Brussels, Flemish Brussel, French Bruxelles, city, capital of Belgium. It is located in the valley of the Senne River. Greater Brussels is the country’s largest urban agglomeration. It consists of 19 communes, or municipalities, each with a large measure of administrative autonomy. As the seat of the EU, Brussels is known as the “capital of Europe,” and its significance as a centre of international governance and business makes Brussels a true global city—a status shared with such metropolises as New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo.

Brussels is the administrative, commercial, and financial heart of Belgium, and the majority of services and institutions of national importance are based in the city. Brussels is, in addition, a major European tourist and cultural attraction, functioning simultaneously as a regional metropolis and an international centre.

Main attractions in Brussel: Manneken Pis, Jeanneke Pis & Zinneke, Grand-Place, Atomium, Victor Horta’s Major Town Houses, Villa Empain, Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, MIMA, Mont des Arts, Musical Instruments Museum.