Explore Brussels
Explore deals, travel guides and things to do in Brussels
What to know before visiting Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region (French: Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; Dutch: Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest), is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region (within which it forms an enclave) and the Walloon Region.Brussels is the most densely populated region in Belgium, and although it has the highest GDP per capita, it has the lowest available income per household. The Brussels Region covers 162 km2 (63 sq mi), a relatively small area compared to the two other regions, and has a population of over 1.2 million. The five times larger metropolitan area of Brussels comprises over 2.5 million people, which makes it the largest in Belgium. It is also part of a large conurbation extending towards the cities of Ghent, Antwerp, and Leuven and the province of Walloon Brabant, in total home to over 5 million people.Brussels grew from a small rural settlement on the river Senne to become an important city-region in Europe. Since the end of the Second World War, it has been a major centre for international politics and home to numerous international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants. Brussels is the de facto capital of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions, including its administrative-legislative, executive-political, and legislative branches (though the judicial branch is located in Luxembourg, and the European Parliament meets for a minority of the year in Strasbourg). Because of this, its name is sometimes used metonymically to describe the EU and its institutions. The secretariat of the Benelux and the headquarters of NATO are also located in Brussels.As the economic capital of Belgium and a top financial centre of Western Europe with Euronext Brussels, Brussels is classified as an Alpha global city. It is also a national and international hub for rail, road and air traffic, and are sometimes considered, together with Belgium, as the geographic, economic and cultural crossroads of Europe. The Brussels Metro is the only rapid transit system in Belgium. In addition, both its airport and railway stations are the largest and busiest in the country. Historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels saw a language shift to French from the late 19th century. Nowadays, the Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch. French is the lingua franca with over 90% of the inhabitants being able to speak it. Brussels is also increasingly becoming multilingual. English is spoken as a second language by nearly a third of the population and many migrants and expatriates speak other languages as well.Brussels is known for its cuisine and gastronomic offer (including its local waffle, its chocolate, its French fries and its numerous types of beers), as well as its historical and architectural landmarks; some of them are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Principal attractions include its historic Grand-Place/Grote Markt (main square), Manneken Pis, the Atomium, and cultural institutions such as La Monnaie/De Munt and the Museums of Art and History. Due to its long tradition of Belgian comics, Brussels is also hailed as a capital of the comic strip. -Wikipedia
General Info
Time Zone
GMT +02:00
Currency
Euro
1USD = 0.90 EUR
Best time to visit
June
July
Local Weather
JAN
0.7°
0.7°
FEB
0.6°
6.4°
MAR
2.9°
9.9°
APR
4.8°
13.1°
MAY
8.9°
17.7°
JUN
11.5°
20.0°
JUL
13.6°
22.4°
AUG
13.4°
22.5°
SEP
10.8°
18.7°
OCT
7.6°
14.4°
NOV
3.7°
9.1°
DEC
1.9
6.5°
Popular Activities
Explore the popular activities
Grand Place
Brussels City Museum
Mont des Arts
Manneken Pis
Parc du Cinquantenaire
Atomium
Palais du Coudenberg
Mini-Europe
Triumphal Arch
St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral, Brussels
Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert
Autoworld
Horta Museum
Comics Art Museum
Museum of Natural Sciences
Brussels Park
Porte de Hal
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Train World
National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg
Leopold Park
Le Botanique
Het Zinneke
Parlamentarium
Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History
Musical Instruments Museum
Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon
Musée Fin-de-Siècle Museum
Bois de la Cambre
Choco-Story Brussels
Royal Palace of Brussels
Musée Magritte Museum
Law Courts of Brussels
Brussels COMICS Figurines Museum
Musée Constantin Meunier Museum
Brussels Town Hall
Belgian Chocolate Workshop in Brussels
Botanical Garden
Egmont Palace
Spanish Square
experience.brussels (eB!)
Design Museum Brussels
Sewer Museum
Mont des Arts Garden
Museum Van Buuren
Parc de Laeken - Royal Parc
Statue du Roi Albert 1er
Domaine Royal de Laeken
Jeanneke-Pis
Royal Palace of Brussels
Museum of the National Bank of Belgium
Escape room Bruxelles
Children's Museum Brussels
Villa Empain
Square of Petit Sablon
Place du Grand Sablon
Tintin Comic Mural
Josaphat Park
Church of Saint Catherine
Horta-Lambeaux Pavilion
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