Which European City Offers the Best Cultural Experience for Living/Visiting?
Now that I’m leaving Brussels, I’ve got some time to reflect on our two major temporary-life places. Of course, the experience with each was a bit different given that we had a toddler in Brussels, but I’ve at least got enough in me to make some general comparisons between the two cities. And if on the off chance you just can’t make up your mind between visiting these two cities…
Why not do both? There’s a new Sleeper Train that you can take from Brussels overnight to Prague. So don’t think you have to sacrifice one for the other.
Granted, there are a lot of solid reasons to favor Prague over the “Capitol of Europe”, but I wouldn’t think so fast, Brussels has some strong points. I’ll discuss a list of some topics for both visiting and living in these two cities and which are the winners.
Historic vs. Modern Importance
Prague
Prague is an old city of huge importance. It was both the capitol of the Kingdom of Bohemia and the sometime capitol of the Holy Roman Empire, so it had it going on. Of course, the Holy Roman Empire didn’t really of capitols per se, more just favorite cities of the emperor, but some lived in Prague. And during the time of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, its importance rivaled Budapest and Vienna, with Empress Maria Theresa loving it so much that she lived there for a great portion of her rule and renovated the entire palatial complex to her liking.
All that to say, Prague is grand in the old sense of the world. Huge medieval castles perched on hills overlooking epic cityscapes of piercing spires and rose-tiled roofs. There’s the massive castle with St. Vitus looking imperiously across the Vltava valley, the narrow old-timey streets with fanciful facades and lively cafes, and the flower-filled beer gardens perfect for tapping off a summer day.
When I was living there, it was also the center of a booming IT and video game industry, with a lot of contracts spinning out from German companies looking to capitalize on the cheap cost of living, and local live music was at such a premium that it was also easy to catch touring international acts for cheap. As the cost of living has crept up though, I imagine it’s been taking a hit economically, and rents of gone through the relative tiled-roofs.
Brussels
It’s a harder city to fall in love with than Prague. With Prague, it’s love at first sight and it continues to enamor you, even with the sultry weather. But with Brussels, there’s a bit of brutality, a real love and hate that the city holds on you with its weighty, slow-wheeled bureaucracies, out-of-place modern architecture, and near-constant rain.
Yet, it too has its romance. Despite being robbed of a river, it has one or two majestic views, like that from the Mont des Arts, the Palace of Justice, or Ambriorix. But the Brussels of history was a lot different than modern Brussels, de facto capitol of the European Union.
Where now stands the neoclassical Royal Palace, what once stood was much more impressive, if can be imagined. There was once a castle that rivaled the beauty of Prague’s, and it too stood on the hill top surrounded by water and a vast hunting ground. It met its tragic end in the 1700s by fire, allegedly from the duchess forgetting to blow out her candle at night, though she blamed it on a kitchen accident.
Imagine also a river running through Brussels, which was later covered up due to sewage and stench, and you’ll see the historical Brussels was far different than what we have today. Now we’ve got a smattering of smashed up styles, a labyrinth of pedestrian streets and alleys, and puddles and the vague smell of piss everywhere (some things never change…).
The old town squares of the two cities definitely rival each other in beauty, I must admit.
Though my preference is for the weird medieval layer cake of Peter Parler’s Our Lady on the Tyn, the 18th century guildhalls that crowd around the towering town hall can do a number, especially when accompanied by a steaming waffle fresh off the griddle, a pool of melted chantilly forming at the base of the paper plate.
Art Nouveau
Both cities have very particular histories regarding art nouveau, and were power houses in their own rights, giving birth to such notable artists as Victor Horta (Brussels) and Alphonse Mucha (Prague).
Horta was the founder of the movement that became known as Art Nouveau and spent much of his early career designing houses in the Chatelain neighborhood of Brussels, and also take on students that would build more houses in Chatelain and other boroughs. It’s primarily due to Horta that a walk through any of the Eastern neighborhoods is a walk through the prime of 19th century architecture, absolutely alluring gems that dazzle with the finesse of their feminine forms.
With a preference for curves and a inspiration from pagan roots, Art Nouveau inspired a cultural/nationalist rebirth throughout much of Europe. And never was that truer in Prague, which had embraced its own Czech identity. And though Alphonse Mucha was most known for his Parisian theatre posters of Sarah Bernhardt, he still earned his place in the Prague pantheon with his contributions to the grand Art Nouveau Obecny Dum. Not to mention the non-Mucha National Theatre, and you’ve got two of the world’s foremost premium examples of the architectural style on truly grand scales.
And to top off Mucha, there was also the nationalist endeavor, the Slavic Epic, which highlights the grand moments of each of the Slavic peoples.
Victor: Brussels if not just because the quantity
River
I mentioned earlier that Brussels had a sewage filled, vomit-inducing river, didn’t I? The Senne, not to be confused with the Seine, has long been buried and is a forgotten underground channel in Brussels weirdly waterless landscape. There is a lonely, foreboding and industrial canal they keep trying to sell off as “hip”, but every year fails in that project.
You can still see the Senne though if you head off to the Sewer Museum near Midi Station, where you can go underground and walk alongside the original waterway that once carried a prized statue of Madonna from Antwerp to Sablon.
The Vltava, in Prague, on the other hand is a majesty to behold. Wide, vast, speckled with boats and cut by dozens of elegant bridges, with the medieval stonework of Charles Bridge being amongst the most beautiful in the world. Tap that off with the successful waterfront renovations like the Naplavka project, where a semi-permanent beer garden goes on at the water’s edge, sipping water on barges or cobblestone while the ducks and swans come and beg you to paddle off and defend a damsel (points for those who catch the Belgium connection to that line).
Victor: Prague
Medieval life
Without sounding too redundant, they both offer a dose of that “medieval” feel that most Americans crave from Europe. At first arrival in Brussels, I assumed the old town was a smaller paving of just two or three streets, but I’ve ended up thinking its quite an expansive labyrinthine network that goes beyond the circle that attempts to bind it. But Brussels is not limited by the “medieval”, and the city didn’t truly come to life until 1800s, so it really is a different era, but still “historical” in feel.
But a trip to Belgium doesn’t need to be without the medieval mystique, with places like Ghent, Bruges, and Bouillon all playing their part to keep up that romantic, timeless feeling.
Meanwhile Prague… well, is also mostly a different time period, with the post-medieval Baroque really taking front and center. But still, it gives that epic, knightly feel with all those winding cobblestone walks, Charles Bridge, and Vysehrad fortress.
During my four years in Prague though I never witnessed a Medieval Market/Renaissance Faire inside the city, whereas in Brussels there’s the Medieval Marche in May in the Cinquintennaire and the Ommegang in July in the old town. So there’s that too.
Victor: Prague
Beer
Both cities are the centers of the best beer in Europe. And in Prague, this led me to pack on 20 kilos and gave me quite the majestic waistline and chin. Belgium arguably has better beer, but I’ve lost weight here because it’s so expensive. The only thing that Belgians price higher than beer in a restaurant is the water.
This isn’t to down Czech beers. The hallowed pilsner still takes a premium spot in my heart, especially with its premiumly awesome price. And the Czech beer drinking culture of large booze-laden mugs in peaceful, forested parks with epic views across the magnanimous Vltava is hard to beat.
Victor: Prague
Food
Czech food is basically meat and potatoes with lots of cumin and/or paprika. It’s the standard Austro-Hungarian fare, and what most people think of as Czech, the chimney cake, due to its ubiquity in food trucks in every square is actually from Transylvania.
Brussels on the other hand has claim to waffles, fries, pralines, and a type of cookie named speculoos. It’s hard to wonder why Brusselois aren’t all fat, but then you remember that everything is so friggin’ expensive and everyone is taxed out of their shoes that it forces people to keep committed to a trim and slim lifestyle.
But, besides the inventions, Brussels is also home to the most Michelin-starred restaurants, and has fine dining of just about any cuisine imaginable. In fact, you’re probably better off eating at one of those, because traditional “Brussels food” is… well… meat and potatoes and not that different than Czech fare.
Victor: Brussels
Music scene
When making a decision where to visit or live, of course you’ve got to have some sense of the music scene. When I was in Prague, the scene was at its prime, with bands playing in all the hoods every night, and jazz flooding the windows throughout the old town. I myself contributed, playing accordion in an Irish folk-punk band, Cupla Focal, in an endless jig that will be remembered forever in my memory.
Brussels has been hard for me to tack though. Part of the problem was that we came here in the middle of Covid, when nightlife fell to ruin as the first victim of the draconian measures to curb the infamous plague. And my next excuse was helping to raise a toddler, where as the house-husband I had to be there in case he was sick, or the wife had to work late, or whatever. So it was kind of limiting to develop a nightlife and I never got into it.
But from what I’ve seen lately, Brussels does have a hopping seen, and it’s possible to spend most nights enjoying the regales of various bands, both covers and originals.
Prague used to be a kind of destination city for bands, though I’ve heard it’s lost its place in the post-covid years. Brussels is often inexplicably looked over for Antwerp or Luxembourg, so there’s that.
Victor: Brussels, because Antwerp is less than an hour away
Taxes
Prague has a generally low cost of living, which also means the taxes are fairly low. They’re also easy to file and something most people don’t really take register of. As a diplo-spouse, we got an easily filed VAT refund too. The bureaucracy was no greater than anything I’ve dealt with in the United States, mostly sensible and easy to work with.
The Americans complaining about bureaucracy in the US have clearly never had to deal with Belgian bureaucracy. Seriously. It’s such a complex web of insanity that you’d think Kafka were from Brussels rather than Prague. And it’s certainly not helped by the fact that every region and every neighborhood has to have their own government with their own systems and administration and rules and so on, that you can’t ask anyone help on how anything is done because their experience is probably entirely different than yours.
Victor: Prague
Moving-in nonsense
This is another one that goes along the lines of nutty bureaucratic propensities. In Prague, you just kind of move in. No real big deal. Get your shit and get in.
In Brussels? Where to start?
You’ve got to get a permit for a lift to bring your stuff up, as most houses don’t have lifts or have tiny lifts or have decent lifts but just don’t allow in furniture. Then you’ve got to schedule for a police officer to visit your home for whatever reason, and then with every service and such you’ve got to get on waiting lists as each of them have to apply to the borough while councils bicker out this and that detail behind the scenes.
Victor: Prague
Language
Let’s be honest here, Brussels speaks English. It serves as a nice neutral ground between Dutch and French, where even Dutch and French will often just speak English to each other because neither side wants to lower themselves by speaking the other side’s language. It’s a mineral rich language, so to speak.
But if you were inclined to learn either language, you have the advantage that French is spoken by millions of people around the globe and Dutch is spoken also by the Dutch. Very useful. Czech on the other hand is… well, you can also basically speak to Slovaks with it, but they’ll pretend you can’t. And if you know any other Slavic language, then it’s not terribly hard to pick up.
Victor: Belgium
Family-friendly
Both cities have their share of family-friendliness too. Though I can't say too much on Prague, since as I said before, I didn't have my kid until coming to Brussels. But I do remember in Prague a very nice aspect of the restaurant life. Restaurants there usually include a "detsky koutek", or "children's corner", which is stuff with games, books, and sometimes even play equipment. That way you can let your kid run over there and let out some energy in a safe place while not disturbing other diners. In Brussels, there's McDo's and Burger King.
That said, we've had an amazing time raising our child in Brussels. There's free child-care from 6-months, there's amazing kindergartens (at least ours was), and parks with maintained playgrounds every few blocks (you're never more than a 10-minute walk to a playground). In both places, healthcare is affordable if not free, so that's never a concern. But in Prague, I don't think there was as many playgrounds.
Victor: Brussels for the free child-care
Conclusion
I’ve lived in both cities for a long time and they both have a great place in my heart. And they have a surprisingly lot of similarities. But when it comes to visiting and living… actually it’s hard to say, still. Probably Prague wins out for living. And probably for visiting too. But I still highly recommend seeing Brussels, as it’s the capitol of Europe, and a beautiful, underappreciated city in its own right. And has a huge ton of awesome villages and towns in a very easy drive/train ride away.
But so does Prague. Even so much that I wrote a book on it, so there’s that.
If I had to choose one though... I'm really glad we lived in Brussels at the time we did (and Prague when we did). To raise a small child, I really can't think of a better city. With its huge array of parks and playgrounds, festivals, free day-care, and ice cream/waffle vans, it's a really hard city to beat for family life. And with zoos like Pairi Daiza nearby, to visit it's got to be a pretty incredible place as well.
But if I were traveling for just a weekend, kid or no, I think maybe still Prague takes the cake. The beauty of Prague is that much more overwhelming, with its epic vistas and grand views, and its easy to have a fairy tale experieince, since the urban architecture isn't so... random. Brussels can't make up its mind whether it wants an old town or a hyper modern architecture playground.
