Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels which is the capital of Belgium, the French Community of Belgium, and the Flemish Community. The region has a population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan area with a population of over 1.8 million, the largest in Belgium.
Since the end of the Second World War, Brussels has been a major centre for international politics and has become the polyglot home of numerous international organizations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants. Brussels is the de facto capital of the European Union as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions. The secretariat of the Benelux and the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are also located in Brussels.
Historically a Dutch-speaking city, it has seen a language shift to French from the late 19th century onwards. Today the majority language is French, and the Brussels-Capital Region is an officially bilingual enclave within the Flemish Region. All road signs, street names, and many advertisements and services are shown in both languages. Brussels is increasingly becoming multilingual with increasing numbers of migrants, expatriates and minority groups speaking their own languages.
• Attendees can benefit from state-of-the-art conference facilities with nearby accommodation solutions, and also enjoy the different aspects of the
lively Brussels city
• Everything is easily accessible and at close range, connected through the dense public transport system. You can travel on a sustainable way (metro, tramway,…) from one side of the city to the other in almost no time.
• Attendees may visit one of the numerous museums (Magritte museum, Comic Strip museum,…) or take a tour around the popular historical sites.
• The variety of parks and green areas spread over the city centre as well as the continue efforts of local business to become greener, make Brussels a
“Green Capital”. Several hotels in Brussels are awarded with a “Green Key”, an ecolabel awarded to hotels that meet the strict criteria’s to become ‘greener’ hotels.
• There are many great shopping boulevards, such as Avenue Louise, Rue Neuve,... or discover the latest Belgium design and fashion stores at Rue
Dansaert. A perfect gift for those who stayed at home, are the world famous beers or chocolates.
• In the evening, attendees can dine in one of the excellent restaurants of this cosmopolitan city, offering international dishes or local specialties, e.g.
Belgian ‘fries’ or ‘waffles’. As Belgium is famous for its beers, attendees shall not miss to taste it at least once before leaving the city. Lively areas such as
Place St Gery or Place du Luxembourg offer the possibility to do so.
Source: Brussels Booking Desk, c/o visit.brussels, Rue Royale 2-4, 1000 Brussels, BE
