Brussels Short Breaks Guide

Brussels is the capital of Belgium with a population of about a million people which has grown into the headquarters of NATO, the European Union and many other institutions of worldwide importance. This political factor has given Brussels a negative perception from the leisure tourism point of view, but when the subjectivity is set aside there is a city well worth visiting with probably the most beautiful square in Europe, great food, shopping and nightlife.

Brussels was founded by Charles of Lorraine, a descendent of Charlemagne in the 10^th century as a fortress. It grew quickly through the middle ages due to its position along the River Senne and its proximity to the nearby trading towns of Ghent, Bruges and Cologne. The marshes surrounding the city were drained to allow it to expand further in the 13^th century and more city walls were built to protect it. These walls can be seen at places around the historical centre of Brussels, not far from the Grand Place. The city was virtually destroyed by Louis XIV of France in 1695 during the war with the Holy Roman Empire of which Brussels was a part.

The Belgian Revolution was centred on Brussels in 1830 during which Leopold I came to power, the first king of the Belgians. By this time the River Senne had begun to get silted, causing flooding and disease. The decision was made to completely cover it over, which became a defining moment in the development of the city. Eventually parts of the river were diverted completely with some remaining parts of the old channels used as metro routes in modern Brussels.

Brussels suffered some damage in WWII but much less than most cities in the region. Nevertheless, some areas of Old Brussels were razed to allow the construction of modern offices, a process some cynics called Brusselization. Despite this the centre of Brussels remains an architectural gem.

Brussels has been a bilingual city since 1970 with French and Flemish spoken.

Getting to Brussels.
Since the completion of High Speed 1 (HS1) the journey time between London St. Pancras and Brussels Midi by Eurostar has been reduced to just 1 hour and 45 minutes, making Brussels ever more accessible from the South East of England.

Brussels Airlines has taken over from Sabena, the now defunct Belgian national carrier to operate a very good service direct to Brussels from Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Bristol.

Brussels is only just over an hour by car from Calais, so you could drive it, but do so in the full knowledge that Brussels reputedly has the worst traffic jams in Europe. Enough said.

Getting around Brussels
Easy, just buy a Brussels card online or at a rail or Metro station. It gives you Free entry to over 30 main museums, free access to metro, tram & bus network, 25% discount for the Atomium, between 25 and 50% discount on entry to tourist attractions and tours, 25% discount (or free drink) in restaurants and bars, between 5 and 25% discount in typical shops and fashion designers shops, 1 free comprehensive "Brussels Card" guidebook. NB: You can cover a lot of ground in Brussels if you master the Metro.