Brussels

Brussels Travel Guide

Brussels' vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere and multicultural beat make it much more than simply the administrative hub of Europe. For all its world-class restaurants, architecture, and art, though, the city keeps a relatively low profile, so you'll have the breathing room to relish its landmarks, cobbled streets, and beautiful parks.

At the end of the 19th century, Brussels was one of the liveliest cities in Europe, known for its splendid cafés and graceful Art Nouveau architecture. That gaiety, however, was stamped out by German occupation during the First and Second World Wars. Still, the city made a comeback little more than a decade later, its reemergence on the international scene heralded by the World's Fair and the Universal Exposition of 1958. It became the European Economic Community's headquarters that same year, a precursor to its hosting of the EU's administrative and political arms.

As a by-product of Europe's increasing integration, international business has invaded the city in a big way since the 1960s. The result: city blocks of steel-and-glass office buildings set only a few steps from cobbled-street neighborhoods featuring hallmarks of the city's eventful past. Over the centuries, Brussels has been shaped by the different cultures of the foreign powers that have ruled it. It has learned the art of accommodating them and, in the process, prepared itself for its role as the political capital of Europe. In 1989 the Brussels region became autonomous, on a par with Flanders and Wallonia. The city is technically bilingual, though French is the dominant language. Now, diversity is the capital's greatest strength; one-third of the city's million-strong population are non-Belgians, and you're as likely to hear Arabic or Swedish spoken on the streets as French or Flemish.