Brussels

Home » Brussels

• Brussels is best portrayed as a ‘melting pot’ yet remains to have a unique character. This capital city of Belgium encompasses such a wide variety of captivating and lively attractions.
• After it became the country’s capital city in the nineteenth century, Brussels has become home to new ministries, palaces as well as schools and army barracks, created way back in the 1800’s.

The Life:

• Brussels has quite a lively nightlife which starts at 8 in the evening and ends at eight the following morning – night clubs are pretty much crowded at this time.

Cost of Living:

• Food and accommodation costs can be a bit higher. Fast food meals are priced $11 each which is doubled when eating in an inexpensive restaurant. Sit down meals can be as high as $85 for two persons.
• Apartment rent ranges from $750 to $1000 for a single bedroom and $1300 to $1800 for three-bedroom accommodation.
• Cost of living in Brussels is 12% lower than that of Washington DC.

Poker:

• Online poker is common while the Grand Casino has schedules of poker tournaments.

Internet Speed:

• The city is known to have a high-speed internet which makes it convenient for any transactions such as online poker.

Weather:

• Weather in Brussels is often said to be undesirable. With an average of 200 rainy days every year, it is very damp in the city. Due to the dampness, the weather appears and feels to be much colder than its actual condition.
• Warm or sunny weather is hardly experienced.

U.S. Visa/Entry Difficulty Level:

• Tourists are allowed to visit Brussels without a visa but entry requirements still apply.

Banking:

• Anyone interested in opening an account in the city will have to prepare the following documents: passport, bank application form and proof of address.

Language:

• People in Brussels are bilingual with 80% of them speaking French and the remaining 20% belongs to Dutch-speaking people. These two languages happen to be the city’s official languages.
• English, although not commonly spoken, is widely understood.

Language Schools:

• Learning the country’s languages is possible through the presence of language schools such as Amira Language School and Them Language School.

Food:

• Fine dining is expected in the place and is mostly concentrated on three classics namely: mussels, fries and chocolate.
• Some of the restaurants that exude for their exceptional specialties and services include: Aux Armes de Bruxelles, Chez Léon and Scheltema.
• Vegetarians will find it better not to eat out in Brussels although there are a few vegetarian restaurants including Dolma, Las Tsampa and L’Element Terre.

Recreation:

• Important and special events take place in Brussels almost for the whole year round. Many of these happenings are suitable for US tourists. Checking out Brussels Events Listings will keep them informed of the latest events in the city.

Safety:

• Generally, Brussels does not indicate any signs of danger. Some suburban communities may have a negative reputation though. There are neighborhoods such as Schaarbeek and Anderlecht which should not be part of US tourists’ evening plans.
• Pickpockets are common in tourist areas, especially at night. Beware when in crowded areas at these situations.