Things to do in Roubaix/Brussels in October

[defspace]

I'll be in Roubaix and later Brussels in early October. I will not have a bike.
Obviously I'll make a pilgrimage to the Roubaix velodrome. Are there any other must-see/must-do attractions? We're considering day trips to Ghent and Bruges, so I'd be eager to hear recommendations there too.

We're into:
Parks, natural spaces, plants and animals
Hole in the wall dining
Live music
Weird, off the beaten path things (where's the Jerk when you need him?)
History, museums

Not into:
Bars/Alcohol

[72gmc]

I've never been to Bruges but I'll recommend it anyway based on what people have told me. It's apparently worth a full day of wandering + overnight.

[rwsaunders]

Bruges is one of the coolest towns that my wife and I have ever visited...it's a UNESCO World Heritage site and a 30 minute train ride from Brussels. We were there in the Fall of 2023 and I can locate some restaurant names etc. if you decide to go. The BnB that we stayed in is located on the canal and was built in 1434...awesome place and host. No car required and 2-3 days is just perfect.

[j44ke]

In Roubaix there is La Piscine, which is a restored indoor swimming pool complex converted into an art museum displaying work of French artists from the mid-19th and early 20th century. Alongside La Piscine is Méert Musée de la Piscine, an old style French brasserie from the makers of the famous Méert Waffle (made with Madagascar Vanilla!) Both are worthy of the designation "eccentric" but value can be found in both.

http://www.roubaix-lapiscine.com/

https://www.meert.fr/

Also interesting (so I've been told - we saw art and ate at La Piscine but this museum was closed) is La Manufacture Roubaix, a museum presenting the history of the textile industry in Roubaix, a center of Jacquard machine woven fabrics. The museum is built inside the old Craye Company textile factory in Roubaix.

https://lamanufacture-roubaix.com/en/

Note the brick work on the buildings in Roubaix. Really interesting to see an industrial town from an era when brick must have been king.

[echappist]

I'll be in Roubaix and later Brussels in early October. I will not have a bike.
Obviously I'll make a pilgrimage to the Roubaix velodrome. Are there any other must-see/must-do attractions? We're considering day trips to Ghent and Bruges, so I'd be eager to hear recommendations there too.

We're into:
Parks, natural spaces, plants and animals
Hole in the wall dining
Live music
Weird, off the beaten path things (where's the Jerk when you need him?)
History, museums

Not into:
Bars/Alcohol

Depending on what art suits your fancy, Old Master's Museum in Brussels, short walk away from Brussels Central Station*, where one can store luggage in lockers. It may not be the Louvre or the Rijksmuseum, but it has quite the collection of early Nederlandish Painters (quite a few by the Breughels and and a few by Bosch). My wife and I happen to like Northern Renaissance paintings, so it's right up our alley (though not everyone's cup of tea).

Belgian Art (as in, after independence in 1830) is not generally as well appreciated, but there are gems such as this one by Gustav Wappers. Note the similarities to Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix.



Gent, of course, is home to the famous polyptych by Van Eyck, located inside the St Bavo's Cathedral. There's also a portrait of the eponymously named patron saint of the city, painted by another one of Flander's famous sons, Peter Paul Rubens.



Both Gent and Brugge are full of confectioneries and bakeries whose delectables could do serious damage to a cyclist's waistline. I think @Chik has a particular recommendation for a chocolatier** located a literal stone's throw away from St. Bavo's. Bakeries serving speculoos biscuits can be readily found in either city.

A lot can be accomplished in 4-5 days in all three cities.

Getting train tickets is super easy on SNCB (all online, with conductors checking tickets on the train).

Feel free to ask questions here or via PM.

*N.B. Brussels Central is not the same as Brussels Midi, the Midi refers to trains to the Midi (as in Middle) region of France. Confusing, as Brussels Midi is otherwise the South (Zuid) Station where the major international trains (TGV, Eurostar, and Thalys) stop.

**Website here https://www.deduytschaever.be/.

ETA: photos from our trip in December 2022 (full of dreary rain)

Gent (moat near St Bavo's Square). About the two hours when it didn't rain on that particular day.



Carillon drum inside the Brugge Belfry (presumably the vantage point from which @rwsaunders took the first picture in his helpful post above):

[kdawg]

[Chik]

Yep, la Piscine in Roubaix should be on your list. I've been wanting to go for years, but there was always a reason why I couldn't: it was still being restored, I didn't have enough time, etc.

If you go to the velodrome, then a wander through the shower room probably should be on the list. I don't think it's as easy and spontaneous as it used to be. This site says that you need to book a guide and recommends contacting the Roubaix Tourism Office. It was some years ago when I had a look around after I asked a maintenance guy I spotted walking by if I could have a look inside. He unlocked the door and left me to my own devices.

As you might know Roubaix is part of greater Lille. Lille is a pretty little town that's worth a quick wander. Much of the region's wealth came from the textile trades, mainly because of the quality flax and hemp grown in the area (Flanders, both French and Belgian bits) but also because of the lace production alongside nearby areas like Calais and Bruges. There's no such thing as Irish linen anymore since flax production has all but ceased in Ireland -- even though there is still some weaving in Eire -- which makes Flanders the remaining quality European linen producer. That said, much of textile production has now gone abroad, and Roubaix consequently became a bit of a deprived dump. In more recent years, things have improved noticeably although I don't know why or how.

And speaking of textile wealth, if you are interested in Modernist architecture, I would strongly recommend going over to neighbouring Croix to visit the Villa Cavroix, built by Robert Mallet-Stevens. I've been 3 times, including once in the evening: I spent a couple of hours every time but discover new details that I couldn't absorb in previous visits.

In Brussels, as far as parks / nature goes, there are a couple of options like the Bois de la Cambre and Forêt de Soignes, parts of the vast green areas that used to belong to the Solvay family (chemical trade) but became public properties in lieu of paying inheritance tax.

As far as a hole in the wall is concerned, Pizzeria La Bottega Della Pizza at the original location might be a consideration. Saint Gilles is a neighbourhood in Brussels. Their second location is just off Place du Grand Sablon which may be more convenient depending on where you're situated (bigger, more touristy), but Saint Gilles is my preference. Good pizza is becoming harder to find in Italy, and I can say that these guys in Brussels do better than many in Italy, whether it's in the south or in Milan.

And speaking of chocolates, Brussels is home to Pierre Marcolini. He overextended too quickly at one point and had to be saved by Nestlé. Their finances have stabilised, and PM was able to buy back the shares from Nestlé. I would have a look at their flagship at the north end of Place du Grand Sablon and their biscuit 'Manufacture' on the west side of the square. There are plenty of other locations in Brussels and elsewhere in Belgium, in case you can't make it to Sablon.

[j44ke]

Villa Cavroix is an A+ recommendation. Mallet-Stevens is not well known in the US, but he was building functionalist buildings around the same time as the more well-known designers. And his buildings seem to hold together better. There is a nice housing development (one block long) in the 16th that was a nice surprise walking back from Le Courbusier’s apartment across from PSG’s stadium.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/t...e=articleShare

[Chik]

Villa Cavroix is an A+ recommendation. Mallet-Stevens is not well known in the US, but he was building functionalist buildings around the same time as the more well-known designers. And his buildings seem to hold together better. There is a nice housing development (one block long) in the 16th that was a nice surprise walking back from Le Courbusier’s apartment across from PSG’s stadium.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/t...e=articleShare

To be fair, the French state had done extensive work to restore Villa Cavroix, which was in really bad shape after being abandoned and occupied by squatters.

Yep, nice street in the 16th. I've yet to go inside Galerie 54. (Touchaleaume has made very prudent purchases in various parts of the world.) That said, I was a bit saddened to see how the 'Villa' at the corner of rue du Dr Blanche had been modified and lost compositional balance.

I'm waiting for Maison La Roche to re-open after their summer holiday...