Brussels

in

Brussels is a bilingual European capital built around a medieval centre and surrounded by distinct nineteenth- and twentieth-century districts. The ornate central square is its best-known landmark, while art nouveau houses, royal avenues and modern administrative buildings reveal very different periods. European institutions occupy a separate quarter east of the old city.

Food traditions range from beer and chocolate to informal fried snacks and neighbourhood markets. Comic art, surrealism and design provide a playful counterpoint to government buildings. The city can feel fragmented, but that variety is also its strength: elegant residential streets, immigrant districts and formal civic spaces sit within a relatively compact urban area.