Brussels

Not only is this charming city the Belgian capital, it is also the political seat of NATO, the Western European Union (WEU) and EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation – an important player in European affairs, therefore!

Brussels is officially bilingual French-Dutch, although the majority of residents speak French. Historically the people of Brussels spoke the Dutch vernacular, but following the dominance of Walloon industrials and bankers in the 19th and early 20th centuries the predominance shifted to French. As a consequence, Brussels locals started to massively assimilate into French rather than keeping their own Dutch (or Flemish): within two or three generations only, Brussels families could turn from originally Dutch-speaking to Bilingual Dutch/French, to French-speaking only (second or third generations). Because the city is completely surrounded by Flemish territory, the number of Dutch speakers is quite large during working hours and in cultural consumption time. As a result, the learning of Dutch is now broadly encouraged within the French-speaking majority, because Flanders is a natural economic partner (even if Wallonia has some strong ties with Brussels too).

Besides the obvious commercial and political places of interest, Brussels boasts a fair number of tourist attractions: The Grote Markt, the central square surrounded by the magnificent Gothic Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) and baroque guild houses. The square is a very popular with tourists, especially since it is lined with charming bars and restaurants – most with terraces outside: ideal for long, balmy summer evenings!

Just round the corner from the Grote Markt is the world famous small bronze statue of Manneken Pis, a little boy urinating into the fountain’s basin. There are museums to be visited: The Royal Museums of Fine Arts comprise four museums under one heading; the Museum of Ancient Art and the Museum of Modern Art (both in the same building, containing works by Breughel, Rubens, Campin, and Spillieart), the Museum Constantin Meunier and the Antoine Wiertz Museum (dedicated to specific Belgian artists, and located elsewhere in the city). Throughout Brussels – also known as Comic City - we can find murals and frescoes of the city’s many comic book heroes: Lucky Luke, the Smurfs, and Tintin among others!

Just north of the city centre in the Heysel Exhibition Park we can find the Atomium, built in 1958 for the World Exhibition. It is still in use for trade fairs etc. Mini-Europe is also located in this park – all the EU’s most famous buildings are represented here on a scale of 1 to 25. The subtropical water park "Océade" and the planetarium can be found here as well, so the Heysel Park is a great day out for the kids!

Hotels
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Airport information

easyJet flies into and out of Brussels International Airport which is located approximately 15 km north east of the city centre.

By car
The airport can be easily reached via the Brussels ring road (R0) and is clearly signposted.

By train
The train station is located at basement level-1 from where up to four trains per hour leave for Brussels Central, Midi, and North stations.

Train time tables can be found on the Belgian Railways website.

By bus
The bus station is one level down from the arrivals hall, and various bus companies operate services to Brussels and environs, Antwerp, NATO headquarters, and European institutions.

By taxi
Metered taxis are available outside the arrivals hall. Licensed taxis can be recognised by the blue and yellow emblem.

Pre book your door-to-door airport transfers with easyJet’s partner Holiday Taxis. We cater for the Business and Leisure Traveller.