brussels' beat

In de Grote markt of Brussels, one of the most spectacular squares in Europe, a Gothic town hall and Baroque guild houses form a theatrical décor for the most diverse festivals such as the wild Couleur Café, the historic Ommegang pageant, the summer jazz and rock concerts and a daily flower market. The square is lined with cafes where Belgians and visitors alike spent time to discuss politics, the latest fashion news or just plain gossip while sipping a beer or two.

Brussels combines the elegance of its uptown boulevards with little places called butter street or cheese square in down town. Cosmopolitan, multi cultured, multi lingual Brussels is sophisticated but remains disarmingly provincial - a city on the edge and traditional at the same time.

We are big on art and the treasures of our great museums are no surprise to anybody who knows his art history but what comes as a surprise is the contribution of the young generation to Brussels. Iconoclastic fashion gurus, young sculptures and painters, new furniture and jewelry designers, great rock, pop and jazz musicians and adventurous chefs launching ever more daring food for the ever more demanding gastronomes make Brussels a capital with a beat, indeed.