35 Interesting Facts About Brussels: Europe’s Capital

Welcome to our collection of interesting facts about Brussels, the vibrant heart of Europe where ancient cobblestone streets meet modern European institutions.

As both Belgium’s capital and the headquarters of the European Union, this fascinating city blends rich history with world-famous chocolate, comic culture, and stunning architecture.

Brussels Facts At-a-Glance

Location: Central Belgium, surrounded by Flemish Brabant province
Population: 1.2 million (metropolitan area: 2.2 million)
Languages: French and Dutch (officially bilingual)
Climate: Maritime temperate climate with mild winters and cool summers
Notable Features: EU headquarters, UNESCO World Heritage sites, comic book culture
Famous For: Chocolate, waffles, beer, Art Nouveau architecture
Source: The Belgian Data Portal

Historical Journey Through Time

Brussels’s evolution from a modest marsh settlement into Europe’s political heart spans over a millennium, weaving a rich tapestry of power struggles, cultural transformations, and historical turning points.

1. The city’s first recorded mention in 979 describes a fortified castle built by Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, on Saint-Géry island – a strategic location where merchants crossed the Senne River. This settlement, named “Broeksele” (meaning “home in the marsh”), laid the foundation for modern Brussels.
2. In 1229, Brussels’s transformation into a major medieval center was marked by Henry I, Duke of Brabant, granting it a city charter. This crucial document gave Brussels the right to hold markets, collect taxes, and establish its own justice system, triggering rapid growth that attracted merchants from across Europe.
3. In August 1695, Louis XIV’s army unleashed a devastating three-day bombardment using mortars and cannons, destroying 4,000 buildings including the Grand Place. The city’s remarkable recovery saw the Grand Place rebuilt within five years by powerful merchant guilds, creating the magnificent square we see today.
4. The Belgian Revolution of 1830 elevated Brussels to capital status when Belgium gained independence from the Netherlands. The city quickly established itself as a pioneering industrial center, building continental Europe’s first passenger railway line in 1835 and hosting its first World Fair in 1847.
5. On March 25, 1957, Brussels witnessed the birth of modern Europe as six nations signed the Treaty of Rome in the Palace of the Academies, establishing the European Economic Community. This historic moment led to Brussels becoming the de facto capital of the European Union, now hosting major EU institutions including the European Commission and Council.

Suggested Read: 35 Interesting Facts About Luxembourg: A European Crossroads

Architectural Marvels and Urban Landscape

Brussels’s cityscape tells its story through an extraordinary mix of architectural styles, from Gothic treasures and Art Nouveau innovations to bold modernist statements.

6. The Atomium, Brussels’s most surreal landmark, was designed by engineer André Waterkeyn for the 1958 World’s Fair. Standing 102 meters tall and weighing 2,400 tons, its nine interconnected spheres represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Each sphere is 18 meters in diameter, housing exhibitions and offering panoramic views of the city.
7. The Grand Place, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998, represents one of the world’s most spectacular medieval squares. Its centerpiece, the Gothic Town Hall with its 96-meter spire, survived the 1695 bombardment and is surrounded by ornate guild houses featuring gold-leaf decorations, sculptures, and elaborate stonework.
8. The Finance Tower (Tour Finances) dominates Brussels’s skyline at 157 meters (514 feet). Completed in 1983 and renovated in 2008, it serves as Belgium’s largest office building, housing over 4,000 civil servants. Its modernist design features a distinctive bronze-colored aluminum facade that changes appearance throughout the day.
9. The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, built between 1874 and 1895 for King Leopold II, cover 2.5 hectares with spectacular iron and glass pavilions. These Art Nouveau masterpieces, designed by Alphonse Balat (Victor Horta’s mentor), open for just three weeks each spring, showcasing rare plants including century-old camellias and giant ferns.
10. The Mont des Arts (Hill of Arts), redesigned in the 1950s, bridges Brussels’s upper and lower towns. This cultural hub houses the Royal Library of Belgium (with its 6 million books), the National Archives, and the Musical Instrument Museum. Its geometric garden offers Brussels’s most photographed view, featuring the Town Hall’s Gothic spire rising above the city’s rooftops.

Cultural Capital

Brussels’s vibrant cultural scene uniquely blends comic art, high culture, and multicultural influences, creating a distinctive artistic landscape that attracts creators and innovators from around the world.

11. Brussels’s multicultural makeup, with 62% of residents having foreign origins, has created a dynamic fusion of cultures. This diversity is celebrated through events like Zinneke Parade, a biennial cultural parade where different communities collaborate to create spectacular performances.
12. Known as the “Comic Strip Capital,” Brussels has given birth to iconic characters like Tintin, the Smurfs, and Lucky Luke. The city features over 50 colorful comic strip murals along its Comic Book Route, while the Belgian Comic Strip Center welcomes 200,000 visitors annually to explore this uniquely Brussels art form.
13. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts complex comprises six museums spanning ancient to modern art. Its crown jewel is the world’s largest collection of works by René Magritte, while its Old Masters Museum houses the world’s second-largest collection of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s works.
14. The city’s musical legacy includes Jacques Brel, whose poetic chansons have been covered by David Bowie and Frank Sinatra. The stunning art nouveau concert hall La Monnaie, Brussels’s premier opera house since 1700, continues this musical tradition as one of Europe’s most innovative opera companies.
15. Brussels’s scientific achievements include two Nobel Prizes: Ilya Prigogine’s 1977 Chemistry Prize for his work on thermodynamics, and François Englert’s 2013 Physics Prize for discovering the Higgs boson particle, both conducted at the Université libre de Bruxelles.

Culinary Excellence

Brussels’s gastronomic scene combines centuries-old culinary traditions with modern innovation, earning the city its reputation as a food lover’s paradise.

16. Belgian chocolate has been a celebrated Brussels tradition since the early 18th century, with over 500 chocolatiers in the city today. The city’s chocolate shops produce approximately 220,000 tons of chocolate annually, making Brussels the world’s chocolate capital.
17. Brussels is home to 26 Michelin-starred restaurants, with three earning the coveted three-star rating for their “exceptional cuisine worth a special journey” – more starred restaurants per capita than Paris.
18. French fries, locally called “frites,” were invented in Belgium, not France. The story goes that American soldiers during World War I mistakenly called them “French” fries because they were in the French-speaking part of Belgium.
19. Brussels’s signature dish, moules-frites (mussels and fries), features fresh North Sea mussels prepared in various ways, while carbonade flamande is a rich beef stew made with Belgian beer, mustard, and bread – a recipe dating back to medieval times.
20. The Black Russian cocktail was created in 1949 at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels by bartender Gustave Tops in honor of the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, Perle Mesta.

Suggested Read: 25 Fun Facts About Liechtenstein: The Alpine Microstate

Modern Life and Economy

As the administrative capital of the European Union, Brussels has transformed into a global business hub where international politics meets commerce, attracting multinational corporations and diverse talent.

21. Brussels hosts over 2,000 international organizations, making it the world’s second most important diplomatic center after New York. The EU institutions alone employ over 40,000 people, generating €5 billion annually for the local economy.
22. Global giants headquartered in Brussels include Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewing company with over 500 beer brands, and Solvay, a chemical company founded in 1863 that now operates in 64 countries with 21,000 employees.
23. Brussels Airport, connecting to 236 destinations worldwide, handled 26.4 million passengers in 2019. The airport’s cargo division is one of Europe’s largest pharmaceutical transport hubs, handling 30,000 tons of temperature-sensitive healthcare products annually.
24. The Brussels-Capital Region’s €63.4 billion GDP represents nearly 18% of Belgium’s total economic output, with the service sector accounting for 90% of economic activity. The city’s GDP per capita is 2.5 times higher than the EU average.
25. The city’s seven universities host 86,000 students annually, including 24% international students from over 150 countries. The Université libre de Bruxelles ranks among Europe’s top 100 universities and has produced four Nobel Prize winners.

Entertainment and Recreation

From sports to festivals, Brussels offers diverse entertainment options throughout the year.

26. Mini-Europe park displays 350 meticulously crafted models of Europe’s most famous buildings at a scale of 1:25, including a 4-meter-high Eiffel Tower and an erupting Mount Vesuvius.
27. The Belgian Beer Weekend, held each September in Grand Place, brings together more than 50 breweries showcasing over 350 different Belgian beers. The festival opens with a traditional blessing of the beer by the Knighthood of the Brewers’ Paddle, a ceremony dating back to the 13th century.
28. Every two years, the Grand Place transforms into an enormous Flower Carpet spanning 77 x 24 meters and using nearly 1 million begonias. Each edition features a different themed design, and it takes a team of 100 volunteers just 4 hours to assemble the intricate pattern.
29. The King Baudouin Stadium, formerly known as Heysel Stadium, has a capacity of 50,000 and hosts the Memorial Van Damme, one of the most prestigious track and field events in the Diamond League series. The stadium has also welcomed performances from music legends like U2, Madonna, and The Rolling Stones.
30. Brussels-born Eddy Merckx, nicknamed “The Cannibal” for his insatiable appetite for victories, dominated professional cycling from 1961 to 1978, winning five Tour de France titles, five Giro d’Italia victories, and setting the world hour record in 1972 that stood for 12 years.

Notable Residents

Brussels has nurtured exceptional talent across the arts, sciences, and entertainment, producing influential figures who have left an indelible mark on global culture.

31. Maurice Maeterlinck, born in Ghent but based in Brussels, became Belgium’s first Nobel Prize winner in Literature (1911) for his symbolist plays and essays. His most famous work, “The Blue Bird” (1908), has been adapted for film and stage dozens of times, including by Hollywood.
32. Jean-Claude Van Damme, born in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, trained in martial arts and ballet before becoming “The Muscles from Brussels.” His breakthrough film “Bloodsport” (1988) grossed $65 million worldwide, launching a career spanning over 40 years and 50 films.
33. Audrey Hepburn spent her early years in the Brussels commune of Ixelles during the 1930s before becoming a Hollywood legend. She maintained ties to Belgium throughout her life and later served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, work for which she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
34. Stromae (Paul Van Haver) grew up in Brussels’s Laeken district and revolutionized French-language music by blending electronic, hip-hop, and traditional Belgian sounds. His hit “Alors On Danse” topped charts in 19 countries, and his album “Racine Carrée” sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide.
35. Victor Horta transformed Brussels’s landscape with his revolutionary Art Nouveau designs between 1893 and 1919. Four of his buildings are UNESCO World Heritage sites, including his masterpiece Hôtel Tassel, considered the world’s first Art Nouveau building. His innovative use of iron, glass, and natural light influenced architects globally.

Suggested Read:

• 35 Fun Facts About Copenhagen: From Vikings to Michelin Stars
• 32 Fascinating Facts About The Colosseum, Past And Present
• 35 Intriguing Facts About The Louvre In Paris
• 32 Interesting Facts About Tower Bridge In London