Stunning Brussels - Heart of the European Union

Often featured in the media as the seat of government of the European Union (EU), Brussels is much more than a city of bureaucrats. It is a meeting point all the diverse cultures in Europe, and exudes a unique multicultural energy.

Brussels is not only the heart of the European Union. The Belgian capital is a diverse and stunning city in its own right, a town rich in history and full of places to see. Designated the cultural capital of Europe in 2000, Brussels is no mere town of faceless bureaucrats. It has its own tale to tell.

A fortress in the middle of a river.
The name Brussels (Bruocsella) is first written about in the year 966. It means "chapel in a swamp", and likely refers to its location on the Senne River. The settlement itself had probably been founded between three and four hundred years previously. The earliest fortification on Brussels Island dates back to around the end of the tenth century.
Central Brussels.

The story of Grand Place (in French, or Grote Markt in Dutch), the town square located at the middle of Brussels, leads us on a trip through the city's history. Grand Place was created as a market and business square, but soon attracted the trade guilds and city officials.

They designed lavish guildhalls and government buildings as a demonstration of their power and affluence, Brussels became one of Europe's most important trading and banking centres during the High Middle Ages and would remain so until 1695, when French cannons shelled the city for three days, levelling Grand Place and reducing much of the city to soot and ashes. It was rebuilt quickly, and the guildhalls that currently stand on Grand Place bear witness to the city's renewal.

Grand Place remains a favourite meeting place for residents and tourists alike. Many of its countless restaurants, cafes and hotels are open around the clock.
Brussels city hall.

The Hotel de Ville (Brussels city hall), completed in 1450, is an architectural masterpiece even among the grandiose guildhalls and buildings surrounding it. Its facade was one of the few structures to survive the French bombardment of 1695. With its 96-metre-tall tower topped by a golden statue of St. Michael and the dragon, the Hotel de Ville is Brussels' most recognizable landmark, visible from every part of the historic old town.

A different kind of city emblem.
Most visitors to Brussels consider the statue called Manneken Pis (literally, "the boy peeing") at the corner of the Rue de l'Etuve and Rue des Grands Charmes to be the emblem of Brussels. Just who the little boy in this work by sculptor Heironimus Dusquesnoy is supposed to be is an unsolved mystery. In any case, the cheeky lad is certainly one of the city's main tourist attractions. Meanwhile, his girl version, the Jeanneken Pis, can be discovered at the end of a cul-de-sac called Impasse de la Fidelite near La Grand Place. The habitants of the city have always been in favour of equal rights, and if that meant commissioning a statue of a similarly naughty little girl, so be it. The statue was dedicated in 1987.

The giant molecule.
The 102-metre-high Atomium is another symbol of Brussels. It began its existence as an exhibition hall built for the 1958 World Fair. It represents an iron molecule, magnified 165 thousand million times. The tubes connecting the nine atomic particles are actually conduits containing escalators and walkways.

Due to its use of futuristic materials and non-traditional design, it has long been considered both an architectural masterpiece and an impressive piece of grand monumental sculpture.
Inside, the Atomium still houses the occasional exhibition on topics related to nuclear technology, aeronautics, astronomy and meteorology. Inside the uppermost sphere is a restaurant that affords a beautiful view of the entire city.

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The Island of Zitny Ostrov – Slovakia

Ranging from Bratislava to Korman in southwestern Slovakia, Zitny Ostrov (Rye Island) is Europe's largest river island. It is so large that most tourists are not aware of being on one. It lies between the Danube, and its slower flowing off-shoot the Little Danube, in the Danubian Plain.

Several rivers flow across it and the rich alluvial deposits make it the most fertile land in Slovakia. The island also contains central Europe's largest reservoir of high quality drinking water and it has the warmest and driest weather in Slovakia.

A beautiful area of marshes, natural and man-made lakes and rich agricultural land, the south has been designated a Protected Landscape. The calm waters of the Little Danube provide excellent boating through the alluvial forests. While on the water, the controversial hydroelectric dam at Gabcikovo may also be visited.

Zitny Ostrov has two main towns, both of which have deep Hungarian influences. DunajskA Streda has a majority Hungarian population, though the only reminder of a significant Jewish minority is a 1991 memorial. There is also evidence of Bronze Age settlement here.

In the late 1990s the town centre was rebuilt with unique white buildings capped by towers and elaborate tiled roofs. A large thermal park offers year-round swimming in naturally heated water.

Komarno, Slovakia's principal port, is located on the Hungarian border — a bridge leads into Hungarian Komarom, which used to be part of Komarno. Here 66% of the population speak Hungarian and the street signs are bi-lingual.

Europe Place is a large shopping and tourist centre built in a variety of European architectural styles. A native son of Komamo, Franz Lehar, is honoured with a biennial music festival, whilst the annual Komarno Days Festival celebrates Slovak and Hungarian culture.

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