• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

At the heart of Europe, Brussels is glamorous, hip and filled with energy from all over the world, making it an ideal city with teens.

Fully aware that Brussels, Belgium is the capital of the European Union, my teen son and I planned a long weekend there with great excitement. We hoped to learn more about world politics than what we'd read in the beloved Belgian comic book series, "Tintin." My son imagined meeting Colin Farrell and a cast of inept assassins visiting from Bruges. I dreamed of the summer sales on designer clothing. We both anticipated exploring a very sophisticated city filled with great restaurants, contemporary art galleries, and men in suits.

To our surprise, we got all that and much more. We found a rich melting pot of contrasts and cultures, with immigrants and visitors from far beyond the EU boundaries. Shawls, saris, miniskirts and, yes, suits, line Brussels' narrow cobblestone medieval walkways and crowd the platforms of the efficient subway system. Tintin and his detective dog Snowy were there, along with X-rated graphic novels, fine museums, and the largest number of Michelin-rated restaurants in Europe.

Getting to Know Brussels, Belgium

Little Belgium is divided into thee states: Flanders, where Flemish or Dutch is spoken; Wallonia, where French is spoken, and a small region of Luxembourg, where German is spoken. In bilingual Brussels (also written Bruxelles). French predominates, but most residents speak both French and German in addition to English, making visitors feel very welcome. The multi-lingual harmony heard on the streets also contributes to the city's exotic air.

The city's attractions are numerous and diverse, so we decided a tour on the Brussels Hop On Hop Off bus was the best way to get our bearings. The ride provides a good perspective of the new and the old, with headset guidance available in eight languages. After you've circled the spread-out route once, and admired the modern architectural highlights of the European Union’s government center at Place Luxembourg/Luxemburgplein, you can choose to disembark at various stops.

Families who want to dig deeper into Belgian culture will enjoy one of the city's many walking tours. While most are given in French or Flemish, English language walking tours are presented regularly by Brussels Walks (32/(0)/493 50 40 60). Itineraries and prices vary for tours of the history of beer, the city's Art Nouveau architecture, the secrets of the master chocolatiers and other topics.

The group Vizit (32/(0)9/234 17 28) organizes their own culinary tours with tastings at major restaurants, and this can be a great treat for budding young foodies. But for us, jet-lagged mom and teen, the first stop was a stroll through the medieval architectural highlights of the Grand-Place, the city’s center.