A Weekend Exploring Brussels, Düsseldorf, and Cologne
As soon as I submitted a Statics quiz Thursday morning, I raced back to my apartment for some last-minute packing before hopping on a bus to Metz’s train station. A few minutes later, my train pulled out of the station, beginning what would become one of the more unpredictable weekends of the semester.
Train Travel from Metz to Brussels
The first leg of my journey took me from Metz to Bettembourg, and somewhere between Metz and Thionville, I passed two of the most randomly located roller coasters I’ve ever seen – apparently part of an amusement park called Wallygator, tucked randomly alongside the railway in the middle of the countryside. After crossing the border to Bettembourg, I caught another train into Luxembourg City, where I transferred again to a train headed west toward Brussels, Belgium.
A few hours later, after gliding through the charming Belgian countryside, I arrived at Brussels-Schuman station and bought a 10-trip Metro card at one of the kiosks – which, as it turned out, would end up being exactly the number of trips I needed over the weekend. After a short ride north on the Metro, I arrived at Evere station and began walking toward the Airbnb where I’d be staying for the weekend.
That’s when things got… interesting.
No Map, No Wi-Fi, No Problem
I realized that I hadn’t connected to Wi-Fi since leaving Metz about five hours earlier, which meant Google Maps hadn’t downloaded the local Brussels area. When I opened the app, all I had was my blue GPS dot and the pinned location of the Airbnb I had saved previously. No map, no streets, no directions – just two dots floating in digital space. And with no mobile data in a mostly residential area, my chances of finding Wi-Fi to load directions were slim. But I didn’t have time to stand around. Picking a street that seemed to head in roughly the right direction, I started walking. Using only my GPS location and the street signs around me, I zigzagged my way through the neighborhood for nearly half an hour, miraculously ending up at the correct address.
Of course, that was only half the battle. Without Wi-Fi, I couldn’t message the Airbnb host to check in. I stood outside for a while, weighing my options. That’s when serendipity struck for the second time: two travelers from Serbia, also staying at the same property, arrived. One of them spoke English, and after chatting for a bit, they offered to message the host for me, and even let me borrow their mobile hotspot to send a check-in message. Soon after, the host arrived. She spoke Portuguese, which neither of the Serbians spoke – and I certainly didn’t either – but with a little creative Spanguese and some teamwork, we managed to communicate, verify IDs, and finally check in. Somehow, against all odds, it all worked out.
UEFA Nations League: Belgium vs Wales
After dropping my backpack off I walked across the street to the tram stop and caught a northbound tram to Esplanade. That’s where I met my first Welsh. That evening, Belgium was playing Wales in a Nations League match at King Baudouin Stadium. I was proudly wearing a Belgian national team jersey – a bold choice as I quickly found myself surrounded by large groups of very animated Welsh fans. Fortunately, once they realized I spoke English, they welcomed me into the conversation. We chatted about the upcoming World Cup (where both the U.S. and Wales would face each other in the group stage) and joked about the match ahead. Eventually, I broke off from their group to grab some pizza near the stadium before heading inside to find my seat.
The match itself was a lot of fun, a high-energy affair that ended 2-1 in Belgium’s favor, thanks to a goal and assist from one of my favorite players, Kevin De Bruyne. After the final whistle, I made my way back to the tram and returned back to the Airbnb, where I met up with two friends from school who’d be joining me for the rest of the weekend.
From Brussels to Düsseldorf
We left early Friday morning to walk to Gare du Nord, where we boarded a train headed northeast toward Germany. After changing trains in Cologne, we continued on to Düsseldorf. From there, we walked more than an hour through the town center, parks and along the riverfront to reach the Merkur Spiel-Arena, where we had tickets to watch the U.S. Men’s National Team face off against Japan. Despite cheering hard for the U.S., it was a frustrating match that ended in a 2-0 defeat. Still, it was a great experience to watch my home team play live abroad.
Quick Stop in Cologne
After the match, we caught a train back to Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof, then continued on to Cologne. With a few hours left before our return train, we took a short walking tour of the city: past the iconic Cologne Cathedral, across a bridge over the Rhine River, and back through the illuminated streets to the station. A couple of hours later we arrived back in Brussels, where we grabbed dinner before settling in for the night.
Belgian Waffles
After two days of lots of travel, we decided to spend Saturday exploring more of Brussels itself. We started the morning by catching a tram to De Brouckère and kicking off what turned into an impromptu mini food tour. First stop: Waffle Factory for some fresh Belgian waffles, which proved to live up to hype. They were delicious.
Brussels’ Grand Place
From there, we walked over to the Grand Place, Brussels’ central square and one of the most beautiful city squares I’ve ever seen. The ornate facades of the Brussels Town Hall and the guildhalls lining the square were stunning, especially under the morning sun. The combination of intricate stonework, gold detailing, and colorful flags made the whole plaza feel spectacularly regal.
Central Brussels
Continuing through the old city streets, we made a quick stop to grab an order of Belgian frites, loaded up with tasty sauce, from one of the many fry shops nearby. Next up was Manneken Pis, the famous (and rather tiny) statue of a peeing boy that somehow manages to be one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
After a quick photo stop there, we headed slightly north to visit the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral. The towering gothic facade was super impressive, and we stopped to admire the landmark for a couple of minutes. After leaving the cathedral, we continued uphill to the Mont des Arts plaza near Brussels Central Station. The plaza overlooks much of the city and is flanked by museums, the Royal Library, and government buildings, all sitting high above the lower parts of town, offering great panoramic views over the rooftops of Brussels below.
Brussels’ Place Royal
We kept walking and eventually reached Église Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg, a neoclassical Catholic church sitting on the Place Royale. The large white columns and symmetrical architecture provided yet another side of Brussels’ diverse architectural styles, each neighborhood offering something slightly different but equally impressive. A statue of Godefroy de Boullion, a the leader in the First Crusade, served as an impressive centerpiece in the middle of the plaza as well.
Docks Bruxel
With much of the city explored, we took a tram for a quick outing at Docks Bruxsel, a modern shopping center (with a Legoland Discovery Center inside), where we walked around for a bit before heading back to our Airbnb for the evening
From Brussels Back to Luxembourg
The next morning I packed up my bags and attended a local church service before beginning the journey back to France. After a tram ride to Brussels-Noord, I caught a train back to Arlon, transferred to Luxembourg, and then continued on to Metz, wrapping up yet another whirlwind weekend, where things didn’t always go perfectly, but somehow always worked out exactly as they needed to. And honestly, that’s what makes these kinds of trips so memorable.