Brussel/Bruxelles, March 2003Oft maligned by passing tourists as rundown and uninteresting apart from a fabulous Grand Place in the old town and the pathetic Mannekin Pis, Brussels prefers to hide its gems scattered across the city haphazardly and difficult to access by Metro. Architecturally, this is one of the most interesting cities in Europe, from the dreamy Art Nouveau concoctions of Horta or Van de Velde, to the Art Deco masterpiece that is the Van Buuren House, to the modern glass beasts that dominate the Europe quarter. To be sure, Brussels sports than its fair share of derelict and economically depressed neighbourhoods, but there is certainly enough to see for the patient visitor willing to search for it.
The City Hall in the fabulous Grand Place
The Hotel Hannon is one of the few art nouveau buildings interiors that can be visited by to the public, as it doubles as a photography museum (Musée des Contretypes). The exhibits may not be worth the small admission price, but seeing the Hannon itself certainly is. Just a few minutes walk from the crowded Horta museum on the very elegant art nouveau Brugmann Boulevard.
Hotel Hannon ground floor window (by Emile Gallé 1903)
First floor window through the corridor handrail (Emile Gallé 1903)
Door handle on the main street entry into the Hotel Hannon (1 av de la Jonction, corner av. Brugmann, Brunfaut 1903)
Next door to the Hotel Hannon is a lovely facade, and curiously, its rear facade is not art nouveau but rather modern.
Les Hiboux
The Hotel Solvay is one of Victor Horta's masterpieces (along with the Hotel Tassel and Hotel van Eetvelde) but unfortunately cannot be visited. Here is a view up the facade.
Hotel Solvay (224 av. Louise, Victor Horta 1894-98)
Moving up along avenue Louise back up into the pentagon of central Brussels, we soon encounter Marolles district, an old historical district with a strong populist identity. We find here a kindergarten school that was Victor Horta's first public commission.
Kindertuin (40 rue St-Ghislain, Victor Horta 1897-1900)
OK, time for a lunch break at the Cafe Falstaff in the center of town across from the Beurs/Bourse. Very reasonable prices for decent grub considering its status as Brussels' grand old brasserie.
Cafe Falstaff (19-25 rue Henris Maus, 1903)
Refreshed, we walk north of the Centraal station to find the increasingly popular Comic Book Museum in a dingy industrial milieu. The facade and especially the foyer bear the hallmarks of Horta, designed originally as the textile warehouse Magasins Waucquez.
Musée de la Bande Dessinée (20 rue des Sables/Zandstraat, Victor Horta 1903-1906)
A short Metro ride takes us to the Jubelpark/Parc du Cinquentenaire, flanked on its west by the headquarters of European Community administration. On the eastern edge of the park sits the Cauchie House and northwest of the park in the swank Ambiorix Square stands the tiny St. Cyr House, both remarkable examples of flamboyant art nouveau facades.
Plaque on the Maison Cauchie (5 rue des Francs/Frankenstraat, Cauchie & Frankinet 1905)
Facade and entry stairway of the Maison St. Cyr (11 sq. Ambiorix, G. Strauven 1903)
Putting north along the rue Royale/Konigstraat tram, we soon approach the poorer, ethnic (especially Turkish) quarter of Schaerbeek. Near the frontier zone, we can stop for a drink at the Ultieme Hallucinatie, yes indeed, the ultimate hallucination. Originally the Maison Cohn-Donnay. Though the dinner menu costs a pretty penny, an afternoon drink at the garden bar at the end of the restaurant permits one to soak in the splendour. I love that lamp.
Ultieme Hallucinatie (316 rue Royale/Konigstraat, Paul Hamesse 1904)
Squarely within Schaerbeek, a stroll down the Avenue Louis Bertrand sweeps you into the turn of the century elegance of an epoque gone by. The former Cafe Le Strauven now converted into an overpriced Italian restaurant still ruffles the proud original ironwork feathers of its glass awning.
End of the day, and it's time for a coffee or a fine Belgian beer at the Cafe Esperance on a hidden alley off the main pedestrian shopping drag Nieuwstraat/rue Neuve. I don't know if the Art Deco lamps and mirrors are original but it's pretty, and the atmosphere is unpretentious.
Cafe Esperance (rue de Finistère/Finisterstraat)
For art nouveau enthusiasts who appreciate a drop-dead gorgeous winter garden, a visit to the Wintertuin in Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Wavre is logistically onerous but an absolute must. O.-L.-V. Waver is accessible by car or by bus from Mechelen (Malines) along the Brussels-Antwerp line. Visits to the Ursulines Institute, which contains the garden, normally take place only on the 3rd Sunday of each month, guided by the friendly resident Sisters of the Ursuline order.
A peek into the Wintertuin (9 Bosstraat, OLV Wavre, J. Prémont? 1900)
Finally, we wind down the trip with a relaxing walk through the open air museum at Bokrijk, just west of Genk in eastern Belgium, about an hour's drive east of Brussels. Farm villages and old town Antwerp from earlier historical eras are preserved here, completely with costume actors to animate the visit, and period eateries serving in-house brews. The promenade through plains and woods of the park takes many hours and requires good weather.
A wool spinner at Bokrijk, proud to have been featured on Japanese TV
