One of Europe's top tourist destination.
Brussels is a contrast between old and new. One one hand, there's the city's Lower Town and Upper Town, a classic European example of a charming old town, all culminating in the historic square Grand Place, Brussels' premier tourist destination. This square is host to the world-famous Flower Carpet every two years, a weekend display of more than half a million densely packed flowers creating a beautiful patterned display.
In 2024, the Grand Place flower carpet will be Olympic-themed and will be held for the first full week of the Olympic games.
In 1958, Brussels was host to the World Fair.
Brussels was host to the World Fair in 1958, an event commonly known as Expo 58. The event’s main pavilion and icon was the Atomium. “It symbolised the democratic will to maintain peace among all the nations, faith in progress, both technical and scientific, and, finally, an optimistic vision of the future of a modern, new, super-technological world for a better life for mankind.” This concept applied on the atomic level, so to speak, with the advent of nuclear weapons in the Second World War and the possibility of using the concept in peaceful ways in the future. The Atomium was originally going to be a temporary exhibition like most pavilions in the World’s Fair, but due to immense popularity it was never removed. It is now an iconic symbol of Brussels and Belgium as well as a striking example of modern architecture.