Short Visit to Brussels

Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is a very prominent city in the European Union. Belgium is a country with an ocean in a drop. Its culture is very diverse and it has 3 official languages – Dutch, French and German. Without going into the highly complicated system of how the regions of the different languages work in the Belgian administration, let’s get back to Brussels.

I was in Brussels for a very brief visit of 2 days. The visit was regarding an educational tour by ESCP Europe Business School.

In the 2 days, I did not get much time to go around in Brussels, but I did manage to visit some highlights and take a walk a few times.

I can not discuss and judge a lot different aspects of the city with such a short visit, so I more or less rated it the same in all the aspects. Here is what I now know about the city.

Capital of the European Union

There is no officially declared capital of the European Union, but Brussels hosts the official seats of the European Commission, Council of the European Union, the European Council, as well as a seat (officially the second seat but de facto the most important one) of the European Parliament (read more information at Brussels and the European Union). 

Architecture and Landscape 

Almost anywhere I went to in Brussels, I could find something good looking and picture ready. One of the most famous icons of the city happens to be a statue of a peeing boy. Its counterpart (the statue of a peeing girl, known as Jeanneke Pis, also exists but is relatively a newer structure and is not as popular as the statue of the boy.

Image credit : Brussels.info| The famous bronze statue of the peeing boy in Brussels. It is known as Manneken Pis.

Culture and customs

All I can say about the culture is that this small city and the country have people of 3 native languages - Dutch, German and French. When needed, the international language English is added to this list. Not long ago I discovered that the Belgian Dutch has a different accent - and is known as Flemish. 

It shows that from the time they enter this world, the Belgian kids are exposed to a very diverse environment within their native country. I would like to explore more about the Belgian culture and customs whenever I get a chance. I normally find Belgian people very nice. 

Gastronomy 

The most popular Belgian food items are the Belgian Waffles, fries and beer. An honorable mention would be Belgian chocolates. Very often, Belgian cuisine can be seen to have been strongly influenced and/or related to the neighbouring countries (Germany, France and the Netherlands). Praline also originated in Belgium.

Image credit : Jrenier/Wikimedia Commons | Delicous-looking fresh Belgian Waffles

Party and Entertainment

I have not been to a party in Brussels, but I know Belgian people that know how to party well. Like the rest of the Europe, the people in Belgium seemed to enjoy life as much as possible and make sure that they are able to find time for themselves.

Transport

It always takes some time to understand the routes and transport in a city. I found the public transportation system of Brussels (buses, metro etc) quite comfortable and understandable.

Prices

The cost of living in Belgium is quite above average. In fact, I would say it is a costly city. It is cheaper than Paris, but not a lot. 

All in all, Brussels is an amazing city!