Brussels Travel Guide
Beer, waffles and festivals – if this is what youre looking for you will find them in abundance when you visit the countrys capital city (pop. 1 000 000). Brussels is the major gateway for the country: it is on the main routes heading inland from the Channel ports via the Flemish art towns and it is as well a convenient stopover on the train between France .and the Netherlands.
Brussels took its name from Broekzele, or city of the marsh, which grew up in the sixth century on the trade route between Cologne and Bruges / Gent. Under the Habsburghs the town flourished, eventually becoming capital of the Spanish Netherlands. In the 19th century it became the capital of the newly-independent Belgium. Although nowadays, the city is often primarily regarded as a destination for businesspeople or diplomats it is the headquarters for the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) there is plenty to see and do for other travellers. Manneke Pis, plenty of impressive museums, delicious chocolate and a city centre divided into the upper and the lower town with a beautiful cathedral and the Oude Markt where you can enjoy your Belgian beers. Brussels requires a minimum of two nights to get a feeling for the city but an even longer stay should be planned if there is a festival in town. While Brussels is a safe city some areas are prone to crime, especially at night. Be careful when walking near the westward arc between North and Midi railway stations and Rogier and De Brouckere Metro stations.
Note: Brussels is an international city; for the two great parts of Belgians (French and Flemish-speaking) there is parity in Brussels. This means that every instance of the written word, from road signs to the yellow pages, has to appear in both languages.
Related Travel Information
Europalia Festival
The first Europalia (from the Roman ‘Opalia’, meaning ‘rich harvest’) was conceived in Brussels in 1969, and the festival has been held annually since to showcase the visual and performing arts of a different designated guest country each year. The latest country to be featured was Italy, and in 2005 Russia will be the invited country. Numerous art exhibits, concerts, film screenings and other events are held in and around Brussels between October and early February of the following year.
Art Brussels
Tens of thousands of art experts and art lovers from all over the world eagerly await ArtBrussels, Belgium’s premier
Belgium Overview
It happens time after time. People understand Europe the way they’ve been introduced to it - The usual tourist meccas, the attractions on a thousand postcards. Then they remember Belgium, the little country, they passed through a few days ago. It seems beautiful, it’s practically next door to Paris, London and Amsterdam, and they have 24 hours to explore it before heading home. Two hours later, they are in love with Belgium.
Baroque architecture and a street named Meat & Bread; an exhibit of comic strips; and jazz until dawn — you could only be in Brussels. Don’t miss the
Brussels has restaurants to rival Paris and London both for price and quality. Brussels is no place for weight watching - fries, chocolate and mussels are everywhere you look - and portions are large.
Give in to temptation by experimenting with some of Belgium's famous beers - like Hoegaarden, an example of blanche beer, or, Trappiste beers such as Chimay, Orval, or Achel made in abbey breweries (Leffe is an abbey beer, but is not made in a monastery!). Other varieties include the non-malted lambic, blended gueuze, red beers aged in oak and kriek - fermented with cherries or raspberries.
Most of Brussels' nightlife revolves around Belgian activities of cinema (locals go at least once a week); dining out in gourmet restaurants; or consuming large amounts of the local beers. Best bar crawl is down rue du Marché au Charbon – where every other building houses a lively drinking place. Of the many, Au Soleil at No.86 and the popular Pablo Disco Bar at No.60 are the best picks. Brussels’ renown as a clubbing town is down to one club: the Fuse , its best, where the DJ, Pierre, is the town’s top turntablist. Fast gaining a reputation for democratic
Louvain-la-Neuve Travel Guide
The biggest french speaking university in Belgium was the starting point of this new city because of the split of the university of Leuven in the sixties.
