Atomium, Brussels, Belgium by Angus

The historic city of Brussels has a fascinating history and is home to several iconic landmarks. Belgium’s capital is perhaps best known these days as one of the homes of the European Parliament, but it’s important to remember there is so much more to the city than that. And because of its convenient location it can be easily reached by tourists from the United Kingdom, France, Scandinavia and Germany.

One of the more quirky landmarks in Brussels is the Atomium, a highly distinctive structure that’s located in the city’s Heysel Park. It stands at 102 metres high, and consists of nine inter-connected steel spheres. Originally created for the 1958 World’s Fair, more commonly known as Expo ’58, several of the spheres are accessible to the public by escalators, and the views across the city are truly spectacular.

Quirky, Charming, Spectacular

Close to the centre of Brussels at the intersection of Rue de l’Étuve/Stoofstraatand Rue du Chêne/Eikstraat, you’ll find one of the world’s most famous statues. The Mannekin Pis has become a cultural symbol of the city, and dates back to the 17th century. The urinating boy is often dressed in some sort of relevant costume, and it has become something of a must-visit for tourists from all over the world.

Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium by Vase Petrovski

Measuring more than 110 metres in length, the Grand Place is a huge square in the centre of the city. It’s home to the Town Hall and several important cultural buildings, and presents a wonderful photo opportunity for visitors to Brussels. Because of its location in the very heart of the metropolis, the Grand Place is often used as a meeting point for visitors, as well as a collection area for large groups of tourists.

As well as the many historic buildings that are found in Brussels, there are several more modern landmarks which are well worth a visit. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, for example, was opened in 1935, and is a masterpiece of art deco architecture. Sitting at the top of Koekelberg Hill, it’s in a wonderful location and should be on the itinerary of every traveller who comes to Brussels.

David Showell lives and works in southern England, and has visited many European cities. He always likes to hire a car when he’s in Europe.

The post Visit Brussels and Soak up the Culture | Belgium appeared first on Europe Explored.

Strasbourg is the capital and the largest city of French Alsace. Its name means “City of Road” and it is, of course, justified. Strasbourg has a strategic position within Europe and has always been a kind of crossroads, of which often fought mainly Germans and French. Wrangling lasted for years, once the city belonged to the Germans for a while, then again to the French for a few years, and so it went again and again. Finally, France won the battle and such the city belong to France today. But as mentioned earlier the German influence is evident here, from the street names through the meals in local restaurants up to the typically “German” half-timbered houses. But Strasbourg residents do not feel any injustice, consider that the city took the better of both countries – at first glance is a picturesque like the rest of France, but neat and clean like it would be German city.

View Strasbourg – a beautiful historic city in France in a larger map

In the distant past Strasbourg used to be a free city of Holy Roman Empire. Being a crossroad of trade routes and also an important crossing over the river Rhine, the city grew very fast. However in the following centuries it was quite difficult, as written above. During the “German” times, the city was a home to some important people, such as Johann Gutenberg (Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg), who was forced to leave Mainz in the 15th century. Right here then constructed one of his first printing machines. A few hundred years later, famous German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived and studied here.

Strasbourg has kept the great importance in France and all over Europe until today. It is home to the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and also a place of regular meetings of the European Parliament. In addition, the buildings of these institutions are among the major structures of modern architecture. But Strasbourg has a lot to offer also in terms of historical sights. Along the river Ill you can see a lot of houses with gables, which dates back to the 16th century. Following century left a few half-timbered burgher houses here.

There are also historic gems such as Gothic cathedral and Rohan castle. Therefore “Grande Île” (Big Island) – which represents the historic center with cathedral, churches and palace has been inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List already in 1988.

View Strasbourg – a beautiful historic city in France in a larger map

The post Strasbourg – a beautiful historic city in France appeared first on Europe Explored.