An Introduction To Brussels

Brussels is without doubt one of the world's great cosmopolitan cities. The dominant language is French, but Flemish is also spoken in certain pockets of the city as is a unique mix of the two languages (called Marollien or Brusselse Sproek).

So what’s Brussels characterised by?

• Fine food. You can’t help but be impressed by the wide variety of food options open to the Brussels visitor. The national dish is “moules et frites” (mussels and fries) and must be sampled but the city also offers a magnificent choice of ethnic foods including Turkish, Chinese, Moroccan, Vietnamese, Tunisian, Italian and more.

• The vibrant “Grand-Place” is the very heart of Brussels and should be the first port of call for the newly arrived visitor. Many believe it to be among the finest town squares to be found anywhere in the world. Here you'll find many terrace cafes, and it is often the venue of concerts and events. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

• Brussels is the EU capital, and as such is the location of an increasing number of European Union buildings. It is also the HQ of NATO and numerous international institutions.

• Brussels gave birth to the “art nouveau” architectural movement in the late 1890’s. This was to spread to many other countries who embraced the bold new combination of materials such as stone, iron and exquisite tiles. Some examples of famous landmarks you can visit that are a testimony to the movement are the Hotels Metropole & Solvay, Musee horta and Maison Saint Cyr. The Art Nouveau movement was spearheaded by Belgian architects Victor Horta and Henry van de Velde.

• Lovers of architecture, museums and cathedrals will be satisfied by the good mix on display. Aside from the wide range of museums, there’s the “Cathedrale des Sts Michel et Gudule” whose origins can be traced back to 1072.

• The chocolate. You'll find speciality chocolatiers in almost every town and village in Belgium, which produces 172,000 tons of chocolate per year.  Most famous in Brussels are:
  Chocolat Manon
  Mary Chocolatier
  La Maison du Chocolat Artisanal
  Debailleul  Mary Chocolatier
  La Maison du Chocolat Artisanal
  Debailleul 

• The beer. There are almost 500 varieties of beer in Belgium - the country has a reputation of excellence regarding its speciality beers.

Whether you come to Brussels for the culture, architecture or just the heavenly chocolate, you’re certain to have an enjoyable time.

Quick Facts on Belgium:
Belgium is a kingdom situated between France and Holland in the west of Europe. It's a multicultural and multilingual country with an excellent train network which makes getting around very simple.

In the north one finds Flanders, a flatland of canals where a daytrip from Brussels takes you to the cities of Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent. Here the locals are Flemish and speak Dutch. To the south of Brussels there is Wallonia, with its rolling hills of the Ardennes. Here one finds small, charming villages, and the friendly locals speak mainly French.

The weather here is pretty predictable. Months from April to September are the warmest. Otherwise the weather is pretty humid and skies are gray ... which explains why umbrellas and raincoats are a part of the dress code!

Belgians are English-friendly and will make every attempt to speak in English when conversing with a foreigner. 

Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges, Ostend, Namur, Mons, Liège, Ghent and Mechelen are the main shopping centres. Belgium is famous for ceramics and hand-beaten copperware from Dinant, laces from Bruges, crystals from Val Saint Lambert, woodcarvings from Spa and - of course - its chocolates. Diamonds from Antwerp are in high demand. 

While eating at a restaurant, tipping is considered customary along with the value-added tax. At the cinemas, leave a €0.50 tip for the attendant and €0.25 after using the public toilets.

Electricity: the voltage is 230 V and frequency is 50 Hz.

There is a network of high-speed trains, which are operated by Thalys, from Belgium to France, connecting Brussels with other destinations like Bordeaux, Chambéry, Cannes, Marseille, Lyon, Nice, Valence Perpignan, and Rennes. Booking should be made in advance for these trains. The national railway operates throughout the day providing regular services to destinations such as Andorra, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the UK and the Netherlands.