Welcome, Benonie; i expect more updates...


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

Good shots. I like the tram pictures.


----------



## christos-greece

Lovely, very nice updates and especially trams photos... :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thanks Paul and Christos!


----------



## Wapper

Benonie, I can't believe you're not a professional photographer. You do a great job.


----------



## alexander2000

charming houses in these residential areas.


----------



## Benonie

Yep, the belle epoque style neigbourhoods are great for an easy walk on a sunny afternoon.


Wapper said:


> Benonie, I can't believe you're not a professional photographer. You do a great job.


You're kidding and exaggerating... but thanks anyway. :cheers:


----------



## christos-greece

Welcome Benonie... i am expecting more updates


----------



## Benonie

Okay, here are some more:


----------



## openlyJane

Lovely townhouses.


----------



## paul62

Nice tram pictures.


----------



## PaintMyGrandmomPink

alama said:


> What language do most Brussels residents use to communicate with each other? Dutch or French? In cases where a person only speaks either, how does it work?


The most of them speak french or are bilingual with french as mothertongue.


----------



## the Ludovico center

I see the old trams and the newest tram on the streets, but not the "90s era" tram (this one:










Is that because they are all gone now?


----------



## Spookvlieger

They are used as far as i know one less frequent lines because they make lots of noise or so are the complaints.


----------



## the Ludovico center

joshsam said:


> They are used as far as i know one less frequent lines because they make lots of noise or so are the complaints.


Oh noise I see. Yes, I have noticed that Brussels residents in certain areas hate trams and want to ban them (you can see their "no tram" fiches on A4 papers plastered behind their street-side windows :lol: Especially in places like Ixelles (among places around the General Jacques/Adolphe Buyl area). And of course Uccle: over there they are worse cuz their objection is not legitimate noise (they have banned not only trams but also underground metros, highways, cycle routes, basically everything. They are stuffy NIMBY snobs living in villas & hijacking the entire city
.


----------



## Wapper

Just like in my city hno: It must be typically Belgian.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Wapper said:


> Just like in my city hno: It must be typically Belgian.


To be fair, the transit agency learned their lesson and bought new trams that are much more silent than the type in the above picture I posted. They took away the excuse so now everyone has to accept expansion of the network :lol:


----------



## Benonie

Those T2000 trams were just a bad buy. They are not only noisy, but shake too much and some of them even derailled. They are not only unwanted in densely populated area's, for safety reasons they are even forbidden in the underground sections of the tram network.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## Wapper

Spectacular! :cheers:


----------



## paul62

In my opinion, your shots are getting better and better. I love that black and white one.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you both!


----------



## Nightsky

Just bought a plane ticket to Brussels for 5 days in June together with one day at the Graspop festival! So 4 days in Brussels, hope that will be enough:cheers:


----------



## Spookvlieger

Excellent shots Benonie!


----------



## Spookvlieger

Nightsky said:


> Just bought a plane ticket to Brussels for 5 days in June together with one day at the Graspop festival! So 4 days in Brussels, hope that will be enough:cheers:


4 days will get you more than covered on Brussels, maybe do 3 and visit Antwerp or Ghent by train if you will, both very interesting cities to explore too...

Graspop, I'll be there too  Do you visit every year? I love this Metal meeting. Such a great atmosphere compaired to other festivals IMO. I've never been stolen from or had any insults there, sure metalheads look hard but they are the nicest people I've ever seen on a festival. Mutual respect for everyone is one of the best things I love about the people on Graspop. Other Belgian festivals could learn from this.


----------



## christos-greece

Once again great, very nice photos :cheers:


----------



## Thermo

joshsam said:


> Graspop, I'll be there too  Do you visit every year? I love this Metal meeting. Such a great atmosphere compaired to other festivals IMO. I've never been stolen from or had any insults there, sure metalheads look hard but they are the nicest people I've ever seen on a festival. Mutual respect for everyone is one of the best things I love about the people on Graspop. Other Belgian festivals could learn from this.


The _Graspop-is-better-than-all-the-rest_ myth lives on, apparently... I go to many other Belgian festivals (such as Werchter) and the atmosphere is equally great. Never been stolen, never seen a fight. Not a bad word about Graspop, but many other festivals are great too.

Sorry for this offtopic


----------



## Spookvlieger

For one it's certainly better at least, graspop has toilets and showers with running water that are cleaned with dettol. Never seen that in any other festivals, where have to shit on a toi toi that is overused and not emptied.

And for me It's not a myth. I've been going to graspop since 2007. Never had any bad experience besides my beach chair was stolen because I left it outside (yea duh my own fault) My wallet was stolen on Pukkelpop and I had shit and urine over my tent on Rock Werchter one year. And Also on PKP I found someone had been searching my stuff inside my tent.


----------



## Nightsky

joshsam said:


> 4 days will get you more than covered on Brussels, maybe do 3 and visit Antwerp or Ghent by train if you will, both very interesting cities to explore too...
> 
> Graspop, I'll be there too  Do you visit every year? I love this Metal meeting. Such a great atmosphere compaired to other festivals IMO. I've never been stolen from or had any insults there, sure metalheads look hard but they are the nicest people I've ever seen on a festival. Mutual respect for everyone is one of the best things I love about the people on Graspop. Other Belgian festivals could learn from this.


No it's the first tim there, will be there on the last day to see Sabbath, Soundgarden, Tiamat and more!  Graspop seems to be a very good festival, was at Wacken in Germany last year, good people but really dirty and no tap water (but sold for the same price as beer!!!)!

Sorry for the off topic post. 

About Brussels: I plan to visit Brussels thursday, friday (to see all the large buildings, monuments, museums and the old town) and saturday, Graspop on sunday and make a short trip to Antwerpen on the monday.


----------



## NovaProspekt

Only time I ever saw a fight at a Belgian festival was at Tomorrowland 2011, purportedly the most peaceful dance festival in the world. 

(Sorry, new account (lost my old details) so I need to leave 10 meaningless comments before I can post links again.. This was comment number one.)


----------



## NovaProspekt

Wonderful pix btw, Benonie.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

I like this one. (Also, surprisingly, it reminds me of something, like you would see in the north of England too).



Good shot


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Paul!


----------



## DaveF12

nice update of a lovely city...I love the mixed architecture.


----------



## christos-greece

Once again, very nice updates from Brussels :cheers:


----------



## El_Greco

Very nice.


----------



## Nightsky

Nice updates! Look forward to go there soon!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thank you guys! :cheers:


Nightsky said:


> Nice updates! Look forward to go there soon!


You're welcome here Nightsky. Don't hesitate to contact one of the Brussels' forum members on the Belgian subforum for some insider tips or if you have any problem.


----------



## Nightsky

Benonie said:


> ^^ Thank you guys! :cheers:
> 
> You're welcome here Nightsky. Don't hesitate to contact one of the Brussels' forum members on the Belgian subforum for some insider tips or if you have any problem.



Thanks! I will


----------



## Benonie




----------



## openlyJane

That last picture provides quite a contrast....


----------



## Spookvlieger

I also like the last picture very much!


----------



## Benonie

openlyJane said:


> That last picture provides quite a contrast....


Yes, it's an old residential tower next to the town hall of the smallest, most dense populated and poorest municipality of Brussels: Saint-Josse-ten-Noode.


----------



## Benonie

_'The Sequence'_ by Arne Quinze:


----------



## paul62

Good updates Benonie. Nice shots.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks again Paul! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie

More _'The Sequence'_ by Arne Quinze:


----------



## Nightsky

^^This is very similar to an artwork i saw in Lund, Sweden last summer!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Maybe another installation by Arne Quinze, allthough I can't find anything about it on this website.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Arne Quinzes idea was copied worldwide by others. I saw many fake ones over the years when Quinze became popular, also in Belgium his works are copied and two years ago there a complaint against the city of Hasselt from Quinze for stealing his idea when they made a few sculptures on the central boulevard in the Quinze style. ALthough you can spot the difference because Quinzes works are not mediocore and others are.


----------



## Buffalo Soldier

I'm sure people made mediocre paintings that looked like Picasso. He shouldn't cry about it...


----------



## the Ludovico center

^ Wait, that red art thing isn't there any-more. I've passed thru the area (government quarters north of the city's "central park") a few months ago.


----------



## Benonie

Well, it still was there in February, but you could be right. It was a temporary work of art and demolition was planned this year.


----------



## christos-greece

^^


>


Looks wonderful, very nice btw :cheers:


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


> Well, it still was there in February,


I meant way before February -- basically sometime last year

In which case I must be confused and mixing up two things: that installation in your pic with the other one (there was similar structure somewhere else in Brussels)


----------



## Benonie

Some federal and Flemish government buildings in the same area:


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist

Your pics keep getting nicer


----------



## Kappa21

^^ Name not liked


----------



## paul62

Hardcore Terrorist said:


> Your pics keep getting nicer


I say exactly the same.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks for the support. Allthough the city looks a bit grey and sleepy on the last pics, I think it's a nice neighbourhood to stroll. After all, on weekdays this is the epicenter of Belgian politics.


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Your last photos are indeed more great and very nice :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Christos! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

I love those Brussels murals. I notice some from your past posts of Belgian cartoon characters too. Uniquely Belgian.


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Amazing, very nice updates; well done once again :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

I thank you, Christos!


paul62 said:


> I love those Brussels murals. I notice some from your past posts of Belgian cartoon characters too. Uniquely Belgian.


There are even comic mural routes in Brussels. Check the map, there are plenty of them! :cheers:


----------



## paul62

Benonie said:


> I thank you, Christos!
> 
> There are even comic mural routes in Brussels. Check the map, there are plenty of them! :cheers:


Thanks Benonie. 
Only now do I find out that Lucky Luke was a Belgian animation. I always thought it was American. I loved it as a child.:banana:


----------



## Wapper

A Belgian comic book you mean. They made an animated show out of it later which might have made it more famous in more countries, just like The Smurfs and Tintin.


----------



## Benonie

Royal Palace:


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Really very nice updates; more please


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Christos! More is coming soon!


----------



## Benonie

We take the subway to metro station Louise/Louiza, to explore some eastern quarters.







Louizalaan/Avenue Louise:


----------



## paul62

:happy:Good updates. Nice varied shots. 
Interesting to read about Avenue Louise too.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Paul! 
I don't really like that boulevard. It's an expensive place with too much traffic and too many grey offices and apartment buildings. Allthough there are some nice architectural jewels remaining between the 20th century concrete.


----------



## paul62

Benonie said:


> Thank you Paul!
> I don't really like that boulevard. It's an expensive place with too much traffic and too many grey offices and apartment buildings. Allthough there are some nice architectural jewels remaining between the 20th century concrete.


Fair enough. It is described as a a major thoroughfare. It does seems to have a lot of history and importance to it though, and foreign embassies too. 

Sorry your team went out. I was kind of hoping they would go all the way.


----------



## Benonie

paul62 said:


> Sorry your team went out. I was kind of hoping they would go all the way.


Me too. They had the potential, Argentina had the goal. 

More Louizalaan/Avenue Louise:


----------



## christos-greece

Wonderful, very nice new photos Benonie :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Christos! :cheers1:


----------



## Spookvlieger

Nice pictures Benonie! I'm a fan of the architectural style of the white building in the first picture of your last post. Is that some form of sober art deco?


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thank you Joshsam! 


joshsam said:


> I'm a fan of the architectural style of the white building in the first picture of your last post. Is that some form of sober art deco?


As far as I know it's an extension of the luxury Steinenberger Hotel -_the former Conrad __Hotel_- at the Louizalaan/Avenue Louise. I think it's built in the 1980's or even 1990's. So no art deco I'm afraid.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Well art deco is still build today. it doesn't have to be build in the 30's and 40's to be art deco. There is an art deco skyscraper, 30 Park Place, going up in NYC at this moment on the backside of the Woolworth building. Art deco lobby inclusive. Nice art deco top it has. Here is the thread on SCC: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=576845&page=39

Thanks for the additional pictures and information!


----------



## Benonie

Okay I agree. I saw some new art deco towers in Rotterdam and Frankfurt, inspirated by American art deco. I suppose you can call it neo-art deco or something.
Thanks for the information Joshsam. 

Next posts I'll take you to some of the Brussels' art nouveau jewels in the same neighbourhood.


----------



## Bristol Mike

Great tour, Benonie. Love that Steigenberger building, very grand!


----------



## Filou

Benonie said:


> I think it's built in the 1980's or even 1990's. So no art deco I'm afraid.


The conrad was build (opened) in 1993. So only 21 years old!  
The art deco style buildings next to it are twin (mirror) buildings serving as a gate to the avenue louise...
The twin buildings are called Stéphanie I and Stephanie Square.
Stéphanie I finished in 1983, Stéphanie Square in 1989 and Wiltcher's complex en Conrad Hotel Brussels in 1993



read here all about it:

http://www.irismonument.be/fr.Bruxelles_Extension_Sud.Avenue_Louise.54.html


----------



## JS97

Thanks for this great series! I really enjoy it! It changed my viee on Brussel. I hope to visit the city someday.


----------



## Nightsky

Just came back from Brussels! Really interesting city, diverse architecture (old and modern), nice squares, extremely many great museums and easy to walk through. Good food and beer!:cheers: It is also surprisingly hilly.


----------



## Benonie

^^ And I'm afraid it was grey and rainy that weekend, or not?



Filou said:


> The conrad was build (opened) in 1993. So only 21 years old!
> The art deco style buildings next to it are twin (mirror) buildings serving as a gate to the avenue louise...
> The twin buildings are called Stéphanie I and Stephanie Square.
> Stéphanie I finished in 1983, Stéphanie Square in 1989 and Wiltcher's complex en Conrad Hotel Brussels in 1993
> 
> 
> 
> read here all about it:
> 
> http://www.irismonument.be/fr.Bruxelles_Extension_Sud.Avenue_Louise.54.html


Thanks for the information Filou.

The oldest part of the Conrad Hotel are situated in an Beaux-art palais, built in 1911. Some other older belle epoque houses along Louizalaan/Avenue Louise were integrated in the hotel. 

The rest (_"the neo art deco"_) is indeed the result of the 1980's post modern Stephanie-complex.










_(pic: Knack-Trends)_


----------



## Filou

The Conrad hotel itself is pure facadism and was build in 1993. (The building that is build a little behind.)
This how it looks from behind:



This is open to the public, you can walk trough from Chaussée de Charleroi to Avenue Louise. It's a small shopping mall with very expensive shops...


----------



## Benonie

Filou said:


> The Conrad hotel itself is pure facadism and was build in 1993. (The building that is build a little behind.)


Partly, yes. According to the link you've posted it's a modern renovation of a 1911 beaux arts palais, built as a hotel:



> _"Conrad Hotel Brussels. Modern paleis ondergebracht in gebouwen van 1911, volledig gerenoveerd door Atelier de Genval (arch. Eric Philippe) en interieur door Graham design. Oorspronkelijk gebouw ontworpen als hotel in Beaux-Artsstijl door arch. Georges Delcoigne, i.o.v. baron de Crawhez, 1911-1912."_


Of course it's a kind of facadisme, if the interior is modernised comlpetely. But I suppose the oldest part inside kept it's originial interior. You've posted pictures of the 1980's Stepahniecomplex with shops, a masterplan in which the Conrad hotel is integrated, as well as some other older belle epoque houses along Avenue Louise/Louizalaan which are integrated in the hotel.


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Indeed beautiful, very nice :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Christos. We continue our walk. This one needs some renovation:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

Good quirky stuff. 

I do hope this is restored to its original state.


----------



## Benonie

paul62 said:


> I do hope this is restored to its original state.


Me too! The major damage most be quite recent. On Google Street view 2009 the facade and windows are still intact. This beauty is designed in 1900 by architect Albert Roosenboom and fortunately it's a protected monument since 1981.


----------



## Benonie

House Goblet d’Alviella could use some renovation too. It's a protected monument since 1995.


----------



## openlyJane

Lots of fabulous buildings....


----------



## christos-greece

Indeed beautiful, very nice buildings


----------



## Benonie

Thanks! :cheers:

Some details:


----------



## paul62

Good stuff again Benonie.


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Great, very nice details... those buildings how old there are?


----------



## Benonie

Thanks!


christos-greece said:


> those buildings how old there are?


Most of them are approximate 100 years old. It was the time of belle epoque, when Brussels boomed and was called 'little Paris'.


----------



## Benonie

More diverse architecture in the same neighbourhood:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie

The personal dwelling of the famous architect Paul Hankar... 



...and its neighbours.


----------



## Wapper

That's a very Brussels image


----------



## Benonie

Wapper said:


> That's a very Brussels image


A very Belgian image...


----------



## HisarO

:cheers:


----------



## christos-greece

Beautiful, very nice photos for once again


----------



## Bristol Mike

Brilliant displays Benonie! I love Brussels' art nouveau houses.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Martin, Paul and Wapper!


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Indeed amazing, very nice updates; well done :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Horta's own house and atelier, now the Horta Museum, UNESCO World Heritage since 2000. 

Sober at the outside, a feast for the eyes on inside.


----------



## paul62

Beautiful looking house (now museum).
Very good updates Benonie.


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie said:


> The major damage most be quite recent. On Google Street view 2009 the facade and windows are still intact...


In that case I suspect it is deliberate -- i.e. the owner is deliberately "verkrotting" (degenerating) the property in order to maximize future profit (if a building is too worn down then the municipal goons will allow the owner to make more drastic repair/rebuilding: which is a still popular device among the Brussels property owning/speculating goons who destroyed half the old town using just this one trick
.


----------



## Benonie

Maybe, but I hope you're wrong. 
Anyway the house is a protected monument, so a drastic change of structure is impossible. Maybe it's just empty for other reasons, or the owner is waiting for renovation subsidies from the government. In case of protected properties these dossiers can be quite complicated.


----------



## openlyJane

What fabulous detailing on and around the windows..... Have you any photos from inside?


----------



## Benonie

^^ No, I'm sorry. I visited the house some years ago, but can't remember if shooting pictures was allowed. 

But you can admire this splendid interior on various websites. 

Keep in mind that the architect designed everything in the house: so also the furniture, door handles, banister, wallpaper and tableware...


----------



## Spookvlieger

I wasn't allowed to take pictures 3 years ago. 

Splendid pictures btw Benonie!


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Joshsam! More belle epoque architecture:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Spookvlieger

Beautifull Benonie! I especially love the blocks build in the interbellum period like in pictures 4 of your last post :yes:


----------



## paul62

Very nice shots.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks guys!


joshsam said:


> I especially love the blocks build in the interbellum period like in pictures 4 of your last post


Me too. And there are several of these architectural beauties over there. :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Maison Les Hiboux:


----------



## madonnagirl

great photo update of an impressive city.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Madonnagirl! :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Hotel Hannon, a 1903 masterpiece and the first work by architect Jules Brunfaut:


----------



## paul62

Love this


----------



## Benonie

paul62 said:


> Love this


^^ Me too. I love the various sculptures on buildings. They transform a city into an urban art exhibition.


----------



## Benonie

More Hotel Hannon:


----------



## openlyJane

Those art-nouveau style windows are gorgeous....


----------



## Benonie

I agree, I also like the elegant lines. And some nice old apartment buidlings on the same inersection as well:


----------



## Benonie

Happy New Year to all of you! 

:dance:


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Happy New Year and really very nice updates as well :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Christos!


----------



## Wapper

I'm happy to see that you just continue with the good work in 2015, Benonie. :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thanks! To be honest, this are pictures from early 2014... It's been a long time since I've visited the capital...


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

Benonie said:


> Thanks! To be honest, this are pictures from early 2014... It's been a long time since I've visited the capital...


I had wrongly assumed that Brussels was your home city. 
Nice shots.


----------



## Benonie

^^ No, unfortunately I don't live in Brussels, but in a much smaller city, 50 miles north west of Brussels.


----------



## Wapper

So many bikes! 
I don't know how it is possible, but I missed the red tram in your last series of pictures. I know it's only an adertisement but the colour looks incredibly nice from the position where you took the picture.


----------



## Benonie

Trams with publicity are rather rare in Brussels. I must admit I do like this one too.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

^^ Lovely, very nice updates :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thanks mate! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## SHAHBAZ2883

BEAUTIFUL PICTURES


----------



## Benonie

^^ Pictures in the previous and next posts are in Saint-Gillis and some in Ixelles, two municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region. They're just south and east of the city center, so no suburbs.


----------



## paul62

This to me, says Belgium



Good shots again Benonie.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## El_Greco

Man I love those Art-Nouveau townhouses!


----------



## christos-greece

Once again great, very nice updates Ben :cheers:



Benonie said:


> Pictures in the previous and next posts are in Saint-Gillis and some in Ixelles, two municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region. They're just south and east of the city center, so no suburbs.


OK, thanks kay:


----------



## Benonie

^^ My pleasure mate!


El_Greco said:


> Man I love those Art-Nouveau townhouses!


+1! I wish I could buy one! :cheers:


----------



## El_Greco

Yeah me too. kay:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

Good stuff Benonie. Looks like your heading into a financial district by the look of those buildings, on the last two shots.


----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates from Brussels Ben :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

paul62 said:


> Good stuff Benonie. Looks like your heading into a financial district by the look of those buildings, on the last two shots.


It's at the Louizalaan/Avenue Louise, not really the financial district, but a long, major road in the south east area of Brussels. It's one of the most expensive avenues in the city, so lot's of embassies, banks, fancy shops, offices and priceless hotels are located along this busy road.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

^^ The area around Louise avenue looks very nice


----------



## capricorn2000

nice residential neighborhoods - they look neat and safe.
when I think of Brussels - its the Grand Place and maniken pis. 
I treasured that one brief chance of being there for it's a dream came true.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks guys! Always welcome here.


----------



## Benonie

Hotel Solvay, a masterpiece of Victor Horta:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

^^Do you know if they are one whole house, or are they split into several apartments? 
Nice updates Benonie.


----------



## lezgotolondon

So I've been in Brussels recently and I was surprised to find it so beautiful and charming. I tried to remain mostly ignorant to have the pleasure to discover it by myself and I expected a generally ugly and sad city with a small but nice city centre.

When visiting I've found a very beautiful centre, much larger and with a great average quality of buildings, lot more interesting sightings than I expected, a vibrant nightlife, interesting museums, a decent public transportation system and some really nice suburbs.

Some questions/considerations:

- The tourist area was literally full of italians and tourists from english speaking countries(many australians). How so? Italians don't know much about the city.
- The metro organization is ridicolous, in reality Brussels has only 2 metro and 2 pre metro lines not 4 and 3. Am I right?
- Where can I taste the best moussels?
- Belgian seem to really like fish even if Brussels is not close to the sea.
- Is the Atomium worth a visit?
- Brusselization is awful, why do you keep doing it? What about the several skyscrapers coming out of nowhere?
- Art decò is awesome


----------



## Benonie

paul62 said:


> Do you know if they are one whole house, or are they split into several apartments?
> Nice updates Benonie.


Most of the houses in previous posts are expensive one-family houses, I suppose. Belgians live big....The really large ones, like the corner houses, seems to be apartment buildings.


----------



## openlyJane

Gorgeously quirky houses.


----------



## Benonie

lezgotolondon said:


> So I've been in Brussels recently and I was surprised to find it so beautiful and charming. I tried to remain mostly ignorant to have the pleasure to discover it by myself and I expected a generally ugly and sad city with a small but nice city centre.
> 
> When visiting I've found a very beautiful centre, much larger and with a great average quality of buildings, lot more interesting sightings than I expected, a vibrant nightlife, interesting museums, a decent public transportation system and some really nice suburbs.


Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. :cheers1:


> Some questions/considerations:





> - The tourist area was literally full of italians and tourists from english speaking countries(many australians). How so? Italians don't know much about the city.


I have no idea. Brussels is a multinational and multicultural city, with thousands of Italians living in. I guess a lot of them work in the tourist branch. And I didn't know Brussels was popular among Australians nowadays. 


> - The metro organization is ridicolous, in reality Brussels has only 2 metro and 2 pre metro lines not 4 and 3. Am I right?


Yes and no. 
Like in most cities, metrolines share tracks. Line 1 and 5 share the east-west track through the city centre and line 2 en 6 the ring line. Premetro lines 3 and 4 share the whole north south tunnel, which will be transformed in a real metrotrack and extended to the north in the next years. So ther will be no more premetro line 4 in the future, only metroline 3, running from north to south.

So in stead of given these partly similar lines the names 1A and 1B and 2A and 2B, the compagny decided to give all these lines another number, which should be easier to handle. 

So yes, it looks strange that almost similar lines have different numbers _(and line 6 is only a longer version of line 2..._ ), but I don't think it's ridiculous, just practical.









_(Urbanrail)_


> Where can I taste the best moussels?


At home! I never eat mussels in a restaurant. They're easy to cook and much cheaper. Chez Léon in the touristic Beenhouwersstraat/Rue de Boucher is famous for mussels. But there are many good fish restaurants around Sint-Kathelijne/Saint Catherine, west of the center.


> Belgian seem to really like fish even if Brussels is not close to the sea.


Indeed, we love it! Belgium is a small country, and it's only a one hour drive to the coast. 


> Is the Atomium worth a visit?


It sure is. But it's a bit out of the center, so it's interesting in combination with Mini-Europe next door. Atomium is quite expensive and busy at holidays. But it's of course a unique building.


> Brusselization is awful, why do you keep doing it? What about the several skyscrapers coming out of nowhere?


It caused a lot of damage in parts of the city center, the Leopold Quarter (European district) and the North District, indeed. I'm a bit jealous of Italian cities, which kept there old city intact. Fortunetaly Brusselization has stopped almost completely. New projects make the city more beautiful and livable. Old skyscrapers are being renovated and a lot of ol offices converted into housing.


> Art decò is awesome


In Brussels it's mainly art nouveau. And yes, it is awesome!


----------



## christos-greece

Brussels has 6 metro lines?

Great, very nice updates btw


----------



## Benonie

Yes and no. 4 metrolines and 2 premetrolines (underground trams) which will be transformed in one new, 'heavy' extended metroline in the near future. Metrolines 1 and 5 and 2 and 6 share tracks for a big part of their traject. (See above) 

Brussels also has got 138km of tramtracks, which extend permanantly.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## lezgotolondon

Benonie said:


> Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. :cheers1:
> 
> 
> I have no idea. Brussels is a multinational and multicultural city, with thousands of Italians living in. I guess a lot of them work in the tourist branch. And I didn't know Brussels was popular among Australians nowadays.
> 
> *The Italians I saw were mostly tourists. My plane LF was 100% and almost all the passengers were italian.
> Maybe it was because Ryanair has had very low fares lately and Brussels Charleroi is well connected.
> 
> Regarding the aussies, the second most used language across tourists when I was there was english(I expected french first and german+flemish second). Some of them had an accent that I thought it was Australian because many of them were watching rugby in the pubs. I don't think they were scottish or irish.
> *
> 
> Yes and no.
> Like in most cities, metrolines share tracks. Line 1 and 5 share the east-west track through the city centre and line 2 en 6 the ring line. Premetro lines 3 and 4 share the whole north south tunnel, which will be transformed in a real metrotrack and extended to the north in the next years. So ther will be no more premetro line 4 in the future, only metroline 3, running from north to south.
> 
> So in stead of given these partly similar lines the names 1A and 1B and 2A and 2B, the compagny decided to give all these lines another number, which should be easier to handle.
> 
> *I'd consider them being part of the same line splitting in 1A and 1B. I think it's preferable and less confusing*
> 
> 
> 
> At home! I never eat mussels in a restaurant. They're easy to cook and much cheaper. Chez Léon in the touristic Beenhouwersstraat/Rue de Boucher is famous for mussels. But there are many good fish restaurants around Sint-Kathelijne/Saint Catherine, west of the center.
> 
> *I had the moussels there after a quick google search. Nice place. It was almost full and it was the only one who had not clerks outside luring tourists in*
> 
> Indeed, we love it! Belgium is a small country, and it's only a one hour drive to the coast.
> 
> It sure is. But it's a bit out of the center, so it's interesting in combination with Mini-Europe next door. Atomium is quite expensive and busy at holidays. But it's of course a unique building.
> 
> It caused a lot of damage in parts of the city center, the Leopold Quarter (European district) and the North District, indeed. I'm a bit jealous of Italian cities, which kept there old city intact. Fortunetaly Brusselization has stopped almost completely. New projects make the city more beautiful and livable. Old skyscrapers are being renovated and a lot of ol offices converted into housing.
> 
> In Brussels it's mainly art nouveau. And yes, it is awesome!



Thanks for your reply! Belgium has the best chocolate ever.


----------



## aarhusforever

I love my beautiful Capital :hug:


----------



## Benonie

Thanks mate! :cheers2:


----------



## christos-greece

Once again great, very nice new photos kay:


----------



## paul62

Good to see you back posting. Good shots mate.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks Christos and Paul! We were in Istanbul for a week but now back home.


----------



## openlyJane

I really look forward to your Istanbul photos. You must have quite a back-log of travel pics to post now.....


----------



## Benonie

Indeed Jane, as you know Istanbul is a photographer's heaven.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

^^ Great, very nice updates as well


----------



## the Ludovico center

Benonie, have you been to North Brussels beyond the North station (towards Heembeek/Haren/Vilvoorde viaduct)?

You might enjoy the scenery as apparently there are some colorful local folk up there who like going out and about


----------



## Benonie

^^ I saw it in the papers, was pretty funny indeed. Though not for the poor animals, I think....


----------



## marlonbasman

lovely photos....I like the mix of varied architecture.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks! I love that mix of styles too.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

Looks so peaceful


----------



## christos-greece

Indeed beautiful, very nice updates :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

paul62 said:


> Looks so peaceful


Indeed, it is peaceful at the Ixelles Ponds.


----------



## El_Greco

Amazing architecture in Brussels. It's amazing that the city is so underrated.


----------



## Benonie

El_Greco said:


> It's amazing that the city is so underrated.


Maybe because a lot of this beauty is too far from the touristic hotspots?


----------



## El_Greco

Nah. I think city doesn't advertise its treasures enough and allows Bruges and Ghent to steal much of the tourist trade.


----------



## Benonie

^^ I suppose there are several reasons combined. Like _Brussels is the capital of European bureaucracy and traffic jams_, which make it _boring_ and _polluted_...



Flagey bus and tram station:









Tram stop at Brussels-South railway station:


----------



## aljuarez

So, Benonie... Is Brussels home?


----------



## Benonie

^^ Unfortunately not. I live in a smaller city 50 miles/75 km north west of Brussels.


----------



## Benonie

On a cold february morning...



Halle Gate at the southern edge of the old town.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Wapper

Great updates again! :applause:

Flagey square and the ponds next to it are great. The square itself isn't so special (although the Flagey buidling is a gem), but it's just that open spaces as large as that are too rare in Brussels. Most of the city consists of rather narrow streets and small squares. Most large open spaces are broad highways filled with cars. Luckily there are some very nice parks as well.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks Wapper. The former NIR building at Flagey is one of my favourites in Brussels too. And the square itself is a great spot to enjoy urban life. :cheers:


----------



## marlonbasman

nice update, great shots.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks a lot!


----------



## diddyD

Nice pics^


----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates as always :cheers:



Benonie said:


> Unfortunately not. I live in a smaller city 50 miles/75 km north west of Brussels.


Your work is in Brussels?


----------



## Spookvlieger

I don't think Benonie has to work anymore  He's doing this for fun 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great new set Benonie! 
What is the beautifull brick building in post 1851. I reminds me of those early public housing complexes like the one in the Marollon district.


----------



## Benonie

christos-greece said:


> Your work is in Brussels?


No, I work in my own city. 



joshsam said:


> I don't think Benonie has to work anymore


I wish....  

Another 14 year of hard labour....



joshsam said:


> He's doing this for fun


Indeed!


joshsam said:


> What is the beautifull brick building in post 1851. I reminds me of those early public housing complexes like the one in the Marollon district.


It's near the Marolles, so it could be a work the same architect. 
I think it's part of the Ministery of Justice, so a kind of office. There were even military guardians in front of the building.


----------



## Ronald34

Belgistan, the first muslim City in europe.


----------



## Benonie

I've visited the area before and posted pictures somewhere in this thread. 
I shouldn't know on which page...:lol:


----------



## Wapper

Are you going to give a party when you reach page 100? 

First there should be an offical ceremony in the town hall where you''ll receive a medal from the mayor of Brussels. Then we all go to parking 58 and we celebrate until the next morning when we will see the sun rise over the Brussels' skyline. :drunk:


----------



## Benonie

Wapper said:


> First there should be an offical ceremony in the town hall where you''ll receive a medal from the mayor of Brussels.


All 19 mayors?! :lol:


----------



## Wapper

^^ No, the one from Brussels city. In theory it would be better to ask the Minister-President of the Brussels Capital Region, but we want to make sure that it takes places in the magnificent Brussels city hall.


----------



## christos-greece

Benonie said:


> All 19 mayors?! :lol:


Brussels has 19 mayors?! :shifty:

Great, very nice photo update btw


----------



## Wapper

Yes, it's not a joke. The city's administration is total chaos. But what did you expect from little Belgium?


----------



## Spookvlieger

christos-greece said:


> Brussels has 19 mayors?! :shifty:


In any logical situation, Brussels Captial Region would at best have a few mayors. However since none of the origional settlements of Brussels where added to the 'the city of Brussels' they all have kept their mayors ass well 

Imagine the city of Athens formed a seperated region called Athens Metropolitan region.

Athens city still has one mayor, but since only covers the central part of the region adn by far not the whole city: https://www.google.be/maps/place/At...2!3m1!1s0x14a1bd1f067043f1:0x2736354576668ddd

The Athens Metropolitan Region would probably have even more mayors than Brussels....


----------



## Benonie




----------



## the Ludovico center

paul62 said:


> I love views from rooftops.


Funny you say that cuz all those "rooftop views" are actually taken from the ground
.


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Thanks for the explanation, Joshsam


----------



## Benonie

the Ludovico center said:


> Funny you say that cuz all those "rooftop views" are actually taken from the ground
> .


Indeed, most of them are taken from upper town downwards to lower town. Some are taken from the walking bridge to the elevator.

Brussels has got some steep hills...


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## Wchall77

I'll be there in just a few days. Will be my first visit to Brussels. Can't wait!


----------



## Benonie

Welcome on SSC and in Brussels next week.  If you've got any question, just ask. Weather is boiling hot nowadays, but temperatures should lower a bit after the weekend.


----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates as well :cheers:


----------



## paul62

Good updates Benonie,


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Paul and Christos!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

As always great, very nice updates :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thanks mate! :cheers:


----------



## Helmet222

Hey Benonie!

Do you have pictures of those new pedestrian areas around Anspachlaan and Bourse? Did it has a large effect on the whole traffic situation in Brussels?

I would like to see how it looks there. Unfortunately the next time I travel to Brussels will be somewhere in August/September.


----------



## El_Greco

You have a nice zoom, love the perspective compression!


----------



## Benonie

Helmet222 said:


> Hey Benonie!
> 
> Do you have pictures of those new pedestrian areas around Anspachlaan and Bourse? Did it has a large effect on the whole traffic situation in Brussels?
> 
> I would like to see how it looks there. Unfortunately the next time I travel to Brussels will be somewhere in August/September.


Not yet, tomorrow I'll visit Brussels and have a quick visit to the car free city center. I still have some pictures of the car free days from previous years in this thread, so the current situation must be a bit similar. But the new pedestrian areas are permanent now, so you can still enjoy it later this year.

But the real transformation of the car free avenues into real pedestrian looking area's is planned from next year.


----------



## Benonie

Brussels has recently enlarged the pedestrain zone in the city center from 35 hectares to 50 hectares, including a big part of the wide and busy Central Avenues. 

They are now closed to car traffic and will be transformed from 2016 into a real pedestrian looking zone with artworks, greenspaces, fountains, resting corners, playgrounds etc... 










The older pedestrain area is marked in green, the new one in red. 

The effect on the busy car traffic in Brussels is limited for the moment, because it's summertime.

Some pictures of both, the old and new pedestrian zone:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## JanVL

Is that (partly) the new pedestrian zone as well or only autovrije zondag?


----------



## Benonie

No, it's a new, permanent pedestrian zone. 24/7, 365d/year! One of the largest pedestrian areas in the world, I've been told.


----------



## Helmet222

What a great project! 
I just hope this place is not total dead in the evening or night time like many pedestrian zones in Europe. With such wide streets it would look even more dead at night and also kinda dangerous. 
But i`m sure everything will work out fine when everything is completed. I need to explore it by myself and see how it feels there.


----------



## Wapper

It's a bit unlike Brussels. But Brussels will quickly change now.


----------



## Benonie

^^ We can expect more renovations, more new shops and even more bars and restaurants in the new pedestrian zone. The city center has changed a ot in the last decades and will keep on changing, yes indeed!



Helmet222 said:


> I just hope this place is not total dead in the evening or night time like many pedestrian zones in Europe. With such wide streets it would look even more dead at night and also kinda dangerous.


Now it's summer time and streets are very lively, even late in the evening and at night. It could become a problem during rainy autumn and cold winter.


----------



## Wapper

Benonie said:


> ^^ We can expect more renovations, more new shops *and even more bars and restaurants in the new pedestrian zone*. The city center has changed a ot in the last decades and will keep on changing, yes indeed!


The Brussels' politicians are being difficult at this moment, but I suppose it will lead to that in the long run.

I agree about the problems that might come up in colder times of the year. The very touristic parts will be okay, but especially in already difficult areas like the southern part of the central boulevard it might not be so cosy.


----------



## Benonie

We get on the metro to the Heysel for the annual Brosella Folk and Jazz festival. One of the pretty summer festivals in the capital, in the shadow of the Atomium.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Leongname

:applause: very beautiful the Atomium building!


----------



## Benonie

I know the Atomium since I was born. It was even on the 20 Bef banknotes, so we saw images of it literally every day. But still I'm amazed and impressed everytime I see that structure in real life. I find it the most beautiful Belgian building from the second half of the 20st century.


----------



## paul62

Good railway photos Ben.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks mate! :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

The high-speed Thalys from Amsterdam, passing Haren on it's way to Brussels and Paris:







Interior of the Siemens Desiro train:



Arrival at Haren, this village is the most northern district of the municipality of Brussels.


----------



## Gratteciel

Thalys est construit en Belgique? Very interesting pictures Ben!


----------



## Benonie

^^ The trains are constructed by the multinational Alstom, based in Paris, France. 

Thalys is a coöperation between the French (62%), Belgian (38%) and German (10%) and Dutch (strategic partnership) railways, based in Brussels, Belgium.

It's a very succesful an popular train service, offering very fast connection between some major cities and airports in the 4 countries.


----------



## eagleheart1987

gratteciel said:


> Thalys est construit en Belgique? Very interesting pictures Ben!


Maintenance is in Vorst, Brussels.


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Once again great, very nice updates :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Haren, a village within the city limits of Brussels:


----------



## Benonie

More Haren, Brussels:


----------



## the Ludovico center

Now you can legitimately say you've been everywhere in town (until one goes to Haren one isn't allowed to claim they've been everywhere in Brussels (since Haren is a huge chunk of Brussels territory even tho only 4 thousand people live there)


----------



## Benonie

Indeed, It was a blind spot for me untill now. it's a somewhat isolated part of Brussels, with little reasons to visit. Although the headquarters of NATO is situated on its territory.
And probably in the future the new prison will be built here.





There's no metro or tram to this little district, so we take city bus 64 southbound:


----------



## paul62

^^It`s got a _small town_ look about it. Nice.


----------



## Benonie

We continue walking south and arrive at Evere.







The 18th century Church of Saint Vincent, with 11th century romanesque tower:


----------



## Benonie

Brussels is a great place. Next time, skip Amsterdam...


----------



## Benonie

More Evere:












From Evere, we walk south, following the "Green Walk", whicj takes us through a real swamp along the railway.


----------



## paul62

A nice little quiet spot in the city (or so it looks).
Good shots Ben.


----------



## Benonie

It was quiet and peaceful, although sounds of planes and trains are the regular background sounds. 
The swamp is a listed nature reserve, dating from a long gone era...


----------



## Spookvlieger

Great shots you made there!

Belgium used to have big swamps hundreds of years ago. Brussels was also build on a swamp :yes:  You really think this could be a remain of that Benonie?

Nearby my home there is a big swamp in a natural delta. In 2003, the constant dry pumping of the area was stopped and the agricultural land slowly flooded again like it was last flooded 100 years ago. It's called; Het Vinne. It has a landscape that is unique today in Flanders but once used to be normal.


----------



## skylark

it's nice for you to show shots of places that are far from the touristy areas.


----------



## Benonie

skylark said:


> it's nice for you to show shots of places that are far from the touristy areas.


^^ Thanks. It's also a pleasure to me to walk all this rather unknown areas. 


joshsam said:


> Belgium used to have big swamps hundreds of years ago. Brussels was also build on a swamp :yes:  You really think this could be a remain of that Benonie?
> 
> Nearby my home there is a big swamp in a natural delta. In 2003, the constant dry pumping of the area was stopped and the agricultural land slowly flooded again like it was last flooded 100 years ago. It's called; Het Vinne. It has a landscape that is unique today in Flanders but once used to be normal.


It's in the valley of the river Senne, not far from an existing old river influent, just like the city center, but more north af course. So I suppose 2000 years ago Brussels looked like this.

We have some restored swamps in our own region too, called Maldegemveld. I love that area for a sunday hike.


----------



## Benonie

Listed wall painting, dating from the second world war:



I think we've now entered Schaarbeek:


----------



## paul62

I like it.


----------



## toshijmx

I love it!


----------



## Benonie

Thank you!  More Schaarbeek:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie

More Schaarbeek:


----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates from Brussels :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Trainworld, a newly opened train museum, situated in the old Schaarbeek station building and a new built exhibition hall. It's along the first railway line on the European continent, between Brussels en Mechelen.

It was still under construction in june, but opened to the public in september:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

^^I wonder just what song he was playing?  Layla maybe:yes: 
Nice shots Ben.


----------



## christos-greece

Wonderful, very nice updates, Ben :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

paul62 said:


> ^^I wonder just what song he was playing?  Layla maybe:yes:


Probably... but I can't remember.


----------



## thedomilie

this city is so cool!
wow i love this city so much.
and really want to go once in life time.
thanks for sharing.


----------



## Benonie

Thanks mate! Brussels is a bit underrated, but the city sure is worth a visit!


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Amazing and very nice as well; keep them coming, Ben


----------



## Benonie

More Schaarbeek:


----------



## christos-greece

Brussels, the city of tram  ...How many tram lines Brussels has?
Amazing, very nice new photos, btw...


----------



## Benonie

^^ There are 20 tram lines using about 140 km of tram tracks in Brussels, transporting 130 million passengers per year. Making it one of the 10 largest tram systems in the world, according to Wikipedia. The tram system is still extending, but on the other hand a big part of the underground tramlines -_the so called premetro_- will be converted into a real 'heavy' metro in the near future.


----------



## Benonie

We continue our walk through Schaarbeek:


----------



## Benonie

More trams, more Schaarbeek:


----------



## Benonie

We stay in Schaarbeek:


----------



## Benonie

Schaarbeek town hall:


----------



## Gratteciel

So much art in the city. Great!


----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates from Brussels :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

November 22th: Brussels, occupied ghost town...


----------



## Benonie




----------



## El_Greco

Man, those Art-Nouveau buildings are amazing. :drool:


----------



## Benonie

They sure are. And to think that Schaarbeek has got a rather bad, gritty reputation in the rest of Belgium...:nuts:


----------



## Spookvlieger

Wonderfull facades! No other can tip Brussels on the Art Nouveau leve!

Well Schaarbeek has a bad reputation because most people only know lower Schaarbeek next to the North station, wich is a tad rough and features the cities red light district.


----------



## the Ludovico center

joshsam said:


> Wonderfull facades! No other can tip Brussels on the Art Nouveau leve!
> 
> Well Schaarbeek has a bad reputation because most people only know lower Schaarbeek next to the North station, wich is a tad rough and features the cities red light district.


I always found that a very bad PR for the city.

They should never have allowed a red light district at such a visible spot. There are far more train passengers passing in full view than there are curb crawlers :lol:

The cynic in me almost suspects the local politicians are in cahoots with the pimps (I find it incredible that no official ever suggested to at least build some sort of cover fence to block the view, if not outright relocate the "hoes" to another street that doesn't face the busiest rail corridor in the country 
.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Well, most people in belgium are open to legal prostitution and I don't think that anyone really cares. Across Belgium, red light districts consists of rows of brothels alongside busy roads between cities....

In my own town, on the N3 towards Liège (Sint-Truiden-Liège) there are around 50 brothels with windows....a lot of traffic goes by those places. I don't think anyone really cares. It's the same in The Netherlands, I don't think Amsterdam has bad PR with the red lights there?


----------



## the Ludovico center

joshsam said:


> Well, most people in belgium are open to legal prostitution and I don't think that anyone really cares. Across Belgium, red light districts consists of rows of brothels alongside busy roads between cities....
> 
> In my own town, on the N3 towards Liège (Sint-Truiden-Liège) there are around 50 brothels with windows....a lot of traffic goes by those places. I don't think anyone really cares. It's the same in The Netherlands, I don't think Amsterdam has bad PR with the red lights there?


Yea but you don't see the hoes from your train window when you approach Amsterdam Central station. When you approach Amsterdam the city looks just like in the postcards and tourist brochures. That's not accidental. Amsterdam even has a deliberate policy of building extra iconic structures right alongside railway tracks and near stations all around the city from east and west to north and especially south.

but when you approach Brussels you might get confused (your brochure is full of bonbons but you're gonna see boobies first.


----------



## Spookvlieger

Boobies, grit and delipitated buildings, I know. The station area's in Brussels are the least favourable and they don't look good. Besides, I think the area around the South station looks even worse, minus the boobies. It's not exactly a welcome-ing sight you are right.


----------



## Benonie

More Schaarbeek town hall:


----------



## openlyJane

Absolutely gorgeous buildings; great details.


----------



## christos-greece

I am always enjoying your very nice photos from Brussels; well done and keep them coming, Ben :cheers:


----------



## Spookvlieger

You can easly tell that Schaarbeek was for the well off citizens back in the day! Wonderfull captured


----------



## Benonie

^^ I suppose it will attract more wealthy citizens again once the metro will be extended right under the densely populated neighbourhoods of Schaerbeek.


----------



## Klausenburg

The inhabitants of Schaerbeek were called 'The donkeys'. Long long time ago, they were growing vegetables and transporting them every morning to the market in downtown by donkeys. The people along the route got used to the noise way before the Sun had risen, and used to say: 'The donkeys are coming again'. Because of this tradition, even now some donkeys have their space in Parc Josaphat. In the end, Schaerbeek is the town of donkeys...

......................

Up North of Park Josaphat and tram line 7, Schaerbeek is even now kind of prosperous. Even if is not in that part, I believe Hachtsesteenweg may become a nice pedestrian ized street, and the commercial and social heart of the town. There is not enough space now for the tables outside, on the sidewalk, and the atmosphere is very welcoming.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Gratteciel

Happy New Year Ben! 
Beautiful city and amazing pics!


----------



## christos-greece

Happy New Year Ben and keep them coming! Are really very nice photos :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

More statues around Sablon:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## aljuarez

Great pics, Ben! I really appreciate detailed photo-tours like this one. Thank you SO much!!!:cheers:


----------



## christos-greece

Once again, really very nice photos, Ben kay:


----------



## yansa

Superb!


----------



## Benonie

Thank you all for the views, likes and comments. Very appreciated! :cheers:


----------



## yansa

Wonderful, the green couple and the cathedral,
as well as the last pic!


----------



## Benonie

Thanks mate! :cheers: Though it's not really a cathedral but the brautiful Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon. The green statue represents the Counts Edgmont and Horne, victims of the Spanish Inquisition and beheaded on Brussels' Grand Place in 1568 AD.


----------



## Benonie

Just around the corner lays the Egmont Palace, a large mansion built by this Count of Egmont, Lamoral, between 1548 and 1560:


----------



## Leongname

nice pics Ben.
is this the 'Peter Pan' statue? looks very similar


----------



## Benonie

I think you used the wrong link. 

Anyway, no Peter Pan in Brussels. Around the small park called Kleine Zavel/Petit Sablon there are 48 statues representing 48 '_ambachten_', old historical professions.


----------



## Benonie

The Hotel, where president Obama stayed in 2014. 





Bastion Tower:


----------



## Wapper

Still continuing the good work in 2016, I see. :cheers:

Maybe you will soon have the opportunity to make pictures of Brussels covered in snow.


----------



## Benonie

^^ No time to visit the capital at the moment. I have some older snow pictures somewhere else here on this thread, taken from Koekelberg church. Years ago...


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Once again great, very nice photos :cheers:


----------



## Wapper

Shame that you can't go to Brussels now but you didn't miss a thing. It has been snowing but it didn't stick.

The new Brussels Apple and Marks and Spencer stores are located in the new building in the first and 4th picture of Ben's last post. I'm not so fond of its design.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you. I'll revisit the capital as soon as I've got more time. Weekends are busy this period.



Wapper said:


> The new Brussels Apple and Marks and Spencer stores are located in the new building in the first and 4th picture of Ben's last post. I'm not so fond of its design.


But I like it...


----------



## General Electric

Some good memories in Brussels, thanks to share your beautiful pics!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

^^ Wonderful, very nice updates :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you Christos! And the others for the likes. :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## madonnagirl

cool update of a lovely city.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thank you!







Kruidtuin/Botanical Garden:


----------



## Benonie

More Botanical Garden, a threasurie of culture, tranquility and nature surrounded by busy roads and massive office towers:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

Once again great, very nice updates kay: :applause:


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks mate! :cheers1:


----------



## yansa

Wow, I especially like the third picture, Ben!


----------



## Benonie

^^ That's a picture of the inner ring road seen to the west, with the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the horizon:


----------



## yansa

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart - what an astonishing landmark.
Beautiful view!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Indeed. It's a massive building on top of the hill, construction started about a century ago. It's one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in the world. Visitors can take the elevator to a viewing platform at the base of the Cupola, which offers some stunning views over the city.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## openlyJane

The church a few sets up looks almost mosque-like... Is it an orthodox church, or similar?


----------



## Benonie

Do you mean the Saint Mary's Church or the Basilica of the Sacred Heart? Anyway, both are Roman Catholic churches, like most churches in Belgium. 
The St Mary's church has got Byzantine influences, that could be the reason it's got a more oriental look.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## sky-eye

Nice update!


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Wapper

Again an area that looks much better on your pictures than in real life. Although it's really not that ban when it's dark and the lights in all the buildings create a col atmosphere.


----------



## Benonie

Well, the North Business District is not really ugly, but boring.


----------



## Benonie

We take the commuter train to Brussels-Schuman railway station in the European Quarter.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

^^ Once again great, very nice updates :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you, my friend. And everyone for looking and liking! :cheers1:


----------



## General Electric

Beautiful Brussels!


----------



## Benonie

We visited the Jubilee Park for one of the three big museums in the beautiful buildings: Autoworld.
Last summer there was an exhibition to celebrate the 60ste anniversary of one of my favourite cars: the iconic Citroën DS.

Relax and enjoy beauty:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie

Back to the future... Cab B25





French Presidential limousine


----------



## El_Greco

Fantomas's Citroen! 

Good stuff, man!


----------



## Benonie

Thank you!


----------



## diddyD

Nice cars^


----------



## christos-greece

Awesome, very nice old cars photos :cheers:



Benonie said:


> Thank you, my friend :cheers1:


Welcome :cheers1:


----------



## karlvan

beautiful Brussels. love that cars show.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you all! kay1:

Of course Autoworld houses a great permanent collection with mostly European cars from all ages:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie




----------



## yansa

Very nice updates, Ben!


----------



## Gratteciel

A large collection of cars and also very interesting!


----------



## yansa

Nice pics, vibrant street life! kay:


----------



## General Electric

Beautiful! The blue sky with clouds make great effect above buildings


----------



## NovaProspekt

This video shows a lot of the newer areas like the European Quarter and such:


----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates, Ben


----------



## charliewong90

wow! busy streets, love this city -one of my faves.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you all!


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Great, very nice photos, Ben


----------



## shik2005

kay:


----------



## General Electric

Beautiful effect with the clouds and blue sky!


----------



## Benonie

The historic tram depot at St Gillis where the oldest running type of trams -(PCC 7700-7900) are maintained:








[/URL]


----------



## Benonie




----------



## yansa

Thank you for this wonderful updates, Ben!
Really enjoyed to look in! 

My favourite: the last pic kay:


----------



## paul62

Nice stuff Ben. I like trams.


----------



## Romashka01

Great update,Ben! :applause:


----------



## christos-greece

Indeed great, very nice updates, Ben :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you all for the comments! kay:

PCC trams are still running in 3 Belgian cities, but are being replaced by large low floor trams since some years. So this is a kind of tribute to this beautiful, elegant tram type.


----------



## General Electric

These trams have a lot of cachet


----------



## christos-greece

Trams (old ones especially) of Brussels are really very nice :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

Thank you very much, my friends! 

Walking further South to the former Wielemans-Ceuppens brewery at Vorst/Forest. Two main buildings are remaining, housing a cultural center and Wiels, a center for contemporary art.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Leongname

Benonie said:


> ^^ It's a melting pot of old and new, small and huge, beauty and ugliness.


 do you mean the beauty garden and the ugly building, Ben?


----------



## christos-greece

Indeed great, very nice updates, Ben :cheers:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Benonie

Tram 82 brings us from the former Wiels brewery in Vorst to another old brewery: Belle Vue in Molenbeek.





The Belle Vueat the canal was recently transformed into ahotel, hostel and a center of urban art: MiMa: The Millenium Iconoclast Museum of Art!


----------



## paul62

Old and new.
I like it.


----------



## Benonie




----------



## christos-greece

Once again great, very nice photos, Ben :cheers:


----------



## christos-greece

BTW, i should give my congratulations for your Belgian team (8 best teams of Euro 2016). :cheers:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=133735945&postcount=91


----------



## Benonie

Thanks Christos! They're getting better every game! :cheers:


----------



## Benonie

City Lights exhibition: Art works by Swoon:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## paul62

Great reportage.


----------



## danmartin1985

wow, beautiful and those graffiti are awesome.


----------



## Benonie

Faile:


----------



## Benonie

Momo:





Maya Hayuk:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Eduarqui

^^

Interesting place, and good to see children having chance to experiment contatct with free artistic expression


----------



## christos-greece

Once again great, very nice updates, Ben :cheers:


----------



## alexander2000

nice shots of a beautiful city....those wall paintings are really interesting.


----------



## christos-greece

Some interesting photos i posted today in the thread of Brussels, in "Cityscapes and Skyline photos":
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=134183879&postcount=109
What's that parade, called Zinneke?


----------



## yansa

Fine reportage about street art, Ben, and exciting exhibitions! kay:

Love 2235/4 and 2236/2!


----------



## El_Greco

I was in Ghent just two weeks ago. Must say Belgium does have a rather pleasant urban realm. Brussels very much included!


----------



## Benonie

^^ Your pictures of Ghent are fantastic!

More MiMa. Permanent collection:


----------



## MyGeorge

cool shots, like those art works.


----------



## Benonie

Thank you guys!


----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates from Brussels, Ben :cheers:

And btw:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1907607&page=9
9 pages allready


----------



## General Electric

Great views from the MiMa :applause:


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks guys! Some views from the roof top terrace:


----------



## Benonie

A walk back to the city center:


----------



## openlyJane

Brussels looking very urban and gritty in these shots.


----------



## Benonie

openlyJane said:


> Brussels looking very urban and gritty in these shots.


Indeed, MiMa is located in the old industrial and working-class neighbourhood along the canal. Gentrification has started only recently here. And the grey clouds make it look even more gritty.


----------



## General Electric

Nice updates, I like it very much the industrial building kay: 

That's impessive the flowers on the ground..


----------



## Benonie

General Electric said:


> That's impessive the flowers on the ground..


Wilted flowers in memory of the bomb attacks of six months ago. They were removed soon after I took this pictures.

But the soldiers are stil on the streets. Here at Anderlecht Abattoir market:


----------



## LA fierce

Beautiful pictures of the Belgium capital! :drool:


----------



## Ian

Really nice pics !! I stayed a couple of weeks ago there at the meininger hostel that appear in some shots..

The city is a bit gritty in all the places i went through but nothing to worry too much about. Some parks like the one in front of the royal palace need an urgently restoration or improvement.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thanks Ian!

Like many big cities, Brussels still has got some gritty neighbourhoods indeed, even in the city center. And the Meininger is smack in the middle of one of these old quarters: Old Molenbeek and the western part of central Brussels on the other site of the canal. 

More or less you can devide Greater Brussels into two parts: the richer and fancy Upper Town in the East and the poorer and sometimes shabby Lower Town in the West.

Thinks have improved a lot during the last decades, even in western and central Brussels. And the Brussels' gouvernment works hard to renovate old quarters, but it will take another decade to improve the worst quarters. 

But with a (too) fast growing population and high unemployment, that's not always easy.


----------



## General Electric

Benonie said:


> Wilted flowers in memory of the bomb attacks of six months ago. They were removed soon after I took this pictures.


Thank Benonie! I've thinking so. That's near the Place de la Bourse ?

A nice reconversion for slaughterhouse! In my town they would be demolished, but they are not in an interesting building like there in Anderlecht, a priori!


----------



## Benonie

General Electric said:


> That's near the Place de la Bourse ?


It _is_ the Place de la Bourse. The building on the picture is the former stock exchange, which will reopen as an interactive Belgian Beer Palace.



General Electric said:


> A nice reconversion for slaughterhouse! In my town they would be demolished, but they are not in an interesting building like there in Anderlecht, a priori!


It sure is a nice reconversion, there's an extension built recently. The market is really huge and there are great future plans for the whole area around the Abattoir.


----------



## General Electric

Benonie said:


> It _is_ the Place de la Bourse. The building on the picture is the former stock exchange, which will reopen as an interactive Belgian Beer Palace.
> 
> 
> It sure is a nice reconversion, there's an extension built recently. The market is really huge and there are great future plans for the whole area around the Abattoir.


Great! An another nice reconversion for the stock exchange, with a really impressive roof top extension! :cheers1:


----------



## Benonie

^^ However, opinions are divided on this roof extension ....


----------



## Gratteciel

I find that roof extension very spectacular. I like it. Great pictures, Ben!


----------



## christos-greece

Indeed really great, very nice updates, Ben :applause:


----------



## Benonie

Another great reconversion project is the site of the former cargo train station Thurn en Taxis, north west the city center:


----------



## Wapper

Benonie said:


> ^^ However, opinions are divided on this roof extension ....


I don't like it. It's a bit like the new Havenhuis in Antwerp:








http://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20160922_0...over-havenhuis-alles-wat-nieuw-is-moet-wennen

For me this spectacular extensions do not show much respect for the old buildings. I think new architecture should fit into the surroundings instead of trying to attract all attention with a large size and a clash of styles. The building above is going to look very bad in a few decades. 

The Bourse roof is not as bad as what they did in Antwerp, as it's only an extension of the building instead of a parasite, but I still think it harms the wonderful old building.


----------



## General Electric

Benonie said:


> ^^ However, opinions are divided on this roof extension ....


I can imagine... For me, that not the same with example in Antwerp because old building look less crushed in Brussel...


----------



## christos-greece

Cool, very nice new photos, Ben


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thank you for the comments and discussions.

Here's another opinion : 

Brussels is Europe’s most underappreciated city.

_(Michael Kaminer, New York Daily News, September 23, 2016.)_

But let's go back to the former Thurn & Taxis cargo station:


----------



## DarkLite

I love the spontaneous nature of Brussels, sure it might be a little rough around some edges but I love how this gives the city a very playful and organic image.


----------



## Benonie

DarkLite said:


> sure it might be a little rough around some edges


^^



Old signal box. To be restored?...



And so we enter Laken/Laeken:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## Hardcore Terrorist

Tour et Taxis is indeed very nice, I have some (not very good) pictures of the area from around 2004, when most of it was still very run down. Also thanks for your other nice updates


----------



## christos-greece

^^ Once again great, very nice updates, Ben :cheers:


----------



## yansa

Love your last set, Ben - beautiful buildings & pics! kay:


----------



## LA fierce

Amazing city and thanks for the high quality pictures.


----------



## General Electric

Really nice update! 2267/2269: that is a gorgeous place with everything and its opposite! Modern and anciant building, green park and brush... really inspirant place, great athmosphere.

And of course Brussel desserve to be visited, that's a nice experience and many many many things to do here (museums, monuments, shopping, cultural activities, typical food and drink, you don't see time pass! I was one full week and was amazing, I hope return one time!


----------



## Romashka01

Great photos,Ben!! #2270 beautiful architecture kay:


----------



## Gratteciel

Very nice pics, Ben. Brussels is a beautiful and very interesting city!


----------



## Benonie

Thanks! It was a bit grey for pictures, but I've tried to make the best of it.


----------



## openlyJane

Such beautiful facades and windows in set 2270.


----------



## christos-greece

As always great, very nice updates from Brussels


----------



## General Electric

The rotten weather clearly reveals the colors of the city kay:


----------



## Benonie

More grey weather at Laken:







Church of Our Lady with the Royal Crypt inside:



This former train station will be restored and transformed into a cultural venue with café:


----------



## yansa

Nice pink corner at Laken! 

Particularly love #2278/1 & 3! :applause:


----------



## Gratteciel

Great pics, Ben! Beautiful architecture in Laken.


----------



## Benonie

Laken Cemetery


----------



## Romashka01

Great photos! especially the last one kay:


----------



## Benonie




----------



## capricorn2000

nice shots despite the grey atmosphere....same weather as we have it here.


----------



## Benonie

Well, it's quite sunny the last months, but pictures were taken in June... we had a very grey and rather chilly spring this year.


----------



## christos-greece

Great, very nice updates from Brussels, Ben :cheers:


----------



## Wapper

I love these old cemeteries. I love to walk around in them, feel the atmosphere and enjoy the wonderful pieces of art that are all around. When I'm in big cities abroad I always try to visit the main cemetery and compare them to all others that I saw before. In Belgian cities there are true gems as well. Unfortunately the old graves are sometimes crumbling and falling apart.


----------



## Benonie

Me too, I love graveyards. A piece of history under our feet. 

The restoration of the Laken Cemetry is in progress, as you've probably noticed. But the result is a bit too clean and shiny in my opinion....


----------



## Wapper

That'll change soon. after all the stones are all exposed to the elements. I'm already glad they are saved for at least a few more decades now. I hope the crypts will be restored as well. 

The biggest problem with these old tombstones is subsidence, as they often don't have real foundations. Some parts sink into the ground while other parts keeps standing. The result is that the stones crumble. Sometimes you can even look into the grave.
Another big problem is copper theft. It's a very sad affair.


----------



## yansa

Phantastic cemetery pics, Ben. kay:

I'm deeply impressed by this:



Benonie said:


>


 In my eyes one of the best pics I've seen in the last time!


----------



## emperormadness

Fantastic thread and pictures! I love Brussels, I lived for one summer in Ixelles (Elsene) and it was the best time of my life. I like that if you go from one area of the city to another, it sometimes does really feel like another town. 

I especially liked the Laeken quarter and also Uccle, it's so quiet and green and clean and it has many wonderful cul-de-sacs and villas. 

Definitely one of the most underrated cities in Europe.


----------



## Benonie

^^ Thank you! Church of Our Lady:


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## paul62

yansa said:


> Phantastic cemetery pics, Ben. kay:
> 
> I'm deeply impressed by this:
> 
> 
> 
> In my eyes one of the best pics I've seen in the last time!


I agree with that. 

Other updates nice too.


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## yansa

Beautiful shots of the Gothic church interior, Ben! kay:


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## karlvan

lovely photo update....and I like the graveyard shots.....for halloween?


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## Niemand

Nice pictures! Underrated indeed. Always something new to discover after so many years. It's a special city for sure!


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## Benonie

Thank you, dear friends! :cheers:

More Laken:


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## skylark

cool and neat city.


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## Benonie

^^ Indeed.  Laken again:


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## Wapper

Laken is a very special part of Brussels. It is really diverse.


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## Benonie

Indeed. Laken has got lots of interesting places, like the royal residence and crypt, lots of green spaces, some exotic buildings like the Japanese Tower and the Chinese Pavilion, the world famous Atomium, the beautiful Church of our Lady but also some busy roads and shaby areas.

In a small park near the church we've discovered this little memorial to the perished Queen Astrid:


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## emperormadness

^ This memorial was one of the highlights of my "day trip" to Laeken when I stayed in Brussels, even though I had not read anything about it beforehand . The park around it is quiet and beautiful!


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## angrybird2411

Follow me. Wiels museum! Forest is an interisting place for a Museum. A successful integration of a cultural institution in a disavantaged neighborhood, in my knowledge. Beautiful pictures.


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## sky-eye

Very nice pictures again. Thanks for sharing.:cheers:


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## Benonie

emperormadness said:


> This memorial was one of the highlights of my "day trip" to Laeken when I stayed in Brussel


I wouldn't call this a highlight, but it's a nice place anyway.

Some more Laken:


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## christos-greece

Once again great, very nice updates, Ben :cheers:


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## General Electric

I love the mural painting, and much more kay: Very nice updates


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## Romashka01

I like Laken  great photos,Ben kay:


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## Benonie




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## christos-greece

As always great, very nice updates about Brussels, Ben


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## yansa

Nice update, Ben - especially love the last pic. kay:


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## Benonie




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## Benonie




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## Benonie

Schaarbeek is just on the other side of the canal and is connected with other districts by several tram lines. A new metroline between Schaarbeek and the center is planned, approved and will be in service within some years.


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## yansa

Fine updates, Ben! kay:
Particularly love the street in #2318/4!


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## Romashka01

Great pictures, Ben! This  street reminds me of Lviv


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## Benonie

Thank you, dear friends, for likes and comments! :cheers1:


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## sky-eye

Very nice pictures!


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## Benonie

Thanks! More Schaarbeek, Josaphat Park :


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## christos-greece

^^ Great, very nice updates, Ben :cheers:


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## yansa

Great updates, Ben! kay:


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## Romashka01

Superb pictures! I especially like this one kay:


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## Gratteciel

Great pictures and great city!
Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year, Ben!


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## Benonie

Thanks! And a merry Xmas and happy New Year to all of you, dear friends! :cheers1:


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## Leongname

Merry Christmas Ben!
Best Wishes to you too kay:


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## Benonie




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## yansa

Superb pics, Ben! kay:


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## Guest

Encantada con esta maravillosa ciudad, se respira historia, arte por donde quiera que se vaya, espero algún día poder recorrerla y tener ese grato privilegio.


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## alexander2000

beautiful photo update...nice weather as well.


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## General Electric

Brussels is so nice, great pictures!!


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## Benonie

Thank you all for the interest and comments in this thread! :cheers:

Back to the other side of the city. We walk through Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillis and Vorst/Forest. Something went wrong with my camera this day, light and colors were weird. A wrong setting, I suppose. I've tried to restore the pictures, but they still look a bit strange sometimes.

Anyway, let's start in Saint-Gillis:


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## Benonie




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## Why-Why

Great shots, Ben! I love those Brussels side streets, dotted with eccentric Art Nouveau houses.


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## Niemand

Indeed very pretty neighbourhoods to find in our capital! Too bad tourists don't go to these places often.


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## MyGeorge

beautiful! and what a great weather you have there.


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## Buffalo Soldier

^^ I think that's due to some selection bias


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