Brussels is the capital city of Belgium and the unofficial capital of the European Union. It is a cosmopolitan city that is a crossroads of Dutch and French cultures, as well as the headquarters of NATO. Brussels offers its visitors plenty of historical sights, architecture and culinary pleasures, as well as shopping and nightlife options with cosy pubs.
The Belgian capital Brussels is situated literally in the heart of Europe. Besides historic sights and museums, Brussels also offers good shopping opportunities, pubs with world-famous Belgian beer as well as many golf courses near by. It is not as popular for tourism as some other cities in Belgium, but still receives plenty of visitors and has a large international community of foreign politicians and civil servants.
Other attractions in Brussels include Parc du Cinquantenaire, that is a large park area with a historic arch and nice views of the city. There are several great museums in Brussels to visit, including the vast historic and modern arts museum, Musée Belvue historic museum and the Natural Sciences Museum that is especially nice for children. Another sights in Brussels include the atom-shaped Atomium building that offers great views from the top sphere and the Waterloo battlefield close to the city. Sightseeing tours in Brussels are available for those who do not have too much time to spend. There are also many golf courses in Brussels and around the city to enjoy.
The Belgian capital Brussels is situated literally in the heart of Europe. Besides historic sights and museums, Brussels also offers good shopping opportunities, pubs with world-famous Belgian beer as well as many golf courses near by. It is not as popular for tourism as some other cities in Belgium, but still receives plenty of visitors and has a large international community of foreign politicians and civil servants.
Tourism attractions in Brussels: historical sights, shopping, nightlife and fine dining
Brussels has a world-famous cuisine, plenty of good quality restaurants, stylish cafés and bistros. There are also pubs with famous Belgian beer and many options for shopping in Brussels. There is also a wide variety of nightlife in Brussels. The city’s small historic center consists of Grand Place (also called Grote Markt) square with baroque guildhalls and a Gothic town hall and the surrounding streets with cobblestone alleys. Just a short walk from the Grand Place, there is the famous bronze statue of Manneken Pis that is said to represent the “spirit of Brussels”.Other attractions in Brussels include Parc du Cinquantenaire, that is a large park area with a historic arch and nice views of the city. There are several great museums in Brussels to visit, including the vast historic and modern arts museum, Musée Belvue historic museum and the Natural Sciences Museum that is especially nice for children. Another sights in Brussels include the atom-shaped Atomium building that offers great views from the top sphere and the Waterloo battlefield close to the city. Sightseeing tours in Brussels are available for those who do not have too much time to spend. There are also many golf courses in Brussels and around the city to enjoy.
Brussels travel tips and practical information
Brussels has a moist temperate maritime climate with four seasons and relatively large rainfall throughout the year. Summers here are relatively warm with some rainfall, while the winters are chilly and moist. Summer is the best time to visit Brussels, but the city attractions can be enjoyed any time of the year.
Photo: e3000, used under Creative Commons License (By SA 2.0)
How to get there. Located right in the middle of Belgium, it is a short and very easy to travel from Brussels to everywhere in the country. The city is also close to many major cities in Western Europe, so traveling to Brussels is easy not only by air but also by train or bus. The public transportation in Brussels is modern and efficient, and includes a three-line subway system, trams and buses. Taxis are also widely available, and rental cars in Brussels are offered by many companies.
Visitor services. A major political center as it is, you can find a great number of high quality hotels in Brussels to choose from. There is also a good amount of pubs in Brussels, as well as nice cafés and restaurants in Brussels, accompanied by lots of good quality city services. The famous Belgian chocolate and beer can be found everywhere in Brussels. Brussels is a bilingual city with French and Dutch speakers, and English is also spoken by many people.
Safety. In general, Brussels is a quite safe city. Although there are some suburban areas that are not so safe, you are not very likely to visit them. Pickpocketing is not uncommon in crowded sites and the train and subway stations should be avoided during nighttime.
hint See also these nearby destinations: Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Liege, Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden
