As the capital of a country with a considerable gastronomic tradition, Bruxelles can boast one of the most sought-after and appreciated cuisine in Europe, a mix between the two souls – the Flemish and the French one – of the city. The basic product of the local table is fish, cooked according to the traditional recipes; kipper herrings, shrimp croquettes and the very popular mussels with chips are absolutely the main dishes. As very good side dishes, the belgian vegetables are known all over the world for their tastiness; the Brussel sprouts and the belgian salad (or endive) are served in each part of the world, but never as delicious as at home. If those who are fond of meat can find good dishes based on chicken and rabbit, even the most exigent palates will be satisfied by the classic snails soup. Beer, the absolute pride of Belgium, is very often drunk during the meal: innumerable varieties (over 400 all over the country) can be find in bar and café and also a museum, the Museum of Beer, is dedicated to this special drink.

The over 400 beer varieties, served in thousand of bars and café all over the Belgium, can’t explain the excellence of a production with a very ancient origin and a sensational fame, but they can fascinate the experts and the simple curious people who show interest in “the belgian planet of beer”. It doesn’t matter if it is red, dark or clear because in Bruxelles beer is always good and suitable to any occasion or company.
Among the best and well-known beers in the world we may find the Trappist one, which is produced according to the ancient recipes of Benedictine monks; even the Lambic, naturally fermented and typical of the Brussels-Capital Region, deserves to be tasted.

As the seat of the European Union’s main organs, Bruxelles is the place where important decisions for the countries of the Old World’s Community system are taken. The seat of the prestigious European Parliament stands in the wonderful setting of the Parc de Leopolde, while the European Commitee and the European Union are sited in the near Schumann Square. The area is well served by the transports network of the city: the station of reference for those who intend to reach the european institutions by train is Gare Schumann, while those who arrive in the belgian capital by plane can reach the city centre thanks to the bus service that takes the travellers of the international stop to the “european” quarter in thirty minutes.