Scenes From Brussels
Brussels was never high on my list, but when Andy and I were invited on a press trip to the city, I couldn’t resist exploring a new city and seeing what it had to offer. We only had a weekend, but it was an interesting city and we really enjoyed our time there. (Update: We even returned for more the next year!) Here’s a look at a few things we saw during our visit to Brussels.
Brussels flower carpet
Every two years, on even numbered years, Brussels displays this gorgeous flower carpet for just a few days. The flowers are grown in the Belgian city of Ghent in the largest indoor garden in the world. A different theme is chosen each year, and the display is set up in the main square, known as Grand Place or Grote Markt.
This year’s theme was Africa. The Belgian Tourism Board brought us into the city hall to a private balcony in order to view the flower carpet from above. It was enormous! I tried, but I couldn’t get the whole thing in one photo.
Brussels Grand Place
The year after seeing the Grand Place in Brussels covered by the flower carpet, we got to see the square the way it is most of the year. There were just a few stands selling postcards and souvenir drawings as well as a couple flower stands, so the square was wide open. It was one of the few warm sunny days we had during our travels in May, and Andy and I sat down in the middle to admire the buildings and watch the world go by.
Old Brussels
Brussels is not a city I think of as having a lot of old stuff. It’s an old city, like most in Europe, but I always pictured it as a modern place. When we visited Brussels, we certainly found this to be true, but we also discovered a few bits of history hiding out as well. Pieces of the old medieval city walls can still be found in a few places, and I loved seeing them sitting next to modern streets and buildings.
Food in Brussels
Belgium is well known for several foods, including beer, chocolate, waffles, and fries. We tried several of each, and the reputation is deserved. There is good food to be found in Brussels! You can read more about food in Brussels here, but how about a little photo appetizer first.
Belgians like to laugh
Did you know Belgium has a humorous side? The country is home to the Smurfs and tons of other comics, and we also saw lots of quirky things around Brussels that can only be a result of a love of humor. I can appreciate a place that doesn’t take itself so seriously. You can read more about quirky and humorous Belgium here.
Thank you to Belgien Tourismus for hosting us! All opinions are my own.
You might also enjoy:
- Brussels Peeing Statues
- Beer Tasting in Brussels
- How Much We Spent Traveling in Belgium
- What if you could visit all of Europe in one day: A trip to Mini Europe in Brussels
August 18, 2012 @ 8:04 AM
beautiful! lucky you to get to see this flower carpet.
August 18, 2012 @ 7:51 PM
Thanks!
August 18, 2012 @ 3:45 PM
So beautiful! I hope I can see this one day!
August 18, 2012 @ 7:54 PM
Thanks Caroline! Well, you have 2 years to plan to go to the next one! It really was cool to see.
August 18, 2012 @ 6:04 PM
And these are all made from flowers?! That’s incredible and beautiful, too! Pencilling Belgium 2014 into my diary now…
August 18, 2012 @ 7:56 PM
Yep, all real flowers! It was so awesome to see, so beautiful, and there’s a different theme each time. You should totally go in 2014, Belgium is a fun city.
August 19, 2012 @ 2:23 AM
Wow, that is just gorgeous. I am jealous!
August 20, 2012 @ 11:11 AM
Thanks! Mark your calendar for 2014!
August 19, 2012 @ 12:30 PM
Love the photos Ali! Such wonderful colour composition here 🙂
August 20, 2012 @ 11:13 AM
Thanks Samuel!
August 19, 2012 @ 12:38 PM
Amazing!!
Thom 🙂
August 20, 2012 @ 11:14 AM
Thanks Thom!
August 19, 2012 @ 5:11 PM
That is too amazing for just one photo, for sure!!!!
August 20, 2012 @ 11:14 AM
Thanks Erik!
August 20, 2012 @ 10:41 AM
How beautiful! That must have taken so much planning and time to create
August 20, 2012 @ 11:17 AM
I’ll have to look that up, can’t remember at the moment how long they said it takes to put together. It was amazing to see though!
August 21, 2012 @ 11:09 PM
Seriously? That is awesomely epic! What dates do they usually show the carpet? I may have to seriously contemplate going back to Belgium for my next holiday…
August 22, 2012 @ 7:40 PM
It really was cool to see. It’s on display every 2 years, so the next one will be summer of 2014. Check out http://www.flowercarpet.be/ for more info.
October 3, 2012 @ 1:23 PM
So pretty, thank you Ali for the info 🙂
October 3, 2012 @ 3:22 PM
Thanks Jan!
November 9, 2012 @ 9:38 AM
That does look great! I’m a bit ashamed to say that I live half an hour away from Brussels and haven’t seen the flower carpet in real life yet…
Something to do in 2014!
November 9, 2012 @ 3:09 PM
You totally should! It was gorgeous! Definitely go check it out in 2012, it’s amazing how big it is.
March 29, 2013 @ 7:44 AM
What are the exact dates for the Tapis de Fleurs in 2014?
March 30, 2013 @ 8:30 PM
Looks like August 14-17, 2014, but you might want to confirm that. Just search Brussels Flower Carpet 2014 and it should be one of the first pages. Enjoy!