Sustainability Consult Newcomer's Guide to Brussels: Part #4

Painting from Magritte's Bottle Series
Source: oliviateh.tumblr.com 

Culture and Leisure

This multicultural city boasts a diverse and plentiful cultural offering, as well as many different sporting associations and centres.  Below are our picks of the best in entertainment and exercising.

·       English Bookshops

a.     Cook and Book (bookshop/restaurant complex near the Roodebeek metro station)

b.     Waterstones

c.     Sterling Books

d.  Fnac (At the City 2 shopping centre and also the Toison d’Or shopping centre)

e.     Some French and Dutch bookshops have English-language sections

·       English-Language Theatres

a.     Brussels British Community Association

b.     American Theatre Company

c.     Brussels Light Opera Company

d.     Brussels Shakespeare Society

e.     English Comedy Club

f.      European Theatre Club for the performing arts

g.     The Irish Theatre Group

·       Cinemas

   Mainstream:

a.     UGC Unlimited card – for €19/month, you can see as many films as you wish at the UGC De Brouckère and Toison d’Or cinemas or UGC Antwerp

b.     Kinepolis

Alternative:

a.     Vendôme

b.     Actor’s Studio

c.     Cinematek

d.     Cinema Aventure

e.     Galeries

f.    Spotted by Locals – the Brussels section of this website runs a cinema blog

·       Museums

a.     Museum night fever

b.     Nuit blanches

c.     Nocturnes

d.     Museums and exhibitions

e.   Many Brussels museums are free on the first Sunday of every month

·       Alternative Cultural Venues

a.     Muziekpublique

b.     Coiffure Liliane

c.     Beursschouwburg

d.     Bonnefooi

e.     Botanique

f.      VK* Concerts

·       Non-Profit Sports Associations

a.     Friskis&Svettis

b.     Fitnesspalace

c.     Underwater Hockey Team Belgium

d.     DOS Woluwe - DOS Woluwe is a torball club.  ‘Torball’ is a ball sport for blind and visually-impaired people.

e.     Brussels Manneke Piss Hash House Harriers

·       Swimming Pools

a.     L’Espadon - Etterbeek

b.     Piscine Victor Boin - Saint Gilles

c.     Bains de la Ville de Bruxelles

d.     Piscine Neptunium - Schaerbeek

e.     Piscine communal d’Ixelles

Blog by Aris Koutentakis and Bárbara Mendes-Jorge

This blog is one of a five-part series.  If you enjoyed this article, check out our other posts:

Part #1: The Basics

Part #2: Settling Down?  Setting Up and Travel Essentials

Part #3: Food - Where to Buy It, Where to Eat Out 

Part #5: Learning Languages and Other Useful Information