About this English self-guided 1h:17m walking tour in Boterstraat 19
Welkom! Bienvenue! Welcome to Brussels.
This tour will have everything: Chocolate, History, Waffles, and Architecture. An immersive way to see the city of Brussels and have a great time while doing so!
As someone who previously lived in Brussels, I know the ins-and-outs of the city and I am excited to show them to you.
My name is Sage and I will be your guide today. As someone who used to reside here in Brussels, I am excited to show you one of my favorite cities in the world. Brussels is full of delicious eats, beautiful architecture, and unique culture. This tour is something that I made with you in mind, I wanted to give you a great tour that I would give any of my friends or family. There will be recommendations for chocolates, waffles, and sights to see throughout the tour. Let's get going and I hope that you and your palate are ready for a great time.
This city is unique as there are three official languages: French, Dutch, and English! So you'll hear and see a mixture throughout your time on this tour and your time in Belgium.
Throughout this tour, I hope that you will pace yourself at the chocolate shops. We will be doing 6 different chocolate shops, 1 waffle shop, and a pastry shop. I'll even give you some suggestions of the best frites (or fries) in Brussels to try after the tour. I suggest listening to the audio or reading the description before heading into the shop as to not crowd the shop.
Elisabeth Chocolates is a renowned chocolate shop located in the heart of Brussels. It offers a wide selection of artistinal chocolates and chocolate baked accents.
This is the shop that I would frequent to get the best chocolate accents. My personal favorites are the Mendiants and the Florentines. You may be saying "Sage, we flew all the way here and you're not even suggesting some of the chocolate truffles or squares? No that is because there are other shops with amazing truffles and single chocolates that will be on this tour.
This shop has perfected the Florentines (which are my favorite) and the Mendiants. They teach this art in their unique chocolate workshops, allowing visitors to learn the art of Belgian chocolate.
Compared to a lot of the other traditional Belgian chocolate shops founded in earlier, Galler seems late to the party being founded in 1976. However, it does not change it's abosultely delicious taste and dedication to it's craft. While there are other chocolatiers with delcious truffles or delicate chocolate accents like Elisabeth Chocolates that we just came from, Galler is known for their chocolate bars and tablets. You can even find them in local supermarkets like Carrefour or DelHaze. I suggest getting a bar to split and then going to the supermarket to buy more as it will save you on cost as this location is it's own shop the prices are marked up slightly (but not much).
Galler was founded in the fifth biggest city of Belgium, in the south close to Germany sits the town of Liege. Since their starting they've made their way accross Belgium. They are one of the chocolatiers that are awarded the prestegious "Supplier of the Belgian Court". Galler prides itself on being a sustainable chocolatier and you can see the small "Fairtrade" logo on the corner of their bars. As Galler would say they are "Beyond Sustainable", they don't just want to pay fair prices but also they want to help improve the living conditions of the farms they work with. This logo shows Gallers dedication to ending the explotation of workers and making the chocolate industry a better place.
Welcome to Grand Place, also known as Grote Markt, is the central square of Brussels and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is often considered the most beautiful square in the world with it's impressive surroundings by magnificent buildings, including the Town Hall, guildhalls, and the King's House. True to the Dutch name of the square, Grote Markt, for centuries it has actually been a hub for trade, commercial goods, social gatherings, and much more. There once was a prominent river that ran directly behind Grand Place and it's guild halls, hence why it's location is here. What originally started as three covered markets for bread, cloth, and meat quickly expanded. This was the country that then connected different products from Europe: English wool, French wine, or German Beer and many other products were traded here and it became one of the biggest historical hubs of Europe! Today the city still is a crossroads for the nations surrounding it.
Now these buildings are actually not all originals as King Louis XIV raided Brussels and destroyed much of the heart of the city. But even though it was rebuilt after Medevial times, there is still so much history here. The constructions of these buildings in the square range from 1402 to 1536 and reconstruction in the 1800s. The earliest written reference of this square was actually the 12th century!
Let's start with the Kings House which is now the Brussels City Museum. While called the Maison du Roi or King's House, no king has actually lived here. In Dutch it's referred to as "Broodhuis" or Bread Hall, which is the market that this building replaced when the Duke of Brabant ordered it to be built.
Now let's take a look at the main attraction, the main hall- the Town Hall. Hotel de Ville. As you can notice, the spire is slightly off center and there are many legends as to why. The urban legend says that the architect who was also a drunkard of the town, did not originally see the mistake while being built, and after finishing the construction the villagers commented and bullied him so much about it that he leaped to his death from the same spire. You'll notice that both sides on either side of the tower are different in lengths and in detail such as on the right are stone statues, where the left there are none, or how the windows on the left side are bigger than the window on than the right side counterpart. This is due to the different architects that built the town hall.
As you can notice there are many thin buildings that make up the square as well as the impressive town hall and kings house.
A lot of this square is actually Guildhouses. Through the adornments of gilded statues and elaborately carved symbols related to their trade, the influence of the guild houses is still evident today. If you walk around the square you'll see the details of each building shows what Guild this building represented: a sac for carpenters, a wheelbarrow for the milkmans, or a wolf for the archers/hunters.
In front of use is now the Belgium Beer Museum which is actually in the old brewer's guildhouse. Despite being founded in the 14th century you can see the date this was reconstructed: 1698. Notice the center bas-relief you can see little people harvest beer, some holding wheat and to the right the transport of the beer. You'll notice the buds of grape vines hung to represent the wine traders.
Each and every building in this square has a history and it is facinating to take time to look and discover what each building in this historic square once was. (Contrary to popular belief... no, that starbucks was not a guild. Though that would be hilarious!)
Laurent Gerbaud won Chocolatier of the Year in 2021. His love of travel shows in his chocolate and he incorporates unique flavors and ingredients into his creations. He only has three shops in all of Brussels and this one is a small pop up. If you go to the original location you can smell and hear the chocolates being made.
I love Laurant Gerbaud Chocolates for chocolate ganaches. They always have so many unique flavors and are traditionally made.
One thing that you may not have known about Belgium is the numerous famous cartoons that have come from it. From Tintin to Lucky Luke. From popular francophone comic Gaston Lagaffe to the world reknowned Smurfs. All started here in Belgium.
This mural is is a vibrant and iconic mural dedicated to the beloved comic book character Tintin. It depicts Tintin, his loyal dog Snowy, and Captain Haddock from the series. It celebrates the rich comic book culture of Brussels and showcases the enduring popularity of Tintin's adventures. If you keep your eyes open around Brussels you'll be sure to see more murals dedicated to verious Belgian cartoons.
So were now onto probably one of the most bizzare tourist sites any nation has. Amsterdam has canals, Paris has the Champs-Elysee, and Brussels... Well, we have Manneken Pis. As you can see this is a small bronze statue of a little boy urinating. The statue dates back to the 17th century and has several legends and stories associated with it. While none are truly verified the most popular legend is this:
"Brussels was surrounded by enemies who pretended to retreat, but in reality were hiding gunpowder underneath. A little boy named Julien saw the burning fuse and quickly peed on it. Out of gratitude, the city made a statue in his likeness.". The other popular legend is that there once was a candle that had tipped over, threatening to burn down Grand Place. A young boy seeing the candlestick and what could potentially occur, relieved himself on the candle thus saving an iconic landmark and important history."
Whatever legend you want to believe, there's always one thing in common: Mannekin Pis.
My favorite thing about Mannekin Pis is that for holidays, special occasions, or foriegn visits he gets dressed up in different outfits. There are more than 1,000 different outfits and it's always amusing to see it when it's on display. Some outfits include outifts for celebrating countries from Germany, Kazakhstan, and the USA. Other costumes include James Bond, LGBTQ+ Pride, Belgium National Football (Soccer) Team Jersey, and Uncle Sam. The costumes are on display always in the building opposite of Grand Place, in the "Kings House" that was converted to be the Brussels City Museum.
Last thing before we go, If you look up the street where you just came, there is a waffle shop called "Le Funambule". They are the best waffles in Brussels. I suggest the #6 as the waffles are already sweet and extra toppings of Nutella, Caramel, fruits and cream are mostly there for tourists. Locals get the standard waffle with some powdered sugar on it. Please get a waffle, and join me on the next stop of the tour!
This is remnants of what once was the City Wall of Brussels. These used to be medieval fortifications that surrounded the city. The walls were built in the 13th century and while many were destroyed, there are still a few sections of the original wall providing a glimpse into Brussels in the Medieval Era and showing the city's history.
We're now stopping by one of the world most reknowned modern choclatiers: Pierre Marcolini. Founded by a true Belgian chocolate artisan, these chocolates are known to be luxury with flavors as bold as their colors. The brand is known for its exquisite chocolates, handcrafted using high-quality ingredients and innovative techniques. Pierre Marcolini has won numerous awards for his creations and is considered one of the finest chocolatiers in the world. While he is Belgian, he has many shops throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Wittamer Chocolates is a prestigious patisserie located in the Grand Sablon Square. I would best describe it as "a pastry shop that happens to also do chocolates". It has a lovely tea room interior and when looking for delicious parisian quality pastries, this is the place to go in Brussels. They also make their own housemade hot chocolate (or chocolat chaud) from quality belgian chocolate. I actually wouldn't recommend getting chocolates here but I would recommend their pastries. So feel free to grab a croissant and if it's cold outside, their hot chocolate is to die for.
This is my favorite view in Brussels and I am not alone, this is a very popular spot in Brussels!
This space has such a beautiful garden, is located close to many restaurants, and in the summers is close to lots of concerts or activities. Here you can see the spire of Grand Place as well as the rest of the center of Brussels. There's a lot of beautiful views in Brussels but Mont des Arts is one of the best.
The Royal Galeries of Saint-Hubert is a magnificent shopping arcade in Brussels. It is one of the oldest covered shopping arcades in Europe and is renowned for its elegant architecture, glass ceilings, and luxury boutiques. The galleries offer a unique shopping experience and reflect the city's rich history and sophisticated ambiance. Here, there are many different chocolate shops and other tea rooms in the arcade which is divided into three sections: Galerie du Roi, Galerie de la Reine, and Galerie des Princes
Thank you so much for being a part of this tour. I hope that you've enjoyed it. Please give this tour a rating, and be sure to tell your friends! I've added in the description some other great foodie places here in Brussels as well as some other great things to see not in the city center.
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