Beer halls in Brussels

So our next stop on our Grand European Tour was the charming capital of Belgium. We were both entranced by it the minute we stepped out of the station. Some people have called Brussels the 'Poor Man's Paris' but we certainly did not believe this to be the case. It is absolutely gorgeous.
Things you must do are browse the world famous chocolate shops, they are literally everywhere! Be aware that the further you go into the small side streets, the cheaper things are, as the locals raise the prices hugely for the tourists on the main roads.

Another things you must look at, and probably won't miss is the 'Manneken Pis', famous statue of a little boy, erm, pissing.

 It might seem strange, but it is a very popular tourist attraction! Oh...and you can also get mini chocolate versions in nearby chocolate shops, which are excellent to bring back as souvenirs for family and friends. But don't forget to explain to them that it is actually a famous Brussels landmark. 

Another thing that is charming about Brussels is the street art. Down nearly every side street there are amazing works of comic art, which are enchanting and you cannot miss TinTin, and his faithful companion Snowy plastered all over the walls.

You cannot go to Brussels without visiting the famous 'estaminets' or bars, that litter nearly every street.
Here is one of our favorites;

 Poechenellekelder - right opposite the 'Manneken Pis', it does not look much from the outside, but when you go in, and down the long windy staircase, you feel like you've stepped back in time. Definitely one of the more traditional Belgian beer-halls.

This is a picture of me, Pete, and the rest of the people we went on the free bar crawl organized by the 'Bruegel' Hostel that we stayed at. If you ever stay at this hostel, make sure you do the bar crawl, it's totally free, and you get to see the unknown beer halls, that the majority of tourists do not know about. The Californian guys that organized it were so lovely, and do it entirely of their own backs!

The 'Bruegel' Hostel is expensive, however, and cost us around €120 for two nights (same as our hotel in Paris) for a private room. The breakfast was disgusting, and the rooms reminded us of prison cells. However, we were in central Brussels, and were within walking distance of everything.

We loved Brussels, some people do look down on it but we found it stunning, the food was amazing, and we did not want to leave after our two day stay!