Brussels is a city of contrasts, a city where conservatism merges with the avant-garde and historic buildings blend with horrible modern piles. 

You will also notice that the city itself is not very large, although its metropolitan area is huge. To be precise, Brussels comprises a mosaic of 19 municipalities, which are known as “communes”. In another of its contrasts, designer districts merge with business zones and areas with a bohemian atmosphere. 

The first thing you should be aware of is that the city is divided into two zones. One area is the Lower Town, a traditionally poorer area, where the working class and emigrants lived. The Grand Place is the centre of this part of Brussels, a zone you can easily cover on foot. The other area is the Upper Town, where the aristocracy settled. This area is structured around Place Royale and Avenue Louise, and you definitely need to use the tram or the Metro to cover it. 

Brussels is, moreover, one of the greenest cities in Europe. However, another of its paradoxes is that you will hardly find any parks in the city centre. To do so, you will have to travel to the outskirts, although we assure this is well worth it because you will discover gardens as beautiful as the Parc de Bruxelles.  

The streets of Brussels, what is more, are a meeting point where people speak both French and Flemish. But if you do not speak either of these two languages, don’t worry; the strong international component of the city and the high number of European civil servants means that a wide variety of languages, particularly English of course, can be heard.

So, do not hesitate to lose yourself in a city full of charm and interesting districts, to enjoy its varied architecture and, above all, to blend in with its different atmospheres and dynamism. Start discovering “the capital of Europe”.