BRUSSELS
BRUSSELS
Together with Gueuze and
Kriek, the Lambic beers
are very, very typical of
Brussels. All are rather
fruity beers that can even
be appreciated by people
who normally wouldn’t
like beers.
Victor Horta is a famous
Belgian architect who
rejected historical styles
to conceive the abstract
principles of Art Nouveau.
He designed around 30
houses in Brussels, some
of which can still be
viewed today.
Zaventem is Belgium’s
international airport,
located just 20 minutes
from the city center.
Zaventem is the home
base for Brussels Airlines.
Brussels is the city with
the highest number of
fountains in the world,
according to historian
Fabien De Roose who
wrote a book about it.
154
155
The statue of Manneken
Pis (which means ‘peeing
fellow’) dates back to the
17 th century. Legend
has it that a young boy
prevented a huge bomb
explosion in the city
by relieving himself on
the fuse. To show their
gratitude, the people of
Brussels made a statue
to honor the brave boy.
To this day, the statue
remains a symbol of the
rebellious spirit of the
city and an import part of
their folklore heritage.
FACTS
You can still see the
outline of the original
city walls built into the
modern cityscape of
Brussels. Those original
walls saw many kings
come into power and
housed a thriving hub
for trade and enterprise
throughout the centuries.
Brussels is the biggest
city in Belgium with more
than 1 million inhabitants,
if you include the suburbs.
FACTS