8- BRUSSELS

Hey guys! I'm back with a new post! This time is about Brussels, the centre of the European Politics and a fascinating city (that's why it's the 8th on my list). Let's start!

1- General information

Brussels is the capital city of Belgium, a 10 million inhabitants country located in the centre of Europe, among France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Brussels, located in the centre of the country and with a population of 1.2 million people (1.8 including the metropolitan area), is the largest and most populated city.

Brussels was founded at the end of the 10th century, and has experimented several developments since then. The biggest one, however, has probably been the latest one, when after the World War II, it became the political capital of Europe, and also the city where the headquarters of many international businesses are set.

If you want to know more about this city and its festivals, have a look at the official webpage

2- Landmarks

Being one of the most cosmpolitan and visited cities all over the world, Brussles hosts a large number of monuments which are worh visiting. The most prominent ones are:

The Grand Place is the central square of Brussels and one of the most iconic places in the city as it holds several buildings dating from the 14th to the 17th century and from different arquitectural styles. This place seems outstanding to me and I hope I get the chance to visit it in a close future.

Grand Place

The Atomium is a building constructed for Expo 1958 and one of the most representative's of the city. It depicts nine iron atoms and is one of the tourists' favourite places for taking pics. Nowadays, it holds several exhibitons related to science matters.

Atomium

The Parc du Cinquantenaire is a great green space in the city which was ordered by King Leopold II in 1880 to celebrate the 50th aniversary of Belgium's Independence. It's famous for its three arches, but it also holds several museums and conceals other treasures which amaze its more inquisitive visitors.

3- People

The region of Brussels is the only part of the country which is bilingual, being both French and Dutch official languages. The official language in the north of the country is Dutch (this is the official language of the Netherlands as well) whereas the official language in the south of the country is French. Howerver, tehre's a small region in the east of the country whose official language is German. You might think: "What a mess!", but with the following map, it'll become clearer.

Moreover, as Brussels is the capital of Europe, more tan 40,000 UE employees and over 4,000 NATO employees (OTAN in Spanish) , apart from hundreds of ambassadors live in the city. There are also lots of lobby groups and press corporations who have set their homes in the city or travel to it quite frequently. Those are all the reasons why Brussels is one of the most multicultural and Cosmopolitan cities all over the world, not being Belgians almost one of every three residents.

4- Food

As Belgium is a small country, the typical dishes in the capital city don't differ much from other parts of the country's meals. Belgian food is not characterised by its apperance but by its flavour. Thus, the more typical dishes are the following:

Belgians were the first who cut potatoes this way, and consequently the ones who make fries best. You can find fry stalls all over the city, sometimes even on the road, where you can choose whether you want just the fries or you want them with some kind of sauce. If you want to know more about  Belgian fries click here

Belgian fries

If you're a waffle lover, then you should go to Belgium.They're served with anything you can imagine from chocolate or vainilla sauce to banana or strawberries

Belgian waffles

I've been researching lately and, for chocolate fans, like me, Belgium is the ideal country. With over 2,000 official chocolatiers (people or companies who make confectionery from chocolate) and a law that forbids chocolates whith less tan 35% pure cocoa, this country's chocolates are undoubtedly some of the most delicious' all over the world

Belgian chocolates

5- Films and TV Series

Brussels has been the location for not only small productions, but also for some blockbusters, Belgian and International films. Let's get a deeper look into them!

There's a TV series which I talked about on another chapter, House of Cards, which set in the city. You might think, but wasn't it set in Washington D.C.? It was, but its new season is  set in Brussels. Did you know so?

One of the newest and most world-known films set in Brussels is the thriller Erased

Nevertheless, there are some other films which were shot in the city, such as Brussels by Night, La vie sexuelle des belges and Home Sweet Home.

6- More information

Like always, I share some links and videos if you want to know more about the city:

• Brussels Curiosities
• Fun facts Brussels
• If you want to know more about the Belgian fries, have a look at this video from a YouTube Channel called Culinary Crossings

Hope you've enjoyed this post and, like always, if you have any suggestion to make or there's anything you want to share, let it in the comments. Don't forget to vote your favourite city on the survey on the left on the blog! Come back soon!