Talk:Brussels
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A raw data source (do not co--88.77.226.90 09:43, 4 September 2007 (EDT)--88.77.226.90 09:43, 4 September 2007 (EDT)py text or images):
Jack Travel has a good guide to Brussels here:
I found these telephone numbers for Hotel A La Grande Cloche, but from 1999, so they may have changed:
- phone : +39 2 512.61.40.
- Fax : +39 2 512.65.91
The article states "Hotel A La Grande Cloche (they're on the web)" but I could not find their website, only plenty of hotel booking agents.
So, does anyone have the hotel's website and contact numbers? -Wikibob 14:37, 2004 Sep 19 (EDT)
Some taxi information from http://www.taxi.irisnet.be/en/client.html
Pick-up charge: € 2,35
Rate I (within the 19 communes of the Brussels-Capital Region): € 1,14 /km
Rate II (outside the 19 communes): € 2,28/km
Waiting fee : € 21,86 per hour (1)
Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. customers are charged a flat rate supplement of € 1,86 (the taximeter is fitted with a clock-calendar that registers this flat-rate supplement automatically).
(1) Waiting time: the taximeter automatically switches to waiting time if the tax is driving at less than 20 km/h, for example in traffic jams, at red lights, etc.
-Wikibob | Talk 19:50, 2004 Sep 19 (EDT)
[edit] Photos
Have photos coming up that will be appropriate for Brussels. Suggest removing "anti-war bus" (and will do so when I add the new photos). It's not really tourism or travel relevant and certainly not more representative of Brussels than other places. -- Nils 17:56, 31 Jan 2005 (EST)
- Fine with me (I put it on) --elgaard 03:41, 1 Feb 2005 (EST)
- Added 2 new photos, removed the bus. Had wanted to put the Maenneken on too but my pictures of it did not turn out well at all. Not that it's a great thing to visit, but it is probably the most famous "landmark" of Brussels... -- Nils 03:44, 5 Feb 2005 (EST)
[edit] Todo
Museums: http://www.bruxelles.irisnet.be/en/tourismeloisirs/tourisme_et_loisirs/les_musees_de_bruxelles.shtml
-- nils
[edit] Bilingualism
The current doubling of all names is very/really tedious/annoying. As French is the main language and most visitors are more likely to speak it than Flemish, I'd suggest we just use the French names for addresses etc. Jpatokal 09:01, 7 September 2006 (EDT)
- I wouldn't go there if I were you, the language issue is -extremely- touchy for the Belgians, they almost ended up in a civil war over it after WWII. Brussels was historically always a Flemish speaking city and even the centre and source of Flemish/Dutch culture. Only because of the 1830 rebellion, the subsequent invasion by France, and the over 100 years of institutionalised ostracization of the Flemish speaking community by the newly installed francophone aristocracy has the current language situation arisen. I suggest out of respect to the Belgians that we follow their wish to strictly have everything bi-lingual.193.67.113.2 04:00, 8 June 2007 (EDT)
[edit] Jacques Brel
We're currently attending FOSDEM 07 and booked at Youth Hostel Jacques Brel. We can absolutely NOT RECOMMEND this Youth Hostel. It leaves the impression that it's been build once and then never cleaned again. Everything looks so damn f***ed up that one wouldn't even want to go to bathroom without wearing shoes. Staff doesn't even know about their guests, they removed sheets from beds although we were going to stay two more nights. Reception closes at 7 pm (on sat/sun even at 6pm), you can't access the hostel between 1 am and 6 am.
[edit] Districts
The current districtification is just completely broken -- it's all redlinks and most of the districts have nothing to see anyway. Can somebody who knows Brussels suggest something sensible? Jpatokal 21:14, 29 May 2007 (EDT)
[edit] NATO: Transatlantic twist?
"The fact, moreover, that Brussels acts as political capital of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance] serves to give the city a Transatlantic twist."
The NATO headquarters on the eastern edge of town look like little more than some large army barracks, they are not exactly the centre of public life in Brussels. Unless you find yourself at some international function as a visitor or even as a local are unlikely to meet any NATO employees. It is like saying when in The Hague one will notice a definite War Crimes twist.193.67.113.2 04:00, 8 June 2007 (EDT)
- Point taken, but I still think the sentence is appropriate. Brussels has more of an international/Atlantic flavor because of NATO, and besides that, it may well be that many of the people using our travel guide are working with NATO or visiting for some conference on international issues. After all, a "twist" isn't saying very much. --Peterfitzgerald Talk 19:43, 8 June 2007 (EDT)
- I have to agree with Mr/Ms. Anon here — I've never felt much, if anything, in the way of a "transatlantic twist" in Brussels. Even the massive EU presence is almost imperceptible in the touristy bits (except that everybody speaks half a dozen languages). Jpatokal 00:49, 9 June 2007 (EDT)
- Sorry to gang up on Peter, but I also agree with the IP and with Jpatokal, so I boldly removed the NATO twist. I believe it has a transtalantic feel because of the many organisations and the E.U. When I first visited Brussels as a tourist, or as part of a works "evening out" (we were maybe 30 with 5 nationalaties and maybe 'only' 4 languages between us) I was not even aware NATO was there. Later when I lived there I only saw NATO because the bus to the airport went past it, otherwise one would never see it. I did get the cosmopolitan feel of the city: many languages, many nationalaties (excluding the tourists), the presence of the E.U., and the embassies and headquarters for many international organisations. I remember the first pub I went to, at random, was a fully German speaking one (no French, no Dutch, limited English). Many people I met worked for the E.U. or one of the main organisations.-Wikibob Talk 17:39, 26 June 2008 (EDT)
[edit] Atomium
Can we insert a image of the Atomium in the Wikitravel article Brussels? --88.77.226.90 09:43, 4 September 2007 (EDT)
- One has to be careful with photographs of the Atomium because a worldwide copyright is claimed on them. However an image of a model or of the one on the back of a Euro coin should be Ok. I do not have one, but here is one. It is not GFDL, and its use is permitted by ECB.
- Even better, is this public domain photo of the mini-Europe scale model (which escapes the worldwide copyright restriction as it is a model). That shows both mini-Europe and the Atomium.-Wikibob Talk 18:09, 26 June 2008 (EDT) which I have just added-Wikibob Talk 18:15, 26 June 2008 (EDT)
[edit] Frites
Chez Martin seems to have disappeared, I spent one hour looking for it but no luck, unless a local can give updated directions I propose to remove it.
[edit] Beertour
the detailes for beertour are copies-pasted form their site. seems like a promotion of the company. what's the policy about that? --194.3.110.235 17:13, 1 September 2009 (EDT)
- If it is a direct copy and pastw, then it is a copyright violation unless permission has been granted explicitly. The copied text should be removed. --inas 19:04, 1 September 2009 (EDT)
