No other city in Europe is more present in the media than Brussels, as the European Union headquarters is located here. But Brussels offers more: Culture, cathedrals, monumental palaces, boulevards, Art Nouveau quarters, delicious chocolate and beer, for example.
The city on the Senne River has been the European Capital of Culture of 2000 for good reasons. Brussels is known for its modern office complexes and the Atomium, but with its Medieval city centre, the city can easily keep up with every other European capital. In the cultural sector, one encounters the genuine Surrealism- and comics.
According to legends, Brussels originated from a little chapel built in the 6th century by a preacher named Saint Gorik. It was not until 966, however, that the name "Bruocsella" was first mentioned in records. The city is bilingual (French and Dutch) which takes into acoount both Flemish and Walloon history. This can be noted by bilingual signs. You shouldn't hurry here since people from Brussels are very calm by nature. Sales people have all the time in the world. Loud whistling and singing can be heard on every street corner- which could also be blamed on the strong Belgian beer which has an alcohol concentration of up to 12 % by volume.
