The Brussels-Capital Region is Belgium's bilingual capital region and the de facto capital of the European Union, with Grand Place, Art Nouveau houses, comics and the Atomium.
Brussels began as a small fortified settlement on the Senne river in the tenth century, grew into a cloth-trading capital of the Duchy of Brabant, became a court city under the Burgundians and Habsburgs, and was rebuilt after the French bombardment of 1695. It became the capital of independent Belgium in 1830, the cradle of Art Nouveau around 1900, and since 1957 has hosted European institutions, with NATO headquarters (moved to Belgium in 1967) and the European Commission.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Brussels-Capital Region.
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1
c. 580
A chapel on an island in the Senne river, associated with Saint Géry, becomes the nucleus of Brussels.
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2
979
Charles of Lorraine builds a fortified settlement on the island.
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3
1229
Brussels receives its municipal charter under the Dukes of Brabant.
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4
1555
Emperor Charles V abdicates at the Coudenberg Palace.
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5
1695
French artillery bombards the city; the Grand Place is rebuilt by the guilds.
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6
1830
Belgian Revolution begins at the Théâtre de la Monnaie and independence is proclaimed on 4 October.
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7
1835
The first railway on the Continent opens between Brussels and Mechelen.
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8
1893-1903
Victor Horta builds Hôtel Tassel and Hôtel Solvay and starts Art Nouveau.
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9
1958
Expo 58 brings the Atomium and a modernist rebuilding of the city.
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10
1989
The Brussels-Capital Region is created as a separate region of Belgium.
Historical eras
The chapters of Brussels-Capital Region's past.
Historical sites
Places where Brussels-Capital Region's past comes alive.
Grand Place Guildhalls
Rebuilt by the guilds after the French bombardment of August 1695, the square preserves the Baroque guildhalls and Gothic Town Hall.
Where: Brussels
Admission: Free
Coudenberg Palace Archaeological Site
Underground streets and halls of the palace where Charles V abdicated in 1555 and which burned down in 1731.
Where: Brussels
Admission: About €10 (~$12)
Porte de Hal
The only surviving gate of the second city wall, now a museum with a panoramic top floor.
Where: Brussels
Admission: About €8 (~$9)
Congress Column
A 47-metre column commemorating the 1831 National Congress that wrote Belgium's constitution; at its base is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Where: Brussels
Admission: Free
Notre-Dame de la Chapelle
The old parish church of the Marolles, with the grave of Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
Where: Brussels
Admission: Free
Palace of Justice
Built by Joseph Poelaert as the largest 19th-century building in Europe.
Where: Brussels
Admission: Free
Hôtel Solvay
Victor Horta's UNESCO-listed townhouse, a landmark of Art Nouveau.
Where: Brussels
Admission: About €25 (~$29) (guided tour)
Tour Noire (Black Tower)
A surviving tower of the first city wall, now integrated into a hotel.
Where: Brussels
Admission: Free
Museums
Curated collections that tell Brussels-Capital Region's story.
Brussels City Museum (Maison du Roi)
Models of the city, paintings and the wardrobe of Manneken Pis.
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-17:00 (verify)
Admission: About €10 (~$12)
BELvue Museum
A museum of Belgian history since 1830 in the Hôtel Bellevue.
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00-17:00, weekends 10:00-18:00
Admission: About €10 (~$12)
Royal Army Museum
Armour, tanks and aircraft from the medieval period to the World Wars.
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-17:00 (verify)
Admission: Free
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.