Brussels, Belgium

The capital of Belgium, Brussels is a bilingual city where French and Dutch speaking communities are too often separated, Brussels is home to all the cultures of Europe - Eastern and Western - as well as Americans, Canadians, Congolese, Rwandans, Vietnamese, Turks and Moroccans.

1. The Saint Michael and Gudula Cathedral in Brussels is associated with the names of the archangel and a little-known saint of the 7th century. Begun in 1226, it combines architectural styles from Romanesque to mature Gothic.

2. The Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert in Brussels is the oldest covered shopping arcade in Western Europe. It was established in 1847 and is full of shops, restaurants, cafés and theatres.

3. The Grand Place in Brussels - this is the most lavish market square in Europe, and the heart of the city. Gilded statues of saints and heroes tower over the houses, so vividly recreated they seem to be talking to each other. All this was created by Louis XIV, called the Madman.

4. The Royal Palace in Brussels is a neo-Gothic palace in which no king ever lived. It houses the City Museum, whose collections include Gothic sculptures, porcelain, silverware, lace and paintings such as Bruegel's Wedding Procession.

5. Brussels' richly elegant Place du Grand Sablon is teeming with cafés, restaurants, art galleries and antique shops. At the upper end of the square is the church of Notre-Dame du Sablon, built in a lavish Gothic style in 1304 by the crossbowmen who sometimes trained under the fortification. Down from the square is the 12th-century church. Notre-Dame de la Chapelle. Its Gothic façade and Baroque combination have been magnificently restored. It was the parish church of Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1520-1569), who is buried here in a marble tomb.

6. At the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, the Old Masters collection comprises mainly paintings by Flemish and Dutch masters from the 15th to the 19th centuries. There is a Bruegel room, a Rubens room, etc.

7. The Museum of Modern Art in Brussels is housed in a building that is a real achievement of modern architecture. Eight floors underground, around a central light source, the museum displays the works of the masters of modern Belgian art.

8. The Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels has 7,000 instruments from the Bronze Age to the present day. In the spring of 2000, the museum moved into its new building, Old England-a masterful creation of glass and steel in the Art Moderne style.

9. The palace overlooking the Royal Park was rebuilt in 1904 to satisfy the discerning taste of Leopold II (1835-1904). The royal architect turned it into a true masterpiece thanks to the monumental staircase and throne room.

10. The Royal Museum for Central Africa was built outside Brussels by King Leopold II. He was the sole owner of the Congo. He built this museum to house 25,000 objects exported from his possession. The museum has since become a leading research center for the study of Africa with 13 specialized libraries.

11. Mini-Europe in Brussels is a popular attraction in a 5-acre park. Located at the foot of the landmark Atomium, it is a collection of 300 models (scale 1:25) of buildings from 15 EU countries.

12. The Brussels Children's Museum is an educational center for 2 to 12 year olds. Children can dress up in eccentric costumes, walk around the halls with mirrors and take photos with a huge camera.

13. The 27-storey Hilton Hotel was one of the first multi-storey buildings in Brussels, dating back to the 1960s, and remains a city landmark with excellent views of the center.