Brussels (Brugge), Belgium

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the centre of the European Union and NATO. It is a multi-cultural and multi-lingual city bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France.

The main sights in Brussels include St Michael and St Gudule's Cathedral (13th-16th century) and the famous Grand-Place in the heart of the city. It is here that the early 15th-century Gothic-style Town Hall and the Maison du Roi, containing the Municipal Museum, are located.

Other attractions include Mont des Arts, the park which links the upper and lower parts of the city; the elegant Place Royale built between 1774 and 1780 in the style of Louis XVI; the Manneken-Pis statue which dates from 1619 and symbolises the irreverence of the 'Bruxellois'; and dozens of museums of interest.

Things to see and do

* Grand Place – central square
* Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique – ancient & modern art gallery
* Market at FleaPlace du Jeu de Balle-Vossenplein
* St Michael and St Gudule's Cathedral
* Mont des Arts - park

General Information

Cruise Season – Oct - April
Currency – Euro (€) (EUR)
Language – Dutch, French, German
Land Area –161 sq km’s
Population – 1,000,000
Electricity – 2 pin round pins European style
Time – GMT plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code – + 32

Port Location – The river port of Brussels is located right next to the city centre.

Transport Links – The main airport is Zaventem. There is a train running every 15 minutes to Brussels centre taking 25 minutes. The high speed Thalys train connects Brussels with Cologne (2h45), Paris (1h25), Marseille (5h00) and Amsterdam. Eurolines offers bus travel from many countries to Brussels.

Brussels has 3 metro lines, many buses and some tramways.