The city of Brussels was officially established in 979 by Charles, Duke of Low Lotharingia, who set down Brussels' first city charter. The city rapidly developed from a town into a city and became the centre of trade between different cities. After the first city wall came up, the population of the city grew. The city exported luxury to Paris and Venice.
The 15th century was a period of uprising. It lost his title as capital after an uprising against a Roman Emperor. By mid 16th century the population was grown to 50,000. In 1695 the city was bombed by King Louis XIV of France and left it in ruins. French troops took hold of Brussels in 1746. In 1790 the Brabant revolt took place, but the city was overtaken by the French when Napoleon made the city part of his conquest. After the Napoleon era, the city was given to the Dutch. In 1830 Belgium regained his independence and Brussels got his current establishment as Capital of Belgium.
The 20th century was a period of war. Brussels was occupied by Germany during both World Wars. Nowadays the European Union is suited in Brussels and the city has grown to a population of just over a million.
Atomium - The Atomium was built in 1958 for the World Exhibition and is a futuristic attraction and a icon of Brussels. Visit the Atomium for temporary exhibitions and other special activities.
Official website: Atomium.be
Address: Atomiumsquare, B-1020 Brussels
Mini-Europe - Always wanted to visit all of Europe in just a few hours? Mini-Europe is located near the Atomium.
Official website: Minieurope.com
Address: Voetballaan 1, 1020 Brussels
Natural Sciences Museum - Europe's largest dinosaur gallery, the life of Neanderthalers, face to face with a mammoth and a lot more!
Official website: Naturalsciences.be
Address: Rue Vautier 29, B-1000 Brussels
Comic Strip Center - Since 1989 more then 200,000 visitors come to the Comic Strip Center each year to see more then 40,000 comic strip titles.
Official website: Stripmuseum.be
Address: 20 rue des Sables, B-1000 Brussels
City Hall of Brussels - The completely restored tower is one of the most beautiful city halls in the Low Countries.
Official website: Brucity.be
Address: Grand Place, 1000 Brussels
