Facts About Brussels 

Brussels or the Brussels-Capital Region comprises of 19 municipalities including the City of Brussels, the Capital of Belgium. The region is centrally located in Belgium while being a part of the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community as well. Brussels is the richest and most densely populated region in the entire country. Here are some interesting facts about Brussels: 

 

• Brussels is regarded as Europe’s political capital and houses more than 40,000 EU employees along with 4,000 NATO employees. 
• Close to 27% of Brussels residents are not citizens of Belgium. 
• Belgians do not have any single common languages. The official languages are French, Flemish Dutch and German. 
• The Justice Palace or Palais de Justice is the biggest global court, covering 26,000 square meters. 
• Brussels is a key manufacturer of waffles, chocolate and beer, with the latter category having 800+ brands sold in the city. 
• The Brussels Airport is the biggest selling point for chocolate in the whole world. 
• Chips or French Fries were reportedly invented in Brussels which has a whopping 138 restaurants for every square mile. There is a French Fry museum as well! 
• Brussels Sprouts originated here from the 16th century onwards while the biggest agricultural, forestry and agri-food fair in Europe is held here. It is called the Foire de Libramont. 

 

Brussels has a thriving economy, accounting for 1/5th of the GPD of Belgium and 17.7% of countrywide employment. The Brussels Capital Region has numerous airports including the Brussels-National Airport, Brussels South Charleroi Airport and Melsbroek Air Base. 

 

Cost of Living in Brussels 

A regular restaurant meal will cost roughly 15 Euros will you will need 1.80-2.60 Euros for a one-way transportation ticket. A monthly pass will cost you around 50 Euros while basic utilities will cost approximately 135.75 Euros every month. Rentals for apartments usually hover between 600-2000 Euros every month. 

 

Tips for Visiting Brussels

Here are some handy tips for visiting Brussels: 

• If you are flying into the Brussels Charleroi Airport, it is roughly an hour away from the city center. There is a single bus company offering services and tickets are costlier. Book the shuttle in advance (return/one-way) and save considerable money. 
• People under the age of 26 will get discounts on train travel. Train tickets are also cheaper on weekends. 
• Everything will be written in French and Dutch although everyone in Brussels will speak English. 
• Brussels has a cosmopolitan and multicultural vibe and people usually know multiple languages in the city. 

 

Things to Do in Brussels

There is no shortage of wonderful things to do in Brussels. Here’s taking a look at some of them. 

Q. What are the most popular things to do in Brussels?

Popular activities in Brussels include checking out the Royal Palace, Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Royal Sint-Hubertus Gallery, Mont des Arts and MIM (Musical Instruments Museum). 

 Q. What are some free things to do in Brussels?

Free things to do in Brussels include checking out the famous city center, picnicking in the park, visiting the Palace of Justice, savoring views at Mont des Arts and visiting any free museum. 

 Q. Does Brussels have many romantic attractions?

Romantic attractions in Brussels include the Van Buuren Museum, BOZAR-Center for Fine Arts, The Grand Place, Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, Elevator to the Sky and more. 

 Q. What are the most family-friendly things to do in Brussels?

Family-friendly things to do in Brussels include checking out the Comic Strip Center, Grand Place, Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate, Manneken Pis and Museum of Musical Instruments (MIM). 

 Q. What are the more unusual things to do in Brussels?

Unusual things to do in Brussels include visiting the Grote Markt or Grand Place, shopping at Galeries Royales de Saint-Hubert, exploring statues like Jeanneke Pis, Manneken Pis and Zinneke Pis and even checking out Atomium. 

 

Places to Visit in Brussels 

There are numerous places to visit in Brussels including the following: 

• Grand Place – The Grand Place is the central plaza of Brussels with unique architecture and the elegantly styled guild houses with their decorations, pilasters, gables and balustrades. The Baroque style is a major draw here for architecture lovers along with its rich history. The Town Hall or Hotel de Ville is a must-visit and was developed in 1402. 

• Manneken Pis – The Manneken Pis lies along the Rue de l’Etuve in Brussels and goes back to 1388. The figure of a urinating little boy is often called the oldest citizen of Brussels. Several legends surround the landmark and the current statue was built by Jerome Duquesnoy the Elder in 1619. 

• Saint-Michel Cathedral – This is dedicated to St. Michel and St. Gudula and the Gothic Church was established in 1225 while being finished in the 15th century. The façade is worth viewing along with the twin 69-meter towers that were designed by Jan van Ruysbroeck. 
• Belgian Comic Strip Center – The 1906 structure was designed by Victor Horta and houses the fabulous center, dedicated towards preserving the history of comic strips and cartoons in Belgium. The country is known for giving Tintin and The Smurfs to the world. There is a rotating exhibition containing 200 original comics and drawings by famous French and Belgian comic artists. The museum has a wonderful collection of original draft sketches, manuscripts and reconstructed sets including Captain Haddock’s moon rocket and Lucky Luke’s saloon. 

 

Places to Eat in Brussels 

Some of the best places to eat in Brussels include Tero, La Braise, Certo, Rambo, Entre Nous, La Caravanne Passe, Alimentation and Les Petits Bouchons along with Comme Chez Soi, Le Chou de Bruxelles and Bon Bon Le. 

 

Street Food in Brussels 

Top street food picks in Brussels include meat, leeks, asparagus, potatoes and the local beer. Mussels with fries is a famous dish here along with French fries which were reportedly invented here. Pommes Frites, waffles, grey shrimp croquettes, smoutebollen, whelk soup, ice cream and Martino sub sandwiches are key street food delights along with Belgian chocolates of course! Belgium has a fantastic street food culture with innumerable take-aways, restaurants and establishments whipping up delicious treats for locals and tourists alike. 

 

Shopping in Brussels

If you are going shopping in Brussels, do not miss the key shopping venues like Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert, ICON, Passage du Nord, Docks Bruxsel, Godiva Grand Palace, City2 and Corne Port-Royal Brussels. 

 

Transportation in Brussels 

The Brussels-Capital Region is home to the Brussels-South, Brussels-Central and Brussels-North train stations. There are several minor railway stations serving the City of Brussels. The Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company is the local operator for public transport, covering 19 municipalities. The Brussels metro was established in the year 1976 although premetro underground lines have been in existence from 1968 and were served by tramways in Brussels. This is the sole rapid transit system in all of Belgium and the network contains four regular metro routes along with three premetro lines too. There is an extensive tram and bus network that covers the whole region. The Brussels tram system comprised of 17 lines as of the year 2017. The bus network complements the railway network with 50 routes and 11 routes at night. 

 

There are three airports serving the entire Brussels-Capital Region. The main airports for Brussels are the Brussels South Charleroi Airport and the Brussels National Airport while the Melsbroek Air Base lies at Steenokkerzeel and is primarily a military airbase, used for civilian travelers on rare occasions. 

 

Weather in Brussels 

Brussels has partly cloudy and comfortable summer seasons while the winters here are cold, long and majorly cloudy. They are also windy at times. Throughout the whole year, temperatures usually range between 34 degrees Fahrenheit and 74 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures do not go below 22 degrees Fahrenheit or outstrip 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather remains pleasant at many times of the year although the best time to visit is between late June and early September. Tourists can enjoy warm weather and outdoor activities in this period.