BRUSSELS

Grande Place
Grande Place

Brussels is Belgium's capital and also the region's capital. It is located on the bank of the Senne River and of the channels of Willebroeck and Charleori. It has an inland waterway port and also an external port. It is also Belgium's train and air centre and has developed a very important industry: lace, carpets, furniture, bronze, textiles, vehicles, leather products and beer, footwear, tools and chemical products. Brussels was founded in the VIIth century and was in the XIIth century capital of the Dukes of Burgundy. In the XVth century it became capital of the Austro-Hungarian Kingdom. From its modern history the year 1958 when it was the city chosen for the Universal Exhibition stands out.

Places of interest

The Senne River separates the Low City (old town centre) from the High City. The Low City is the commercial centre of Brussels while The High City is the residential area where the Royal Palace, the Embassies and the Hotels are located. The Grande Place (Square) is the Low City's centre where the famous City Hall and other well known buildings of interest are located: Maison du Roi (King's House), the Church of the Saints Michel and Gúdula, the Palace of the Nation, the Royal Palace, the Fine Arts Palace and the Museum of Modern Art, the Cinquantenaire Palace, the Royal Music Conservatoire, the Palace of Justice, the University and the Royal Library, the very well known Manneken-Pis at the Crown Square, etc.

Tours around

Bruges is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is the capital of the Belgian province of West-Flanders. It is communicated to the North Sea through various channels. It is a great commercial centre since the XIIth-XIVth centuries and it still maintains its medieval look. Its principal industries are textiles and railway ones. Some of the monuments that should be visited are the Church of Notre Dame where Michelangelo's Madonna is found, St. Sauveur`s Cathedral, St. John's Hospital which now harbours the Memling Museum and the Belfry tower with its carillon.

Antwerp is the first commercial centre in Belgium and one of the biggest and most important ports in the world. Because of its magnificent situation and the importance of its communications it is a great international commercial centre for France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. It has shipbuilding industries, sugar refineries, vegetable oils factories, petrol, machinery, textiles, beer, diamonds, food products and vehicle assembly. Among its treasures the Cathedral with Ruben's paintings, St. James` Church, where the tomb of Peter Paul Rubens is and the Fine Arts Museum.

Ghent is another of the Belgian cities that are worth a visit. It is the capital of the province of East-Flanders and it also maintains a medieval look of past times. Its most noteworthy monuments are the St. Bavo`s Cathedral, the Courts, the Science Institute, the Archaeology Museum, the Convent of Bejines and the ruins of the St. Bavo`s Abbey, etc. Ghent is also an important industrial city (textiles, lace, sugar, tobacco, machinery, leather products and metallurgy) and every five years offers Gentse Floraliën (Ghent's Flower Show) that attracts thousands of tourists.

Links:

Services Directory

Hotels:

MÉTROPOLE *****
31 Place de Brouckère.
Tel. 2172300
Brussels
Close to the Grand-Place and the Stock Exchange. It is one of the very few hotels of the XIXth century that remain in Brussels. The grandiose foyer is richly furnished and the rooms are beautiful.

AMIGO *****
1-3 Rue de l'Amigo.
Tel. 5474747
Brussels
Located in the historical centre, this building of Spanish Renaissance style offers six floors of luxury and comfort. The rooms are elegant and practical, with marble bathrooms. The shared areas are decorated with valuable XVIIIth century tapestries and Flemish paintings.

CARREFOUR DE L'EUROPE ****
110 Rue Marché-aux-herbes.
Tel. 5049400
Brussels
Opened in 1992 and 200 metres away from the Grand-Place, this beautiful building, in harmony with its surroundings, attracts visitors for whom a personal attention is more important than the price..

DORINT ****
11-19 Boulevard Charlemagne.
Tel. 2310909
Brussels
Located in the heart of the EU area, close to the Cinquentenaire Park and 15 minutes by car from the airport. The hotel has a French restaurant, a bar and a spa centre with sauna, Turkish bath and Jacuzzi.

EUROPA INTER-CONTINENTAL ****
107 Rue de la Loi.
Tel. 2301333
Brussels
Modern and air-conditioned rooms. It is very close to the EU building and the European Parliament. The shared areas combine a practical sense with the attention to small details.

Museums:

ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS (ANCIENT ART MUSEUM, MODERN ART MUSEUM)
MUSÉES ROYAUX DES BEAUX ARTS (MUSÉE DE ART ANCIENT, MUSÉE D´ART MODERNE)
Rue de la Régence 3
Place Royal
Brussels
Visiting Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10-17 h.
Closed on Mondays.
Admission Fees: General: 4.20 €
Students: 2.6 €

ART AND HISTORY ROYAL MUSEUM
(MUSÉES ROYAUX D´ART ET HISTORIE)
Parc du Cinquantenaire 10
Brussels
Visiting Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10-17 h.
Closed on Mondays.
Admission Fees: General: 4.25 €
Students: 2.60 €

HOUSE OF BREWERS
(MAISON DES BRASSEURS)
Grand Place 10
Brussels
Visiting Hours: Monday to Friday: 10-17 h.
Admission Fee: General: 3.20 € (Beer tasting included).

Restaurants:

AU DUC D'ARENBERG
Place du Petit Sablon.
Tel. 5111475
Brussels
Closed: last week in December.

BRUNEAU
73-75 Avenue Broustin.
Tel. 4274744
Brussels
Closed: Tuesday night, Wednesdays, Thursdays when a public holiday and August.

COMME CHEZ SOI
23 Place Rouppe.
Tel. 5122921
Brussels
Closed: Sunday, Monday, July and from the 24th December to the 1st January.

LE PAON ROYALE
Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains 6
Tel. 5130865
Brussels
Closed: Mondays.

Transports:

TRAINS:

The Belgian train routes are managed by the Société National Chemin de Fer de Belgique.
Telephone: 025552525

TAXIS:

Telephone 5136200/ 5112244

Emergency:

Ambulances 100
Emergency médicas 4791818