Discover Brussels

Brussels monuments

Manneken Pis

Manneken Pis is not only Brussels's most well-known statue, it is probably also Belgian's most famous little boy.
A lot of legends about the origin of this statue are told, the most famous one probably being the story about a little boy who saved the city of Brussels from burning down by peeing out the fuse of a fire.
The statue is located on the corner of Stoofstraat/Rue de L'Etuve and the Eikstraat/Rue du Chêne (At the Grand-Place follow the street on the left side of the town hall).  Visitors might be surprised by the size of the statue, because it seems very small compared to its fame, but the people of Brussels accept and love him the way he is. Besides, a Manneken Pis of the size of the David of Michelangelo would cause Brussels to be flooded all the time.

Brussels atomium

Located in the North of the city, the first Heysel buildings were built for the 1935 World Fair. The Atomium was built in 1958 for the Brussels World Fair and symbolises an iron crystal molecule enlarged one hundred sixty-five billion times. In this area, your will find other attractions (Bruparck) such as: the Kinépolis (a complex of more than 25 movie theaters), the Océade (indoor swimming pools), Little Europe...
In March 2004 a facelift of the building started, which will take two years. Therefore, the building will be closed till January 2006

The Cinquantenaire & the Arch

The parc du Cinquantenaire (the "Jubelpark" in Dutch) was designed for the 1880 exhibit in honour of the 50th anniversary of Belgium's independence. The Cinquantenaire hosts one of Europe's largest museum complexes, with the Royal Army Museum, the Royal Museum of Art and History and the Automobile Museum, better known as "Autoworld". These museums are all located in a building with large wings ending in an "Arc de Triomphe", a 45-meter high monument. This arch was built by the French architect Girault and ordered (in 1905) by King Léopold II for Belgium's 75th anniversary of independance. It consists of three spans of the same height and a bronze statue showing Brabant on a chariot pulled forward by four horses.

Brussels Grand Place

The parc du Cinquantenaire was designed for the1880 exhibit in honor of the 50th anniversary of Belgium's independence. At the centre of this 90-acre park, there is a building, with large wings ending in a "Arc de Triomphe", a 45-meter high monument. This arch was built by the French architect Girault and ordered (in 1905) by King Léopold II for Belgium's 75th anniversary of independance. The Cinquantenaire hosts one of Europe's largest museum complexes, with the Royal Army Museum, the Royal Museum of Art and History and the Automobile Museum better known as Autoworld".

Brussels folklore

The Ilôt Sacré, which is the historic heart of Brussels, has a very pinteresting Internet site containing not only the history of the foundation of the 'free commune' of the Ilôt Sacré in 1960 to save it from being massacred by the town planners, but also tourist information and a series of virtual tours. www.ilotsacre.be

, of course, is the past and tradition, but it can also be the present, and a new tradition being established.
As part of the 'Brussels 2000' festivities, a parade was created: the Zinneke Parade. A zinneke is a true citizen of Brussels, a blend of something from every influence . so the parade initiated in the year 2000 (and then repeated in 2002 and 2004) covers all the cultures which together form the culture of Brussels.
The site of the Zinneke Parade therefore provides an idea of this multi-coloured city, and traditions in the process of creation:  www.zinneke.org

Brussels Lace

Today, two main techniques of lace making are practiced in the Flemish provinces of Belgium. The first, a needle lace, is still manufactured in the region of Aalst. It is called Renaissance or Brussels lace because it is mostly sold in Brussels. The second type, the Bobbin Lace, is a speciality of Bruges, a magnificent city located in the west of Belgium. This is a very expensive type of lace to make and is therefore no longer manufactured for commercial purposes.