Brussels or Bruxelles, contrary to popular belief, is an awesome city! And I say that as someone who has been to Brussels. Several people mentioned that Brussels was dead and boring, with not much to do, so you're better off checking out other Belgium locations like Antwerp or Bruges. But this turned out to be the understatement of our vacation. The city starts off as a modern metropolis, then turns old world medieval, then modern, then medieval. A fascinating melding of the two which in turn makes it a mind expanding town to explore. First off,  it’s historic nature alone puts it in league with other world-class destinations.

Founded in 979, yes nine hundred seventy-nine, there are plenty of historical markers all around.  Most of what we see as modern-day Brussels, really kicked off in the early 13th century.  And that’s what I love about it: surrounding those historical markers is a thriving modern metropolis. How the two coexist is the beauty of Brussels. I love glass and steel. I love old wood trim. And Brussels gives me both. The capital, well tell that to Bruges, is a city that, and I quote, “We have no national language. We speak Dutch, French, English and beer.” And that was the customs agent when I asked him! I love this place!

Brussels, or Bruxelles, depending on which mile market....uh kilometer market you pass, has everything you want in a classic European city. Old medieval churches, check. Old city halls converted into museums, got it. Narrow cobble stone streets leading to underground beer halls, double-check.

I was told previously that there isn’t much to do in Brussels, it’s just another European city. Although the advice did lead to a day trip to Bruges, Brussels being just another Euro city couldn’t be further from the truth. Brussels is an exciting and vibrant city to hang out in and you could easily spend several days exploring. We had a day and two nights in the city, and we did make the most of it with a couple of restaurant excursions, a nighttime walking tour which was awesome, roaming the central markets, hitting a couple of beer spots, and just taking in the city. I wish I could’ve spent a week here, I would’ve had plenty to do and see.

One of the main tourist attractions in central Brussels, is the Grand Place. This giant square represents the old open market of ancient Brussels. Imagine this massive open space with the city buildings, the City Hall, House of Parliament, the Guild Houses, other government offices, and a Starbucks! Wow!!! (snark-snark) This is just one massive open air market for vendors of all sorts. Fish stalls, flowers, meat, fruit and vegetables all came here in the old world Swapmeet of sorts. Now days, it houses tourists doing selfies and visiting the museums. But they still have some art vendors to pickup lovely posters of Brussels scenery.

The buildings are sculpted with figurines and statues gilded in gold, and it provides quite a vision. There are thousands, I’m sure tens of thousands, of carvings added to the outside of the walls of the government buildings and churches. Each building has all sorts of monks, laborers, gargoyles and tapestries attached that I’m sure they have all sorts of stories to tell. Looking back, these were probably the first makings of graffitied buildings. But instead of spraying or painting, the churches and ministries of the time, they added these sculptures provided by the masons of the day. I guess this is why they are so secretive.

But the most famous sculpture in all of Brussels, some even say Belgium, even more say the entire European continent, has to be Menneken Pis. This small statue, the subject of visitations from people all over the world and a tribute to the sense of humor of the Belgian people, is a mystery and a revelation to all. It is not quite clear when the statue was built, and why. Documents show the statue being built in 1615, but it was also mentioned in text as early as 1451.

Maniken Peace

But why is still a mystery. Several legends have completely distinctive origins. One legend indicates that when Brussels was under attack by forces planting explosives, a small boy spied upon them and urinated to douse the fuse. Another story is of a wealthy merchant who’s small child was lost in the city and was found pissing in a small garden by the search party. The merchant thankful, decided to have a statue built to commemorate the event. This seems a little more feasible, but either way, the statue has been a beloved monument for hundreds of years and shows the humor and otherwise light-hearted good nature of the people of Brussels. You don't keep a pissing statue around for some 600 hundred years unless you have an entire culture of good natured humor.