"Brussels - capital of a kingdom" a Brussels Travel Page by Muya

“Bruocsella”, meaning “Lieu du marais” (in English the place of the marsh ), this is the most likely among the numerous hypothesis about the origin of it’s name… Well, it’s true, at the beginning Brussels was merely a marsh, that nothing had predisposed to become the city it is today.

Capital of Europe, Brussels is home to the European Parliament and several of the Institutions of the Union. It is also home to NATO’s headquarters. But it is mainly the capital of Belgium, one of the smallest kingdoms in Europe. Being the main center of the European's activities, Brussels became a cosmopolitan city, bathing in a well of cultures…but still, the most interesting among all those cultures and languages remains the “Brusselaire” of the Marolles, the real dialect of Brussels, a mix of flemish and french...so typical and delightful ! You can still get snatches of it sometimes, if you pick up the right Kaberdoech (typical Brussels café). An encounter with the true roots of the city, that you have to earn by going deep in its inside. Sadly enough, the “marollien” is dying…less and less people speak it, mainly elderly people of the Rue Haute, and today it is tragically loosing ground. In Theatre de Toone, you may still watch puppets shows in the Brussels dialect.

The city as been the objects of many songs, among which Jacques Brel’s famous “Bruxelles” (cfr extract below). Well, Mister Brel, I would have loved to know Brussels at that time :

C'était au temps où Bruxelles rêvait
C'était au temps du cinéma muet
C'était au temps où Bruxelles chantait
C'était au temps où Bruxelles bruxellait

Place de Broukère on voyait des vitrines
Avec des hommes des femmes en crinoline
Place de Broukère on voyait l'omnibus
Avec des femmes des messieurs en gibus
Et sur l'impériale
Le cœur dans les étoiles
Il y avait mon grand-père
Il y avait ma grand-mère
Il était militaire
Elle était fonctionnaire
Il pensait pas elle pensait rien
Et on voudrait que je sois malin

Brussels is a town with many hidden beauties, that you only can find if you take the time to discover its intimacy. Don’t just rush from Grand-Place to Manneken Pis ! Look up when you walk ! You might miss the ceramics on some houses’walls, as for example in the rue Antoine Dansaert,.or the sgrafittos, so typical to Art Nouveau…
If Brussels nowadays allies old and new in its richness of architectural styles, Art Nouveau is certainly the one to be mentionned. Many treasures of Art Nouveau are scattered all around the town and I recently discovered some of them thanks to a guided tour on this theme.