Overview

Brussels- The Grand Place of Chocolate and the EU

Before the world started lusting for Belgian chocolates and diamonds, two popular fictitious characters were the chief claim to fame for Belgium - Christie’s Herculé Poirot and Herge’s resourceful Tintin – and of course the Mannekin-Pis statue! A lot of water has flown since then and today the country is known as the seat of power with Brussels hosting the European Union. Although most of the country is now on the veteran travelers’ radar, it is Brussels that has turned out to be a luxury vacation destination and surprisingly, shopping.

Once a 10th century fortress town guarded by Charlemagne’s grandson, Brussels today is a bustling city over a million people and a centre for business and politics with sights and sounds that attract thousands of tourists every year. The city is not Rome when it comes to architectural heritage but its buildings are a fascinating mix of architectural styles, and there are numerous museums of interest throughout. The ‘petit ring’ surrounded by the 14th-century city walls is the compact centre of the old city with the beautiful Grand Place at its heart and visitors rarely feel the need to go beyond it. The old city’s charming buildings and its labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys is one of the most romantic places in the world for a couple vacationing in the city. The new town is equally attractive with its glitzy, but practical buildings but most of the action still lies in the old city where u can find the best bars and restaurants.

Visitors to Brussels get a treat of their lives with the city’s beautiful art and architecture and the marvelous, if slightly bizarre, Mannekin-Pis statue – the little boy letting it all out in a fountain! Tourists love the city for its shopping centers and for traditional souvenirs such as Belgian chocolate and lace. The National Opera House and many other theatres host a variety of events and concerts for those wanting some high culture, and there are plenty of restaurants that offer the best cuisines in the world. An outing is almost always rounded off by a drink or two in one of the lively bars that punctuate the area around the Grand Place.

Vibrant and energetic, Brussels is a city of museums and architecture among Europe's finest, a shopper's fantasy and a diner's capital.

The history of Brussels

Blow-by-blow

695-712 The Bishop of Cambria and Arras, St Vindicien, lives his whole life on the site of Brussels

966 First written mention of Bruocsella (Brussels) in a decree from Emperor Otton the Great

1100 Brussels gains its first walled fortifications

1357 Work begins on the second walled fortifications and their seven gates (an area that is now covered by the inner ring road)

1402 The foundation stone for Brussels Town Hall (completed in 1455) is laid

1404 The Burgundian period commences, with Antoine, son of Philip the Good, proclaimed Regent of Brabant

1436 Rogier de la Pasture is made the official artist of Brussels

1467-77 Reign of Charles the Bold

1531 Brussels is made capital of the Spanish Netherlands

1568 The Counts of Egmont and Hornes are beheaded for high treason on the orders of the Duke of Alba, the Spanish viceroy

1569 Brueghel dies in his house in Rue Haute

1577 Supporters of the Prince of Orange rise up against Philip II

1585 A second uprising against the Spanish is unsuccessful

1599 Isabella (daughter of Philip II) and her husband Albert reside in Brussels

1617 Rue Neuve is laid out

1695 The Marshal de Villeroy orders French troops to bombard Brussels and Grand-Place

1703 Brussels Chamber of Commerce is founded

1715 The Treaty of Utrecht decrees that Brussels becomes Austrian

1719 Unsuccessful uprising against Joseph II results in the beheading of the Dean of the Guilds, François Anneessens

1731 Coudenberg Palace is destroyed by fire

1794 The Directory annexes the Catholic Netherlands to France

1814-30 Brussels becomes joint capital with the Hague of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

1815 Following Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, the Treaty of Vienna puts Belgium under Dutch control

1830 The Belgian Revolution leads to independence, with Brussels capital of the new kingdom

1831 Léopold Saxe-Coburg rules over an independent Belgium of 100,000 inhabitants

1865 Following the death of Léopold I, his son Léopold II accedes to the throne

1866 Cholera epidemic in Brussels; the polluted Senne River is buried underground

1871 The great boulevards of Brussels are constructed

1880 International Exhibition in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Belgian independence

1909 Léopold II dies with no male heir; his nephew, Albert I, becomes king

1928 Victor Horta completes the Palais des Beaux Arts

1934 Albert I dies in a fatal rock-climbing accident; his son Léopold III succeeds to the throne

1944 Charles, brother of Léopold II, becomes Regent

1951 The Regent abdicates; his son Baudoin I accedes to the throne

1958 Expo 58 universal exhibition runs for six months at the Heysel

1959 Following the Treaty of Rome (1957), Brussels is nominated the headquarters of the European Community

1967 Nato establishes its headquarters in the city

1980 150th Independence Anniversary celebrations

1992 Belgium becomes a federal state

1993 King Badouin I dies, his brother Albert accedes to the throne

2000 Brussels becomes the European City of Culture

When to go

Brussels is place for all seasons but the city sees the maximum tourist traffic between May and September, when the weather is at its best. Unfortunately, the good weather also means considerable crowds at tourist sites and a scarcity of accommodations. However, that shouldn’t deter you from visiting Brussels at this time and u can sort accommodations by being proactive about bookings. You would still have to brave the crowds at city attractions but then that is half the fun!

A good time to visit Brussels is on a weekend as most of the city's top-end hotels offer considerably lower rates from Friday to Sunday. Here’s a tip – Bargaining on the price is totally done and you also have a good chance of getting a discount if you can haggle well. The period from November to March may not be the best time to visit Brussels, weather-wise, but the upside of fewer tourists and lower hotel rates is quite motivating. The winter months see freezing temperatures and a lot of rain but if you pack the right clothes and remember that there would be fewer daylight hours, you can make the most of uncrowded museums and markets. The best part of this season is the fact that there is always a cozy cafe just around the corner where you can take refuge and cock a snook at all that cold and rain.