Brussels
欧洲心脏——比利时布鲁塞尔

Brussels is the capital and largest city of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union (EU). Brussels has grown from a 10th-century fortress town founded by a descendant of Charlemagne to a sizeable city. The city has a population of 1. 2 million and a metropolitan area with a population of over 1. 8 million, both of them the largest in Belgium. Since the end of the Second World War, Brussels has been a major centre for international politics. Hosting principal EU institutions, the secretariat of the Benelux and the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the city has become the polyglot home of numerous international organizations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants.
布鲁塞尔是比利时的首都和最大的城市，也是欧洲联盟(EV)实际的首都。布鲁塞尔从10世纪查理曼大帝后裔建立的堡垒城镇发展成现在颇具规模的城市，市内人口120万，都会区人口超过180万，均列比利时城市之首。二战结束以后，布鲁塞尔成为一个主要的国际政治中心，是欧盟机构的主要办公地、比荷卢联盟的秘书处、北大西洋公约组织(NATO)的总部所在，是众多国际组织的多语总部以及政治家、外交家、政府官员的总巢。

Brussels is known for its local waffle, its chocolate, its French fries and its numerous types of beers. The Brussels sprout has long been popular in Brussels, and may have originated there. Serving as the centre of administration for Europe, Brussels' economy is largely service-oriented. The architecture in Brussels is diverse, and spans from the medieval constructions on the Grand Place to the postmodern buildings of the EU institutions. Main attractions include the Grand Place, since 1988 a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Gothic town hall in the old centre, the St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral and the Royal Palace of Laeken with its large greenhouses. Another famous landmark is the Royal Palace.
布鲁塞尔的特色食品包括当地的华夫饼、巧克力、薯条以及众多口味的啤酒。布鲁塞尔孢子甘蓝在本地一直很受欢迎，这种蔬菜可能也发源于此。作为欧洲的行政中心，布鲁塞尔的经济主要以服务业为主。布鲁塞尔的建筑十分多样化，从带有浓郁中世纪风格的大广场建筑到充满后现代艺术意味的欧盟建筑群，最著名的建筑包括布鲁塞尔大广场(1988年被评为世界文化遗产)及在老广场中心的哥特式布鲁塞尔市政厅、圣米歇尔圣古都勒大教堂和以巨大温室著称的拉肯皇家宫殿等。布鲁塞尔的另一个地标性建筑就是布鲁塞尔王宫。