The capital region of Brussels is geographically located in the northern center of Belgium. Brussels is a popular destination for cruiseship guests arriving into nearby Zeebrugge. There are 19 municipalities that make up the Brussels region which is home to over 2.1 million people.
Brussels has a temperate climate with four seasons spanning the whole year. Temperatures are relatively mild during the year with the average low at 1C (34F) in winter and only 23C (73F) in summer. Rain is relatively abundant with over 820mm (32in) a year. The best time to visit Brussels runs from mid-May to mid-September, being the mildest of the year. July and August are the warmest months; however keep a light jacket and an umbrella handy for cool and rainy days.
Brussels was a location for settlement since prehistory but it became a noteworthy settlement after Saint Gery built a chapel on the banks of the Senne River in 695, now called Place Saint Gery. The city of Brussels was officially founded in 979 by Charles, Duke of Low Lotharingia, who set down Brussels' first city charter. Since then Brussels has seen many rulers, renaissances and revolutions.
Belgium's fascinating capital, and administrative capital of the EU, Brussels is historic yet hip, bureaucratic yet bizarre, self-confident yet modest, and multicultural to its roots. All this plays out in a cityscape that swings from majestic to quirky to rundown and back again. Organic art nouveau facades face off against 1960s concrete developments, and regal 19th-century mansions contrast with the brutal glass of the EU's Gotham City. This whole maelstrom swirls out from Brussels' medieval core, where the Grand Place is one of the world's most beautiful squares. With a population of just over 2 million people, cultural diversity is a hallmark of this great city.
Whether you are making a stop before, during, or after your cruise, or simply visiting the city, Brussels will entertain, educate, and invigorate your senses. Home to a plethora of historic sites, monuments, museums, art galleries, entertainment, and attractions, you will find it difficult to decide what to do next. No matter what direction you go, make sure you allow time for a chocolate, waffles, and craft beer detour!
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