Brussels, Belgium: Best Sites and Attractions

Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is head of the European Union and the home of Tintin. It is also a fantastic place to visit if you are vacationing in Europe and are a chocolate aficionado as Belgium produces 172,000 tons of chocolate each year and has 2,000 chocolate shops.

Brussels, Belgium is over one thousand years old and was founded in 979. The official languages spoken are French and Dutch, and any street names that you encounter will always be in these two languages, which is helpful for those of us who can't understand Dutch.

There are plenty of things to see and do while in Brussels. Some ideas of places to visit include:

The Grand Place - Grote Markt

Between the months of April and September, the buildings in The Grand Place are lit up at night and classical music is played.

The Grand Place in Brussels was one of the first places that I accidentally ended up at, and this was a pleasant surprise as it's the most beautiful place in the city in my humble opinion. The Archduchess Isabella of Spain wrote in 1599 of The Grand Place: "Never have I seen something so beautiful and exquisite as the town square of the city where the town hall rises up into the sky. The decoration of the houses is remarkable."

When Charles Baudelaire visited Brussels towards the end of his life, this was one area of town that he was particularly keen on. Victor Hugo also fancied The Grand Place as well.

There were once tiny wooden houses situated around The Grand Place during the Middle Ages, but from the 14th century onwards, very rich families took building their large stone mansions here. Eventually The Grand Place became the commercial and administrative center of Brussels with the town hall being erected in 1455.

The King's House