 About Brussels Brussels is the capital of the European Union and Belgium, as well as the political seat of
NATO.
People in the northern part of the city speak Dutch and these in the southern are French-speaking.
The name of the city originates from the
old Dutch
word for "marsh" or "home in the marsh" - "Bruocsella".
Brussels was founded around 979 when Charles, the son of King Louis IV of France
built a
small castle here
on an island surrounded by the Senne river. Soon the small town grew into important urban center on the
commercial road
between Bruges
to Cologne. After the Belgian revolution in 1830 that took place in Brussels,
the city was chosen for the capital of the newly formed
Kingdom of the
Belgians. Brussels has several
universities and is a prominent cultural center in Europe. The gild houses, spectacular town hall,
the King's house and
many other masterpieces of the European architecture can be seen in that charming city. |
