Brussels A city of more than you might think

“Oh, so you’re going to visit the European Parliament?” was the somewhat surprising response of a friend, on hearing that a visit was soon to be made to the Belgian capital Brussels. ?

Well, perhaps not all that surprising as, after all, Brussels is home of the headquarters of the international organization that is the European Union; but then how often is a parliament really a tourist destination

Certainly Brussels has gained much renown as the city that accommodates international organizations such as the EU and NATO, but there is much more to this city than just being an administrative center and playing in international politics.

Other things that are synonymous with Belgian, such as Belgian chocolates, waffles and beer, are also well represented in the city, but this is a city that has more than the typical and what comes easily to mind when thinking of things Belgian. It is a varied and interesting city, but also a relatively quiet city.

The residents of Brussels seem quite passive, but highly civilized, as they travel about their city.

The city’s trams seem to glide effortlessly through the streets, and the city’s motorists are courteous and yielding to the trams as they weave their way through the city.

The drivers’ courtesy is extended to pedestrians too, who in this city seem to have a greater right of way than does the car. This may have something to do with the fact that, in the center of the city, many of the roads are still cobbled rather than the smooth asphalt that allows cars to speed along.

This is a good thing, because whether in a car, on foot or aboard a tram, this is a city that is well worth slowing down in to take a look around.

Much of the architecture, although not particularly outstanding, is good to look at. The strong stonebuildings have a sturdiness and quality in their craftsmanship that is impressive. But some parts of Brussels have quite unusual and outstanding architectural elements and built environments that hint at the creativity of the natives of Brussels.

One of the most outstanding examples of this is the Atomium. This remarkable and unusual structure sits on the Heysel plateau, looking out over the city. Originally built in 1958 for the Universal Exhibition (EXPO ‘58) of that year, it was intended as a temporary exhibition building, but proved to be so popular that it was retained.

After a two-year renovation begun in March 2004, the Atomium was reopened to the public and today is a pristine giant model of an iron crystal. The renovation saw the replacement of the faded aluminium sheets that covered the spheres with shiny new stainless steel sheets, and this has been highly effective in making the Atomium gleam brightly in the sunlight.

In truth, there is not much to see inside the Atomium, and this sort of hints at the fact that it really was a temporary exhibition display building originally. But in many ways, it is what can be seen from the Atomium that makes it a place worth visiting. A very fast lift carries visitors to the top sphere, where there is an observation deck that sits at a height of 102 meters, and from which 360-degree panoramic views of the city may be had.

It is also the symbolism of the Atomium that makes it significant and really connects it to this city so full of international politics and policymaking. The Atomium is said to represent the democratic connection and peace between nations and a faith in technology to help this process. Elsewhere in the city, though, there is a representation of a person and an artist with a rather darker outlook.

As part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, there was a relatively recent opening of a museum dedicated to a son of Brussels and one of the world’s most renowned surrealist artists. On June 2, 2009, the Musée Magritte Museum opened in a newly renovated wing of the Royal Museums.
This has become a quite remarkable and popular collection of René Magritte’s life and works over the decades of his life as an active artist and evident thinker about the nature of the human condition. More than 200 works are displayed on several floors, and these works represent the range of the artist’s work – from his famous canvases to drawings, sculptures, posters and writings all produced by him.

The city’s trams provide a relatively relaxed way to get around and view the city.
It is in his writings that we often see the dark and gloomy character. He wrote in his relatively early period of production, “… all of this mysterious world is cold. I do not sense warmth in the emptiness of the hereafter.” And later in life he observed, “We mustn’t fear daylight just because it almost always illuminates a miserable world.”

His views, in writing, were gray and depressing, but his surreal paintings consistently utilized vibrant and bright colors despite their odd forms and concepts. That same color vibrancy can be seen in the artwork of another son of Brussels, Georges Remi – better known as Hergé, the creator of the comic book hero Tintin.

The humor and playfulness of Brussels can be seen in a large multi-storied mural painted on the side of a building near the Grand Place. Tintin and his best friend, Captain Haddock, are seen running down an imagined fire escape on the side of the building. This is pop art and fun.

The nearby Grand Place seems a much more serious and businesslike place, containing as it does the high gothic tower of the Town Hall and various other grand buildings that are the guild houses of the city and amply represent the riches of this metropolis that grew from a 10th-century fortress town.

Not far from the Grand Place is another more playful aspect of this city. Walking through the side streets near the Town Hall, there are numerous shops selling Belgium’s famous chocolates, but many of these shop windows feature reproductions of a figure made from chocolate, which, to say the least, is unusual.

The reason for this unusual window dressing becomes clear around a nearby corner.

There, at a small crossroads, stands a really quite tiny statue known as Manneken Pis. Quite apart from its size, what makes this statue unusual is the fact that it is of a small, rather chubby little boy urinating. In many settings, this might be considered ugly and even rather obscene, but here there is a story (or stories) behind it.

Various stories are in fact attributed to the statue, but one reasonably sensible one is that the boy represents a child by the name of Juliaanske. In the 14th century, the city was under siege and this boy happened to be spying on the attacking forces. To help his people, he urinated on the enemies’ explosives and so helped the city survive the siege.

Whatever the tale told about this odd little statue, today it is a figure that attracts much attention and from time to time is quite humorously dressed up in different costumes. These have included an Indonesian costume.

Brussels is, then, a rich and varied city. Although oftentimes feeling quiet and rather sleepy in comparison to its more illustrious European neighbors, such as London and Paris, it is still a city that has much charm and no small amount of good humor and a sense of offering a civilized existence to its residents.