Home > Belgium > Car Hire in Brussels

Brussels

The city of Brussels is a mix of the ancient and the modern: the headquarters of the European Union, it is also a city of such beautiful architecture and medieval facades. The Grand-Place, once the pride of the Hapsburg Empire, is the very heart of Brussels. In 1995 it was destroyed by the French gunners of Louis XIV, but it took only four years to rebuild in the baroque style of the Flemish Renaissance. Across the street, the upper-floor windows of the cafes lodged within the wooden interiors of old guild houses give some of the best views in Europe. Look out for Maison du Roi, where the Museum of the City of Brussels is situated; and number 9 is the house where Karl Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto. It is now a tiny restaurant! The royal square, Place Royale, is at the confluence of Rue de la Regence and Rue Royale, two streets that hold many of the city's attractions. The Royal Palace, which overlooks the Parc de Bruxelles, was started in 1820 and had a facelift in 1904. Today, the palace is used for State receptions. Brussels has a number of fine parks: the Parc de Brussels was laid out in the 18th century as a landscaped garden; and the Park du Cinquantenaire was designed to celebrate the half centenary of Belgium's 1830 independence. Of unusual interest is the Centre for Comic-Strip Art off the Boulevard de Berlaimont, with examples from Tintin, Asterix and Charlie Brown!