Recyclart: a little bit of 'underground' in Brussels

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Recyclart: a little bit of ‘underground’ in Brussels

Written by guest 22 April 2010 3 Comments

Before visiting Brussels last summer, I innocently reduced the small nation of Belgium to a row of clichées, namely french fries (oh, the irony…), exquisite chocolates and comic books. I was more than happy to revise my opinion, especially since I’ve disliked Tintin, Lucky Luke and their compatriots for as long as I can remember.Truth be told: Brussels has a lot more to offer than Männeken Piss and other well-known tourist attractions.

An insider’s tip I would like to share with you is the art hub/café/bar/concert venue known as “Recyclart”. Located beneath an old train station, the cultural establishment is literally underground. The train station (formerly known as Chapelle-Kapellekerk) was converted by the city’s Urban Development Department in 1996 and has been home to a number of exhibitions, concerts, workshops and cultural projects ever since. Recyclart is described by it’s managers as “an artistic laboratory, a creative centre for cultural confrontation, an actor in the municipal public arena, a training centre and a place for meeting and experiment”.

I find it hard to describe all of the events that go down at Recyclart, since they vary greatly from one another. I had the priviledge of being in Brussels while the european “Fête de la Musique” took place; naturally, the venue offered a great variety of musical performances and was jam-packed three nights in a row. Free entrance, cheap drinks and experimental/electronic music all night long (the kind of things I am used to from my hometown Berlin), plus a handful of friends and friendly strangers – I had definitely underestimated les Belges.

Fête de la Musique

another dj set during Fête de la Musique

If you happen to be in the city, I advise you to simply stop by and have a look. The kind staff will be more than happy to inform you of any upcoming events while you enjoy a coffee on the terrace and watch little Belgian skater boys show off their tricks in the adjacent skate park. If you’re on a tight budget and would nevertheless like to enjoy a good meal, I can also highly recommend a visit to the Recyclart restaurant. The menu features a wild mixture of french, international and also vegetarian specialties – all between 3€ – 9€.

Recyclart is located on:

Rue des Ursulines 25

(GARE BRUXELLES-CHAPELLE)

Recyclart daytime

nighttime: crowd waiting outside

Tags: clubbing, food, party

3 Comments »

Facundo said:

Hello, im gonna travel to berlin soon, and would like to know the underground night, i woul apreciate a lot that you recomend me some places, thank you very much

# 4 March 2011 at 3:54 pm

ina said:

Facundo,
I’m a little confused about where you are going because you said Berlin, yet this post is about Brussels. If you do mean Berlin, there are a lot of great “underground” clubs and bars in districts such as Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte and Wedding. One of my favourites is a club called Brunnen70 which is located near the underground station “Voltastrasse” – the entrance is hidden so you have to go through an elevator to get inside! We’ll be posting more about places to go out in Berlin so keep your eyes open

# 17 March 2011 at 6:07 am

Florentine said:

Hi,
If you’re looking for a place like the Recyclart , you might like the Beurs. (open air bar, free concerts)
Check also the st-catherine area : madame moustache, the mini market …
And go back to your ho(s)tel, cf, … With a cheap nightbus or preordered taxi (noctis/colecto)

# 11 March 2012 at 1:22 am