Visit Brussels Guide & Brussels Tourism
Visit Brussels Guide & Brussels Tourism
Brussels Guides & Brussels Attractions
Guide to Brussels, Belgium
Brussels, a city of contrasts, contradictions but also harmonies.
In these decades, have become the center of the European Communities brought it back to international attention it deserved.
The mascot of the city is a playful boy who pees in sharp contrast to the serious European bureaucracy.
The little Manneken Pis, a story comes to life, perhaps really happened: in the fourteenth century, a boy named Juliaanske managed to save the city from the aggressor stranger urinating on a burning fuse along the defensive walls.
Over time there have added the female version Jeanneke Zinneke Pis Pis, the canine version. The famous Manneken Pis fountain, only 30 cm high, found the corner of Rue de l’Etuve and Rue du Chene. The statue has long been a well-known and beloved figure in Brussels kings, presidents and celebrities have donated clothes and costumes, you think your child has a wardrobe of over 250 dresses, housed in the municipal museum.
Brussels is a diverse city with a great vitality. Different building styles represented in the city are many, ranging from Gothic cathedrals and churches to the classical facades of the Palais des Nations, the Palais Royal and the stunning Art Nouveau (Art Nouveau) in twentieth-century neighborhoods of the city. The Baroque buildings of the city tell us of a rich past, and finally, the modern buildings, cutting edge, we speak of the propensity toward the future of its inhabitants.
The heart of Brussels, and a starting point for exploring the city, is the Grand Place, the main square, (pictured above) historic square, lined with beautiful guild houses in the Flemish style, with a central gothic Hotel de Ville, the town hall is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. The Grand-Place was for centuries the focal point of social and civic life of the city. The people of Brussels gather here for their most important ceremonies and festivals, for the traditional bird market on Sunday morning, or just sit back, drink a beer, letting the world the next steps. The Town Hall was the only building to survive intact in the square in medieval times.
To the east of the Grand-Place, up towards the upper town, where are the Palais Royal and the Palace of Parliament. Between these two there is a very nice park with fountains and statues in the French style in battle to remember when the Belgians fought the Dutch for their independence. In front of the Palais Royal, the center of the Place Royal, is the equestrian statue of Godfrey de Bouillon, Godfrey de Bouillon, one of the main characters of the First Crusade, the Belgian national hero and character of the “Jerusalem Delivered” of Torquato Tasso. A little ‘further south lies the Place du Grand Sablon, with its exquisite antique galleries and sumptuous restaurants.
History buffs can visit the Battlefield of Waterloo, which led to the final defeat of Napoleon. The field is located 18 km from Brussels. To visit the place, you will need to imagine this area as it was at the time, maybe having a map of the battle or a guide on the site. Think of the rain on the land and the difficulty of advancing soldiers.
One last thing, mussels in Brussels, is something unique, are the specialty of the place (along with chocolate and beer). The portions are very generous, so try to save room for dessert. Chocolates, waffles and biscuits are everywhere. And after all, you can always go to Paris or Porreta Terme then to a diet.
