Family Fun in Europe, Part 5: Brussels

This is my fifth post about our family's 2024 trip to Europe. I recommend reading the first, second, third, and fourth posts before this one.

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Brussels, Belgium

On Wednesday, July 17, eight of us headed out for an in-depth look at Brussels. The plan for the day required a lot of walking. My dad opted to stay at the hotel to rest up for the following day, which would also have a lot of walking. 

Our first destination was the famous Manneken Pis fountain. It's iconic, so you have to visit when you go to Brussels. That said, you don't need to more than look at it, take a picture, check it off the list, and move along. 

But don't move far, because the area around Manneken Pis has a bunch of cool places to visit. There are numerous chocolatiers that are well worth a visit. We popped into several, ultimately choosing La Belgique Gourmande to purchase chocolates and cuberdons to try. Outstanding!

There are several shops on the same block as Manneken Pis selling waffles. We did not make a purchase from this one. 

Instead, Timothy and Allison tried waffles from a shop without a urine tie-in. 

  

Did you know that the Smurfs are Belgian and date back to 1958? You'll see Smurfs all over the place in Brussels, including in the priciest chocolate shops. We learned that comic art is incredibly important in Belgium. If we'd been staying longer, I definitely would have visited their highly-rated Comics Art Museum. 

Another museum I would have visited if I'd had more time in Brussels? GardeRobe Manneken Pis. I'm not a big fan of the little statue, but I'm fascinated by the elaborate costumes he wears. He has worn over 1000 costumes over the years and his collection grows by at least 20 each year! 

We walked slightly further along the cobblestone sidewalks (well separated from cars and bikes, I might add)...

  

... to Choco Story. A musuem about chocolate? Yes, please!

Choco Story greatly exceeded my expectations. I was expecting some dioramas, some glass cases, and an audio tour about the history of chocolate and its manufacturing process, but there was so much more. 

  

  

There was a tasting bar and head-to-head games to play. At a sniff station, you can try to identify different scents present in chocolate. 

  

There were displays of chocolate pots (for pouring hot chocolate drinks) and mustache cups (for keeping the chocolate out of your mustache when you drink it). 

There was a live demonstration of how to make pralines - the French/Belgian kind of praline, not the New Orleans version. (No photos allowed, unfortunately). We got samples - sooooo good. 

Cacao beans. 

Choco Story has a huge display of chocolate molds of all sorts. Lots of things I'd expect, like eggs and Easter bunnies, plus some things I don't understand, like pointy shoes.  

These are early chocolate vending machines. 

There were enormous chocolate sculptures and paintings done entirely with chocolate. 

And, of course, the gift shop had chocolate Manneken Pis. (Manneken Pises? Mannekens Pis? Manneken Pi?)

After a fun time at Choco Story, we walked to the nearest HOHO stop. We each sat on the opposite side of the bus from the previous day, which felt like a completely new tour from the different perspective!

I love all the little crowns that appear on top of everything royal in Belgium. 

We rode the bus as far as the Atomium and hopped off. 

  

I would have enjoyed the exhibits inside, but that's another activity to add to the list for a future visit. We were on our way to Mini-Europe.  

Mini-Europe is just what it sounds like: each of the European countries honored in miniature. 

The closest thing to Mini-Europe that I've seen is Miniland USA at Legoland. As much as I love Miniland USA, Mini-Europe has it beat by a mile. Every country in Europe, miniaturized, with interactive elements, games, country facts, a button to start the national anthem. 

The level of detail is stunning. 

There are challenges to try to find specific characters within each scene. You could easily spend a week looking for all of them!

  

This was a fun touch. There was a border crossing when you passed in and out of the EU. 

  

The landscape at Mini-Europe is beautiful and the interactive elements are a lot of fun.

  

  

This was neat. First you see a mini version of the Berlin Wall...

... then an actual piece of the Berlin Wall. 

You can tell it was really warming up. Trevor removed his outer-most jacket. 

  

Snack time! You can't come to Brussels without getting Belgian frites with sauce andalouse. I recommend the Fanta Exotic as well (affiliate link).  

I got a kick out of the gift shop at Mini-Europe. Specifically, the personalized items. Not a Cindy, Steve, or Trevor in sight, but Murielle, Benedicte, and Bram can buy keychains. As it should be, of course. 

After a really fun time at Mini-Europe, we hopped back on the bus to finish the loop. 

Any guesses what this fountain represents? It's cacao!

I love how much public art there is in Brussels. 

We met up with Dad for dinner at the outstanding Le Bistro. 

Everything was so good. I was blown away by the food in Belgium. Literally everything I tried was outstanding. 

Unfortunately, as we were walking back to the hotel, I noticed that my nose felt stuffy. My throat felt a little sore and I was suddenly exhausted. Within the hour, everything ached and I had absolutely no energy. I went straight to bed, hoping that all I needed was a good night's sleep.