# Walking through Brussels



## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

The summer of 2013 and again this summer I took a walk around Brussels, my beloved city. I already posted the photo series on the belgian forum, but a bit more of Brussels in the international section won't harm right. 
I walked around different neighborhoods and hope you’ll see Brussels is much more than the Grand Place and the crappy tourist shops around it. 
I'll begin with the tour of 2013. 
I started at Porte de Hal/Hallepoort metro station and took a walk through the Saint-Gilles neighborhood to the Parc de Forest. Saint-Gilles is very diverse, in population and in general.

Parc at Porte de Hal
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Saint-Gilles has some lovely art nouveau buidings
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The Parvis de Saint-Gilles is a very nice square with nice cafés and restaurants
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Right next to the Parvis square, there is a little hidden park
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Zoom out
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The Saint-Gilles town hall in the back
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This residential towers sticks out like a sore thumb between the classic townhouses. It’s built on one of the highest points in the city, so the views must be amazing though
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The parc de Forest
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View from the nearby Parc Duden towards the city center. The palace of justice looks very imposing 
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Between the bushes, you can spot some glimpse of the business district on the other side of the city
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This is it for now. Here I took the subway towards the city center to continue my walk.
More pics will follow!


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Arrived in the city center
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The old stock exchange building on the right. There are plans to make this square and parts of the connecting boulevards car free.
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Place de Brouckère
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The Manhattan center in the north district
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The rue Neuve/Nieuwstraat, the main shopping street downtown
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The Boutanique/Kruidtuin
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View over the garden and the north district
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That’s part 2 of my walk. The 3rd and last part of this walk is coming.


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Third part of my walk begins at the backside of the north train station. It’s a bit run down and poor over there and it’s a prostitution area. This is lower Schaerbeek. 

Looking toward the other side of the train station, an office area. Urban chaos over here
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Angel on top of a peep show building
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The rue de Brabant is a very busy Arab shopping street. The parallel rue d’Aerschot is the window prostitution street of the city. Very weird contrasts around. 
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Climbed up the hill through a nice little park for this view on the north district. It’s take more than a year ago, the residential tower in the back is finished by now.
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Atomium
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Belgium’s highest residential building
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We’re entering the upper parts of Schaerbeek, a nice residential area 
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This is the second highest residential tower in Belgium
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Belgians aren’t that nationalistic, the photos were taking some days before we had our new king, so that explains the Belgian flags
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Nice urban view
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Balcony scene
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Beautiful art nouveau at the squares 
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We’re coming closer to the European neighborhood
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Europe
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Residential tower in the back is almost finished by now
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Leopold park
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The area has quite a big construction boom. It’s a good thing, for years it had been kind of neglected
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Here, at the Luxembourg train station, I took the train back home
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So far for the 2013 tour


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## BlurredLines (Aug 1, 2013)

I hate it when people call this city boring, to me it's one of the most interesting cities in europe. Great Photos!


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

BlurredLines said:


> I hate it when people call this city boring, to me it's one of the most interesting cities in europe. Great Photos!


Thanks man 
I don't think the 'boring' image of Brussels is fair either, but i can understand why. 
There are alot of boring office buildings, too many cars and some bad urban planning decisions made since the 1950s. 
If you can look past that, there are indeed really cool places to discover. 
I'm glad to hear you did find the charm!


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Wow! Stunning urban shots Kweenie! kay:


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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

I find this city quite interesting...places you've shown are great and full of life.
for me, the Grand Place is still the city's landmark and I can still feel the joy I experienced
when I was there.


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## Phoenyxar (Mar 4, 2012)

Love the shots!


kweenie said:


> This is the second highest residential tower in Belgium


Actually it's the third highest, you forgot the Europacentrum in Ostend! 


kweenie said:


> Belgians aren’t that nationalistic, the photos were taking some days before we had our new king, so that explains the Belgian flags


Ah well, don't underestimate our nationalism. The special event will surely had its part, but cities like Brussels and Liège (and their inhabitants) are fairly nationalistic all year round.


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Benonie said:


> Wow! Stunning urban shots Kweenie! kay:


Thanks again Benonie!
You're doing a great job promoting Brussels and Belgium in the international section yourself. Big fan of your pictures!



capricorn2000 said:


> I find this city quite interesting...places you've shown are great and full of life.
> for me, the Grand Place is still the city's landmark and I can still feel the joy I experienced
> when I was there.


Yes, the Grand Place is stunning and definately the most beautiful place in Brussels.  
I didn't go there because there are much better photographers who can capture the beauty of it. 
I just took a walk through neighborhoods i like and hope to show some parts of the everyday Brussels that is less photographed.


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Phoenyxar said:


> Love the shots!
> 
> Actually it's the third highest, you forgot the Europacentrum in Ostend!


Of course! I'm sorry Ostend. I always thought Brusilia in Schaerbeek was higher than the Europacenter, don't know why. (And thanks! )



> Ah well, don't underestimate our nationalism. The special event will surely had its part, but cities like Brussels and Liège (and their inhabitants) are fairly nationalistic all year round.


That might be true, but all the belgian flags in the streets do give a wrong impression if you don't know what was going on at the time.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice photos from Brussels; well done


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## Basnix (Sep 25, 2012)

Great collection of urban pictures, capturing the hustle and bustle of the city but also some of the quainter areas. I love the turn of the century architecture in Brussel(s)!


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Basnix said:


> Great collection of urban pictures, capturing the hustle and bustle of the city but also some of the quainter areas. I love the turn of the century architecture in Brussel(s)!


Thank you! 
That's exactly what i wanted to show. 
There is the chaos Brussels is known for, but if you take a few steps out of the center you'll find lovely neighborhoods that havent changed that much in the last 100 years.


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Time for walk number 2! Pictures are taken this summer on a sunny Thursday.

We start at the Midi station. It’s Brussels most important train station, with high speed trains like Eurostar, TGV and Thalys connecting Brussels to other important cities. What might surprise is the fact that the station is surrounded by relatively poor neighborhoods. The area around the front entrance is called Kuregem and has quite a bad reputation. It’s not really the place for tourists, although it does have some surprisingly nice buildings, a brewery you can visit and the largest and most colorful markets in weekends. 

The lot next to the train station is now a desolate place. There are plans to build some new office towers (partly residential we hope). 
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This one would get a neighbor of about the same height
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We walk further into Kuregem. This is the Anderlecht city hall building in the middle. 
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Like I said, this is a poor neighborhood, but it does have a lot of architectural quality 
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We arrive at the busy ringroad around the city center
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This is one of the central boulevards that cut right through the city center. There are plans to make parts of them car free 17 
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Fancy old add sign next to less fancy new ones
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One of the most run down looking building complexes in the city center. It’s located right next to the busy railroad that cuts through town, so a lot of people look at it every day. Fortunately there now are plans to redevelop the site. Good news and not a day too soon. 
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People there seem to care about gender equality. Why not  
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We now enter the Marolles, another rather poor neighborhood in the low parts of Brussels. It’s known to have a lot of charm, especially the daily flea market. 
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Some project with new design shops right next to the flea market, gentrification has begun.
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We’re going up towards the totally different high parts of Brussels!
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The palace of justice is just too big for pictures.
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This is it for part one. More posh areas in the upper parts of the city will follow!


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Great, really great updates Kweenie! kay:


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

This is super! :banana:


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Thanks guys 

We arrived at Louise, the place where you’ll find all the big brands like Chanel, Armani, Vuitton,.. It’s just a climb away from the Marolles flea market. 
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The Egmontpark, located behind the big Hotel tower, is a real gem
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Popular shopping streets on both sides, but they are still divided by this big city highway. It’s a shame
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The shopping neighborhood around Toison d’Or is becoming a good alternative for the crowded shopping streets downtown
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Avenue Louise 
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Rue Jourdan is a great spot if you’re looking for restaurants
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Glamping in the middle of the city, it’s possible at Vintage hotel
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Back on avenue Louise
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The newly added floors cover a rather explicit mural by street artist Bonom
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Imposingly chique hotel. Needless to say this is a very posh area
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The Avenue Louise itself is rather dull architecture wise, a lot of post war apartment buildings. But the side streets often contain some hidden treasures
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Rue du Bailli
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The area around Chatelain is full of nice buildings and cosy restaurants. Still it’s a very calm place to live
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Avenue Louis Lepoutre
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This neighborhood often reminds me of a little Paris
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Avenue Molière is one of the most posh avenues. A lot of embassies settled down here
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The avenue itself is quite peaceful and we’re rather far from the city center, but the city chaos is never far away. Just looking down a side street 87 


Last part of the walk goes to the Flagey area.


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Are you planning to make some more walks with your camera like this?


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Marolles looks interesting, multicultural and lively. Fantastic market shots.


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Wapper said:


> Are you planning to make some more walks with your camera like this?


I'd love to! I've got some new walks in my head already. 
When i have a whole day off and weather's good i might do it again.
I live in Antwerp at the moment, so we'll see when it works out. 



paul62 said:


> Marolles looks interesting, multicultural and lively. Fantastic market shots.


Thanks. I love the market too. Tourists have found their way there,
but still it remains very authentic.
If you visit Brussels, you really should go there.


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

We’re still on avenue Molière
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The buildings are beautifully decorated 
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At the end of this peaceful avenue we already see the concrete jungle of the avenue Louise again
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The small restaurant on the left is a reminder of the former grandeur of the avenue, before it became a wall of 12 story apartments 
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The La Cambre abbey is really an oasis in the middle of it all
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Just when you begin to think you’re in some French countryside castle, Brussel dooms up again 
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This square next to the abbey is Belgian art deco heaven
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The ponds of Ixelles are surrounded by some very lovely streets 
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103 by matangibxl, on Flickr
I want to buy this house. Sponsor me please. 
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We are getting near Flagey square
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The square itself is some sort of central spot in this part of town with some good cafés and restaurants around. In summer, it’s a popular spot for families with kids who enjoy the fountains
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Educational façade in rue Lessbrousart, between Flagey and Louise. Some nice shops and restaurants there
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Always room for improvement of course
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Third time we cross avenue Louise 116 

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Nice street, mister and misses Hepburn!
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Porte de Namur
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Downtown isn’t far anymore!
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I wasn’t planning on showing pictures of the center, there are enough of them already, but then I saw this..
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A group of about 100 Americans, all dressed in red and guys wearing skirts. No idea really.
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## wc eend (Sep 16, 2002)

Excellent shots


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## Thermo (Oct 25, 2005)

kweenie said:


> [/url]90


Too bad you have to win the lottery to buy a house here


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Thermo said:


> Too bad you have to win the lottery to buy a house here


Haha I know right. That or becoming a foreign ambassador. The building on the picture is now the Algerian embassy, you can always try.


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## marlonbasman (Apr 21, 2012)

classically, a lovely city and one of my faves.


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## Premislida (Jan 16, 2012)

Nice place!


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

I made another walk on a sunny summer day. This time I walked mainly through the western parts of Brussels, such as Laken and Molenbeek. The west of Brussels has an industrial and working class past. Laken is known as the place where you go to see the royal palace or the Atomium (I won’t show either of them though), Molenbeek is known as an old working class quarter with a large Arab population. 

I only had an old camera at my disposal and most of the pictures were ruined. I decided to put the ones that weren’t too bad online anyway.

Starting at the North train station.
The old district here was erased in the sixties and replaced by a monotonous business district. 


















Belgium’s new highest residential tower will appear a lot in this walk 


















Going near the canal


















Bruxelles les Bains/Brussel Bad is a summer beach at the canalside with sports, 
concerts and a lot of exotic food stands




































Leaving Brussel Bad and going north



























The old industrial quarter is changing


















The Gaucheretpark is the place to go if you like glass towers



























The neighborhood north of the office district is not really pretty or interesting 









We cross the canal 








On the bridge you already see the big royal church of Laken









The old center of Laken is quite nice 









The best part of it is the cemetery. It’s no Père Lachaise, but still worth a visit. 
A lot of big old graves in all states of decay. 


















This tree has been growing through a grave for a long time









They started renovating the graves









Victims of the first world war 



























The quarter north of the cemetery has some nice buildings 









They closed the street for kids to play during summer


















We arrive at Bockstael, a busy local shopping district



























Another street for kids to play. Notice one of the many comic book murals in Brussels









Nice art nouveau houses



























Some nice views at the office district


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

They’re building a big new park on the border between Laken and Molenbeek.
This used to be railway tracks and will now become the biggest new park in Brussels 
in over a hundred years. 









There are several bridges crossing the park. They offer a good view. 


















The 2 biggest residential towers on 1 picture.
The old one on the left is the 36floors high Brusilia tower from the seventies.



























Let’s enter the park




































Continue the walk. We’re in Molenbeek now. 


















Hi there gotic Brussels city hall. 


















We arrive at the busy Leopold 2 Avenue. 


















Here we enter the old center of Molenbeek.
A lot of Arab shops here.









I just missed the market, they were cleaning the place already. 









Nice old storefront









The central square









Some hip halal Thai restaurant









The Prado street feels like an Arab souk on summer days


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

We’re leaving Molenbeek and entering the city center.
There is the Upsite tower again. 




































Café Walvis









Some old buildings at the Vlaamsesteenweg









And some new









Socrates was here









Little alley 




































I really like the building on the right


















And this is why i decided to make some pictures downtown after all.
The big avenues i briefly crossed in former walks are now car free. 
The redevelopment still has to happen, but already it’s a huge success.
Brussels now has on of the biggest pedestrian areas in Europe.



























This guy wanted to show his new shorts on tv


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## Klausenburg (Jul 25, 2007)

Wonderful thread ! It brings back beautiful memories... Maybe once you'll manage to take a walk in the upper Schaerbeek, around Josaphat Park, the Town House, Gare Sch. . That area has a lot of charm... Also, some pics on the western side of Molenbeek would be great . At first it seems bland, but it gives such a surrealist feeling, that cannot be ignored. Antwerp has its charm and also has to be discovered step by step. Maybe you will start a thread dedicated to Antwerp ! It has a lot to show, but is way less known outside Belgium...


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Klausenburg said:


> Wonderful thread ! It brings back beautiful memories... Maybe once you'll manage to take a walk in the upper Schaerbeek, around Josaphat Park, the Town House, Gare Sch. . That area has a lot of charm... Also, some pics on the western side of Molenbeek would be great . At first it seems bland, but it gives such a surrealist feeling, that cannot be ignored. Antwerp has its charm and also has to be discovered step by step. Maybe you will start a thread dedicated to Antwerp ! It has a lot to show, but is way less known outside Belgium...


Thanks Klausenburg!
In my first walk i captured a bit of upper Schaarbeek around Josaphat. Beautiful area, i could see myself living there. 
Western Molenbeek has a unique feeling indeed, since the countryside is almost touching the city there. 
I'm glad you took the effort to visit all those places.
I live in Antwerp now, maybe i should go out making pictures. 
Still, i think Brussels has more hidden beauty and i love the city. 
But Antwerp is an awesome place to be, that's for sure. :cheers:


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

BlurredLines said:


> I hate it when people call this city boring, to me it's one of the most interesting cities in europe. Great Photos!


To me Brussels has a multiple personality disorder, which is far from boring. Very beautiful is extremely close to very ugly. In some parts it looks like just a middle sized European city, in others it looks much bigger than 1.1 million. On one hand it seems rather French, on the other hand more Dutch, but then again more Southern European. Picturesque historic buildings clash with big, boxy, modern ones. As the capital of Belgium it's rather low-key, but as the capital of the EU it's at the forefront of global politics. Brussels is actually one of the most exiting cities in Europe!
I wouldn't really recommend it to tourists though, even though it's so diverse and exiting. Everything together, is kind of a big mess.  Either one loves or hates it.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Great updates with lots of great pictures Kweenie! kay:

I did part of this walk some monthes ago, also in the early heat of summer. Brussels is getting better en better, love this city!


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## kweenie (Feb 26, 2008)

Tiaren said:


> To me Brussels has a multiple personality disorder, which is far from boring. Very beautiful is extremely close to very ugly. In some parts it looks like just a middle sized European city, in others it looks much bigger than 1.1 million. On one hand it seems rather French, on the other hand more Dutch, but then again more Southern European. Picturesque historic buildings clash with big, boxy, modern ones. As the capital of Belgium it's rather low-key, but as the capital of the EU it's at the forefront of global politics. Brussels is actually one of the most exiting cities in Europe!
> I wouldn't really recommend it to tourists though, even though it's so diverse and exiting. Everything together, is kind of a big mess.  Either one loves or hates it.


That’s actually a really good description of Brussels!
And indeed, it’s hard to sell Brussels to foreign visitors. It doesn’t have a big picturesque center where everything looks perfect or a strong identity. 
The identity of Brussels is the fact that it’s a mix of everything, like you described.


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