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7-night Holland & Belgium At Tulip Time Cruise

Price: $7,289 - # of Days: 7 days

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14-night Rhine, Moselle & Belgium Grand Discovery Cruise

Price: $8,959 - # of Days: 14 days

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7-night Belgian Holiday Markets Cruise

Price: $5,849 - # of Days: 7 days

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Overview

Introduction

Brussels is best described by one word: cosmopolitan. Nearly one in four city residents is an expatriate drawn there, typically by business or government ties. Brussels is not just the capital of Belgium, but also the capital of the European Union. So when you're sipping hot chocolate at a sidewalk cafe (a delectable treat at any time of the year), you are eyeing one of the world's most diverse populations; and it is one of the most sophisticated, too. At restaurants near the main square, you may be presented with at least six copies of the menu—each in a different language.

Visitors can delight in fine museums and Michelin-starred restaurants (the city claims more per capita than Paris), as well as some of the best classical music and opera in Europe. There are plenty of things to see, but your time is best spent soaking up the atmosphere. After you leave, one of your fondest impressions may be of how wonderfully livable the capital of Belgium is.

Must See or Do

Sights—The Grand Place with its graceful Gothic Town Hall, preferably when illuminated at night; pretty Petit Sablon and the adjacent Church of Notre-Dame du Sablon; the view from the Basilique Nationale du Sacre-Coeur dome; the Galeries St. Hubert; and perhaps the most famous statue in the world, the Manneken-Pis.

Museums—The Royal Museums of Fine Arts; the Horta Museum; the Gueuze (beer) Museum; the middle-age palace at Coudenberg Former Palace of Brussels Archaeological Site; the Musical Instruments Museum; and with Tintin's popularity, the Belgian Comic Strip Center.

Memorable Meals—A splendid dinner at Comme Chez Soi or Bruneau; fish waterzooi at L'Ecailler du Palais Royal; dining among celebrities at La Quincaillerie; waffles with chocolate sauce at a sidewalk cafe.

Late Night—A drink at the Cafe Roy d'Espagne; clubbing at Fuse; a jazz session at L'Archiduc.

Walks—A stroll through the Meise Botanic Garden; a walk in the Foret de Soignes, one of Europe's most beautiful beech forests; the lovely Central Park of Brussels, Bois de la Cambre.

Especially for Kids—The Museum of Natural Sciences and its dinosaurs; hands-on exhibits at the Children's Museum.

Geography

The heart of Belgium's capital is a pentagon enclosed by large boulevards called the Petit Ring. At the center of that pentagon is the main square, or Grand Place. Also within the ring are the Sablon district and most of the historical and cultural sites of interest. The major thoroughfare, Avenue Louise, runs out from the ring to the southeast, where the Bois de la Cambre and the Foret de Soignes are located.

Brussels is divided into 19 communes, each with its own postal code. For example, central Brussels is known as Bruxelles Mille or Duizend Brussel—1000 Brussels. These codes are commonly used as indicators of place, and they will sometimes help a taxi driver, hotel concierge or Brussels native recognize a destination and give you directions. If you can provide the name of the commune (for example, 1050 Ixelles or 1060 St. Gilles), even better.

History

Brussels was founded in AD 979, but it was overshadowed during the Middle Ages by Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp, trading towns that were famous for their textiles. Brussels' influence began to grow when it was made an administrative center in the mid-1400s. But then it came under Spanish control, followed by Austrian and then French rule in 1794.

It wasn't until the second half of the 18th century, under the Austrians, that Brussels came into its own. This new set of distant rulers stimulated the development of the city, constructing the classical buildings around Place Royale and planting the smooth beech trees that still make up most of the Foret de Soignes southeast of the city.

In 1830, Brussels became the capital of the newly established state of Belgium, winning its independence from the Netherlands. The country turned itself into the world's second industrial nation (behind England). The profits of empire (notably the Belgian Congo, surreptitiously acquired as personal property by King Leopold II in 1885) financed fashionable promenades, and art-nouveau architecture flourished.

During the first half of the 20th century, Brussels was twice occupied by German forces. Physical damage was relatively limited, but the economic and psychological effects, including investigations of post-World War II collaboration, were harder to shake off.

During the past several decades, the city has opened itself to the outside world. Immigration from eastern Europe, northern and southern Africa, and the European Union has given it the most international population of any European city. Brussels is the seat of NATO and the main EU institutions, and it boasts around 160 embassies. It is also home to more than 120 international governmental organizations and approximately 1,400 international nongovernmental organizations.

Potpourri

When Brussels built its metro system in 1965, the architects hired artists to decorate the stations in interesting ways. Check out the Bockstael, Parc, Arte Loi, Hankar, Comte de Flandre, Montgomery, Josephine-Charlotte or Ossegem stations.

The revolution for Belgian independence began in Brussels, with riots inspired by a showing of the patriotic French opera La Muette de Portici.

The Trappist monks brew a potent "triple" (or tripel) beer—a dark blond beer with 10% alcohol content, nearly as strong as wine. Belgium is home to six Trappist breweries.

In 1817, the famous Manneken-Pis statue was stolen and recovered broken into pieces. The thief paid dearly for the sacrilege: He was publicly branded on the Grand Place and sentenced to hard labor.

Audrey Hepburn, the famous Hollywood actress, was born in 1929 in Brussels as Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston and lived in the city until she was 6.

Karl Marx wrote his Manifesto of the Communist Party in Brussels in 1848. He was expelled from the country shortly afterward, and it was published in Britain.

Marollien is a unique language mix of French, Flemish and some Spanish words still spoken in Brussels, but usually not in the streets.

Brussels' Grand Place is the site of the famed biennial "Flower Carpet." It is constructed with the help of hundreds of volunteers, and nearly a million flowers are needed to complete each floral mural.

Location

Brussels is connected to the sea by canals, but only river boats are small enough to dock at the ports of Heembeekkaai or Becodock. From Becodock, which is near Yser train station, you can walk to the city center, though from Heembeekkaai it is better to take a bus. There is little to interest river-cruise passengers at either port.

Large cruise ships dock in Antwerp or Zeebrugge. Trains run from both cities into Brussels.

Shore Excursions