Brussels tourism welcomes you to a pocket-sized capital that is the heart of the European Union. The picturesque city boasts of Brussels attractions such as the Grand Place, the palatial Town Hall, St. Michael and St Gudula Cathedral among others. Brussels is a foodies' dream destination as well, with countless restaurants and bars. Have your fill of beer, waffles, chocolates, pommes frites, and other local delicacies. Welcome to the capital of Belgium and home to the European Union headquarters that has lots to offer, a great stopover destination for a backpack traveler between Amsterdam and Paris. Soak in all the history, food, and beer as you discover Brussels things to do via this guide. The historic city has a lot for an adventurous traveler as well, with many places to visit in Brussels.
USEFUL INFO ABOUT BRUSSELS
Official Name: Brussels-Capital Region
Form of Government: Federal Constitutional Monarchy
Capital and Largest City: City of Brussels
Population: 2080788 (2020 estimate)
Official Language: French, Dutch, German
Languages Spoken: Dutch, French, English, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Turkish
Ethnicity: French (80%), Dutch (20%)
Currency: Euro
Map Referred: Western Europe
Area: 161.4 sq. km
Lowest Point: Senne (57 m above sea level)
Highest Point: Near the Place de l'Altitude / Hoogte Honderdplein (108 m above sea level)
Coastline: 65 km of Belgian Coastline (50 minutes by train from Brussels)
Neighboring Places
Waterloo Battlefield (30 km)
Tournai (91.1 km)
Amsterdam (212.2 km)
Dinant (100 km)
Antwerp (55.4 km)
Maastricht (124.8 km)
Luxembourg (219 km)
Ghent (57.8 km)
Bruges (98.3 km)
France (679.9 km)
Germany (426 km)
Famous For: Grand Place | Manneken Pis | The Atomium | La Monnaie | De Munt | Museums of Art and History | Belgian Comics | Belgian Chocolates | Parc du Cinquantenaire | Galeries Royales Saint - Hubert | St. Michael and St Gudula Cathedral | Moules et frites | Horta Museum | Belgian Beer | Marche du Midi
Time Zone: GMT +2
Driving Side: Right
Airports in Brussels: Brussels International Airport | Brussels South Charleroi Airport
Network Connectivity:
If you travel to Brussels, then a simple application called WIFI Map App will provide you with free Wi-Fi access. Wifi.brussels is the free official Wi-Fi network that works on hotspots all over the Brussels Capital Region. All you need to do is set up a free account and you can access all the free hotspots via the app. For sim cards, the cheapest is Base Belgium available at the Brussels Airport. The Orange sim card is another option but is more expensive. If you want to skip the hassle of buying a sim card for traveling you can order an Orange sim card with 20 GB and 2 hours worldwide calling time online. Look for European sim card deals as well. The other operators are Three Smart Silver and Three Smart Gold options that you can buy online. The Relay Bookshop sells Orange prepaid sim cards at €15 for 4GB all over Europe for tourists, while the Base Shop sells Base sim cards at €25 for 4GB data and 30 minutes talk time from Europe to the world. Look out for these shops at the airport.