Category: Sights

What would Belgium be without chocolate? When you’re walking through the city center of Bruxelles you can find numerous small chocolatiers offering their products (even in the shape of the Manneken Pis, obviously a famous souvenir) and the shops of famous brands we all connect with the country (like Godiva or Leonidas). Belgians love chocolate and say that theirs is the best; because they select the best cacao, use the best ingredients, and have the best production process.

In medieval times the city of Bruxelles was protected by massive stone walls. The first walls were created in the 13th century, but the city was growing so fast that they were removed, and new ones were built in 1356 CE. These walls were eight kilometers long and fortified with seventy-two towers as well as eight gates named after the cities that could be reached through them.

One of the most beloved gardens of Bruxelles is the Parc du Cinquantenaire (or Jubelpark). It can be found close to the European Quarter in the East of the city and offers a massive amount of space, long paths for strolling and jogging and three museums: the Art & History Museum, the AutoWorld and the Musée Royal de l’Armée. Most dominant item is the Monument du Cinquantenaire, a giant triumphal arch visible already from far away.

The Koninklijk Paleis at the southern end of the Parc de Bruxelles is the royal residence and the official palace of the king of the Belgians – even though the royal family is living at the palace of Laeken. The Neo-Baroque style palace is used to welcome guests of state. It also contains a museum about the monarchy, and you can visit the palace on weekends and during the holiday season when the monarchs are ‘out-of-office’.

Visiting the European countries has never been so easy: Since 1989 you can find the Mini-Europe (within Bruparck) next to the Atomium. It exhibits well-known European places in scale 1:25 and a round-course leads you through the eighty cities sorted by country. The initial invest of ten million Euros was done by the royal family of Belgium. There couldn’t be a better place for an exhibition of Europe than Bruxelles which also gives home to important institutions of the European Union.

The Atomium is next to the Manneken Pis one of the icons of the city of Bruxelles, Belgium. It depicts a basic arrangement of nine atoms (for example found in ferrum) standing on one edge. It was created for the world exhibition Expo 58 and a symbolizes the atomic age and the peaceful usage of nuclear power. The Atomium can be visited in two ways: in the upper atom there is a restaurant and a tour using four escalators and 147 steps shows you different (art) exhibitions and gives nice views from up above.

The Orient Express was a legendary train that was first running from Paris to Constantinople (todays Istanbul) in 1883 – via München, Wien, Budapest, Beograd, and София. But there were also connections to Berlin, to Constanța via București or via Frankfurt, Köln and Bruxelles to London. It was a beloved experience, kings and celebrities were using this amazing connection in luxurious trains which lasted around six days.

It might sound weird, but one thing that people immediately connect with Bruxelles is a fountain including the statue of a urinating boy, the Manneken Pis. The current statue was designed in 1619 but the tradition goes back to the 15th century CE. You can find it in the city center at the crossing of the roads Rue de l’Etuve, Rue des Grands Carmes and Rue du Chêne – always surrounded by tourists.

The Grote Markt or Grand-Place of Bruxelles is the representative square of the capital city showing all the wealth. Most important building is the Gothic-style town hall building (Stadhuis), but also the neo-Gothic Broodhuis and the different guildhalls in Baroque style contribute to the atmosphere of the square. Today this ensemble of buildings is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (declared 1998).