| Located at the heart of Western Europe,
the city of Brussels is also at the
crossroads of several European countries.
Throughout its history, Brussels has
also always been a point of contact
between the Latin and Germanic cultures
and a meeting point for new thinking
in both the exact and the social sciences.
Brussels is a cosmopolitan city where
everyone feels at home: a modern city,
proud of its past and one that offers
all of the advantages of a city, whilst
maintaining its charm and own characteristics.
Unique among European capitals, Brussels
has one of the lowest densities of
population and, thanks to its numerous
squares and parks and the Forêt
de Soignes, the greatest number of
green spaces.
Brussels has also become an international
city in every sense of the term. It
is host to a number of international
organisations, including NATO, many
of the European Institutions, more
than 1,000 representative offices
of international organisations and
over 2,000 international companies.
Brussels is the third most important
city in the world in terms of international
conferences.
The city reflects its rich historic
past, with influences from Spain,
France, Austria and the Netherlands,
whilst its architectural heritage
spreads from Roman art through Gothic
to Art Nouveau.
The historic centre of Brussels lies
around its famous Grand Place and
the Sablon, but there are many other
worthwhile places to visit, including
the Cinquantenaire and its park, the
Royal Park, the Commune of Saint-Gilles
and more than ninety museums.
Brussels is well known for the quality
of its further education. Students
from the four corners of the world
come to study at university or to
follow specialist education or training
in university institutions renowned
for their teaching.
There are two main linguistic communities
in Belgium: the Flemish Region, where
Dutch is spoken, and the Region of
Wallonia, where French is spoken.
German, on the other hand, is the
principal language spoken in certain
districts in the east of Belgium.
French is the mother tongue for 80%
of the inhabitants of Brussels. The
majority of the population understands
and speaks English.
For more information please contact:
>The
Brussels' Tourisme Bureau
>The official site of the Brussels Region (Bruxelles
Capitale)
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