Brussels like other European cities has been hit by jihadist terrorism and like Barcelona, London, Paris, Nice or Berlin has recovered from that terrible experience and offers its visitors a wonderful, neat and clean city full of secrets and interesting places . Join us to discover 30 Curiosities of Brussels that perhaps you did not know and surely will surprise you.
Brussels, despite being the heart of Europe and hosting many official bodies of the EEC is a relatively small city and does not reach 200,000 inhabitants. Its metropolitan area, which includes 19 municipalities, does reach 1.2 million inhabitants from very different parts of the world. In the capital of Belgium With its Grand-Place, its majestic buildings, its neighborhoods and its people you will feel good from the first moment.
30 Curiosities of Brussels
1. Brussels exists as a city since the thirteenth century when its walls were built, but possibly its foundation dates back to the 10th century.
2. The name of Brussels means "Hermitage of the Swamp" and comes from the Dutch medieval words "broek" that would be pronounced "bruk" that means swamp and "sell" that means hermitage.
3. The Senne is the river of Brussels. The city was born in the valley that forms this river course and around it first grew a town and then a medieval city. In the nineteenth century the spread of cholera and other diseases was attributed to the river, and between 1867 and 1871 it was covered and its course was diverted.
4. One of the curiosities of Brussels is that you can still see from some shops in the city a small section of the route and one of the locks of the Senne River. From the restaurant La Grande Ecluse, located a few steps from the Gare du Midi, you can see a section of the old lock and from a shop located at number 23 on the Rue Saint-Géry, in an outdoor area, an arm from the river.
5. The Royal Library of Belgium is located in the center of the city and has one of the best kept curiosities of Brussels. On its roof there is a greenhouse, an orchard and a shelter for insects.
6. In Parc Maximilien, in the center of the city, there is a farm that children from 6 to 12 can enjoy. It is known as " La Ferme du Parc Maximilien " You will find, among other animals, sheep, chickens, ducks, goats, rabbits and donkeys.
7. If you want to see one of the most beautiful shop windows in the world, you have it in Brussels. It is the one of the store of Daniël Ost, the main floral designer of the world. It is on Rue Royale, 13 and is a marvel of flowers, wood and wrought iron. It's in an Art Nouveau building by Paul Hankar.
8. In the Belgian capital there are several Art Nouveau buildings by Paul Ankar, Albert Roosenboom and Octave van Rysselberghe. In addition to the aforementioned, those of the streets Rue Defacqz and Rue Faider that preserve their paintings in very good condition stand out.
9. The MIM, the Museum of Musical Instruments of Brussels is inside one of these Art Nouveau buildings called "Old England" from its upper floor you will enjoy magnificent views of the city.
10. One of the curiosities of Brussels is a museum dedicated to plastic! It is called "Museo Plasticarum" and you can see works of art, appliances, furniture and plastic goods from great designers from the 1960s to the present day.
11. Another of the curiosities of Brussels hidden from view is the facade of "La Bellone". It is one of the most beautiful in the city and is in a covered inner courtyard to preserve them from the elements. At present it is a center dedicated to the show. It was built by Jean Cosyn between 1697 and 1708. Its name is due to the bust of Bellone, the goddess, which is on the main door.
12. It is known as the city of comics because it is the birthplace of some of the most famous as Tintin, The Smurfs or Lucky Luck. In Brussels you can see some murals dedicated to these characters and their authors. There is a " Comic book route "Very interesting that it is a different way of knowing the Belgian capital.
13. If you like to dive you have at your disposal the Nemo 33 pool. It is one of the deepest in the world, similar to the Italian Y-40 Deep Joy and the idea of its creator was to teach to dive in a safe and controlled environment.
14. The center of Brussels is undoubtedly the Grand Place. She also hides curious secrets such as the fact that until 1990 it was possible to drive and even park in it and that she has a webcam that transmits images in real time of the square.
15. One of the curiosities of Brussels Related to the Grand Place is the existence of a secret tunnel that goes from the King's House to the Town Hall. It was built to communicate both buildings. In winter, when it snows, you can see the layout of the tunnel since the snow melts on the outside because of the heating in it.
16. Have you ever slept in a church? In Brussels you can do it! It is the Hotel Martin's Patershof Mechelen and is inside an old church.
17. Another of the curiosities of Brussels They are the St. Hubert Galleries. They are the oldest in Europe and were opened in 1847.
18. If you have asked yourself if the Brussels sprouts they have a relationship with the city, we will say yes. They have been cultivated in it for 700 years.
19. Belgium is one of the places in the world where more chocolate is produced and the international airport of Brussels is the place in the world where more chocolate is sold.
20. Surely you've ever seen images of the Atomium of Brussels. It represents an atom of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.
21. The Manneken Pis It is the most famous statue of Brussels and measures only 61 cm. If you want to know more about her, we invite you to read the post: 3 works of art that tell a story .
22. In Brussels you can visit the last weeks of August on Royal Palace . It looks a lot like London's Buckingham Palace but the facade of the Belgian is 50% longer, although the surface of each floor of this palace measures half of English.
23. The Palace of Justice of Brussels It is an impressive building and is considered to be the largest Palace of Justice in the world. It has 26,000 m2. of surface and is proposed to be World Heritage of Humanity.
24. The European Commission, the European Parliament and NATO are based in Brussels and the European Council holds its quarterly summits in the city.
25. Due to the existence of all these international organizations, there are around 40,000 EU employees plus 4,000 NATO employees and about 300 permanent representations of diverse groups and embassies in the city.
26. Brussels is world famous for its waffles . In addition to restaurants, you can buy them at street stalls and at subway stations.
27. The Val des Roses is a cul-de-sac of the medieval period in the center of Brussels that ends in a curious trannment that simulates the entrance to a forest. Worth seeing!
28. There are two other cities in the world with the name of Brussels, one in Canada and the other in the USA.
29. In Brussels you will see dogs everywhere. No regulations are breached if they are taken to restaurants, cafes or on public transport.
30. The last of these curiosities of Brussels It is for you to visit it with complete peace of mind. The Belgian capital is considered one of the safest cities in the world. You can go home at night without any fear.
Other Curiosities of Cities
And if you love to travel and know the secrets of the different countries and their urban centers, you can discover with us curiosities of Europe , from the most surprising data from other wonderful cities that you will surely be interested in such as:
- Curiosities of Barcelona
- Curiosities of Seville
- Curiosities of Madrid
- Curiosities of Bilbao
- Curiosities of London
- Curiosities of Paris
- Curiosities of Prague
- Curiosities of Venice
- Curiosities of Florence
- Curiosities of Amsterdam
- Curiosities of Berlin
As you see, the capital of Belgium, hides many interesting places to discover. What do you think about our selection of curiosities of Brussels ? Do you know any that we have not taken into account? Tell us and we can expand this list of curiosities.