Intro
Normally we leave town to go on a hike, this time we went into town. It's a change.
On it's way to Paris, GR 12 visits Brussels and proves that even in a 'hiking-unfriendly' territory, it's still possible to present an interesting itinerary.
GR 12 is not the only GR trail visiting Brussels. GR 126 also does it, and there's a lot more cityhiking trails, all proving the same: Brussels is not only that dull working place ...
Back and forth
To Grimbergen: take a train from Antwerpen to Brussels having a stop in Vilvoorde (there's one at least every hour). In Vilvoorde we took bus 281 to Wolvertem. The bus stops in Grimbergen. Traveltime: 1 hour 15 minutes.
From the train station Bruxelles-Midi there's plenty of trains going to Antwerpen.
The hike
(click the picture for more images on Picasa)
In quiet Grimbergen it's easy to forget that our national (and even international) capital city is close by. Only a few kilometers of hilly fields separate this village from Brussels. However, once we've passed under the highway circling around Brussels, entering Strombeek-Bever, there's no more denying.
Brussels is not just the capital city of Belgium. It's also the capital of the Flemish and the French Regions, of itself and of Europe. All these functions have created their own bureaucracies with ministries and responsabilities (?), armies of politicians and staff, institutions, commissions, civil servants and offices ... all paid for by a mere 11 million people. It's an administrative moloch you won't find anywhere else in the world. It's only normal to expect that their achievements are world class too. Some examples? We're at the top when it comes to tax rates, number of civil servants and politicians, prices of energy and communication, inefficiency of our justice system … We're the worst of the class when it comes to pensions, active population, competivity, environmental efforts, number of worldclass corporations, olympic medals, … Nevertheless we're one of the most prosperous nations in the world. This can only prove one thing: the Belgians are super heroes! Despite all the patronising, absurdity and wastage, the Belgian manages to cope and gets along without all that infrastructure. It might be a good idea for a successful image campaign abroad?
It's no use describing the trail GR 12 follows throughout Brussels. There's so much to see, and what you see is only a fraction of what there is. Just keep your eyes wide open and you'll discover a captivating city. To us personally, especially the neighbourhood of the Antwerpse Steenweg made an impression of spontaneity and liveliness.
We don't recommend doing this hike without a topoguide. As GR hikers we're used to spot the white/red signs on trees and poles, but in a city like Brussels trees are often hard to find. The signs have been put on wastebins or small low traffick poles. You need to look lower than you're used to. And of course, signs tend to dissapear easily in this kind of urban environment. Often they're hidden behind temporary publicity boards or communications. We're sure we missed several signs.
On top of that there's also the crossings with the GR Brussels and GR 126 trails. Make sure you follow the correct trail.
Anyway, for us this was an original hiking idea. We don't regret it for one moment.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
