Brussels, often known as Bruxelles in France, is the proud capital city of Belgium that is located at the heart and soul of the crossroads to the entire of West Europe. What this means is that Brussels is easily accessible from almost all European tourist destinations in the world.
Because of its strategic location, it is no surprise that the city is a cosmopolitan one that is home to different cultures and nationalities.
To most people, the city of Brussels presents itself as a very confident and gigantic city, but it manages to remain fairly modest without flaunting its irrefutable tourist appeal and thousands of attractive and breathtaking sights.
What attracts many a tourist to Bruxelles is the relaxed and slow pace of life, the laid back and ever friendly Belgians, the friendly and forgiving atmosphere, the breathtaking architecture, and ultimately the frothy and chocolate Belgian beer that makes Brussels officially a must visit tourist destination in the world.
Here are the top 5 places that you must visit when in Brussels; otherwise your vacation will not be complete.
Brouwerij Belle Vue
Beer lovers have a reason to smile when they visit Brussels, thanks to the guided tours of the world famous brewery – Browerij Belle Vue which guarantees fun and excitement.
Most people would however attest to the fact that their main reason for visiting the brewery is to sample some of the finest Belgian beers in the whole world.
A guided tour will take circa one and a half hours and when you are done you will have learnt everything from the processing to bottling of your favourite bottle of beer.
Centre Sportif de la Woluwe (Sports Centre)
This is a state-of-the-art sports centre facility that hosts over 80 different playing fields with endless facilities.
Whether you love playing tennis, basketball, or badminton, rest assured there are facilities and a court for you in the Centre Portif de la Woluwe.
There is also a state-of-the-art gymnasium where you can sign up for regular classes if you will be in Brussels for a significant period of time.
Miniature Europe
This is a wonderland that caters to the whole family, giving you the opportunity to relish some of the best tourist attractions in Europe as well as famous constructions and buildings in the continent and beyond.
All the buildings stand next to each other in the Keysel area to form the famous Bruparck complex.
Bruparck
Bruparck is an attraction on its own right, a theme park with exciting structures for you to explore as well as thousands of breathtaking attractions.
There is also a very spacious playground area where kids can have the time of their life, and the water fun park, the huge Kinepolis cinema, not to mention the many eateries that serve finger licking delicacies prepared by world class chefs.
Planetarium
If you are an astronomer or love things in the sky, literally, then the Brussels Planetarium is a must visit thanks to the thousands of stargazing wonders.
There are shows held on a regular basis that explain how the solar system works and star constellations.
Other notable attractions include hands-on displays and exhibitions, giving you that rare opportunity to experience and appreciate the sky, especially at night.
Eric Cradif, the author of the “5 places to see in Brussels” is a travel blogger and guest writer for Tenerifeholidays.co.uk where you can get some interesting information on holidays in Tenerife.