Brussels, Belgium has a long history. Inhabited since prehistoric times, its 10th century name meant “settlement in the marshes.” A market and bartering area grew at the intersection of the east-west economic trade route and south-north Senne (Zenne) River. By the 14th century their specialty was manufacturing luxury fabrics, coveted by Paris and Venice.

 

Brussels is informally known as the capital of 27 European Union member countries. It’s home to the principal EU institutions:  The European Commission, Council of the European Union, the European Council, and the European Parliament. The city is bilingual in French and Dutch.

 

A Brussels trip will reward you with the 1401 Town Hall at Grand Place, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the 1958 modern Atomium built for the World Fair. Known for it’s 1920’s embrace of comic art magazines, you’ll see walls painted with excerpts as you walk around Brussels today.

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The Brussels City Notebook cover art features the masterpiece painting, Strange Masks, painted in 1892 by James Ensor. Ensor was born in 1860 in Ostend, Belgium, a North Sea coastal city on the European continent. North of the English Channel, it's located a short 67 miles from Brussels. Ensor, with his unique style, was a compelling force on the Modernist movements of Expressionism and Surrealism. You may view the Strange Masks painting at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels.

 

Our Brussels travel planning journal includes lined and dotted pages to record your travel experiences as well as sections for pre-travel, itinerary, budget and expenses, blank calendars, packing checklists, and much more.

 

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