Brussels was simply a location for settlement since prehistory, but it became a noteworthy settlement after Saint Gery built a chapel on the banks of the Senne River in 695 (now called Place Saint Gery). The city of Brussels was officially founded in 979 by Charles, Duke of Low Lotharingia. 

In the beginning of its charter, Brussels was the center of trade between the cities of Bruges, Ghent, and Cologne. The first set of city walls were completed in the 11^th century, influencing the growth of the population. A second city wall was built shortly after to protect citizens and industry spilling outside the walls. From the 12^th century, Brussels became an important city under the administration of the Duke of Brabant.  At the height of economic development, Brussels exported luxury items such as fabrics and tapestries to Venice and Paris. The Town Hall and the King’s House were built over the Old Town in the 1400^s. After the 15^th century came a period of rebellions and uprisings. During that time, Brussels temporarily lost the title of capital after a riot against the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, but regained its status after Charles V took reign between 1519 and 1559. Ruled by the Calvinists in the mid-1500s and then reigned over by Archduke Albert I (1598–1633) the city multiplied its population to 50,000 by mid of the 16^th century.

In 1695, the Bombardment of Brussels, by King Louis XIV of France, left thousands of buildings all over the city torn to the ground. The rebuilding of Brussels was carried on by a number of craftsmen guilds. During the end of the 1700^s, Brussels was the center of economic development, occupations, and also revolts. French troops conquered the city from 1746-1748, then the Brabant Revolt took place from 1788-90 and Brussels was once again overtaken during the Napoleonic era. The current Capital of Brussels was established after the United Kingdom of the Netherlands ended in 1830 with Belgium’s independence. In the same year, people protested against King William of the Netherlands to gain independence. King Leopold I became the first King of the Kingdom of Belgium on 21 July 1831. During this time, the walls of the city were taken down and replaced by a set of boulevards in the shape of a pentagon following the original outline of the Old Town Brussels (the Inner Ring Road). The current circle metro line is set around this same ring road. 

The 20^th century marked a period of war and development. After the German occupation both in World War I and World War II, Brussels was a part of the Brussels Pact (or Brussels Treaty) in 1948, which led to the initiation of the Western European safety cooperation. In the 1970^s and 1980^s, the Brussels Capital Region was created, expanding the City of Brussels to an urban agglomeration with a population of over 1.1 million (as of 2011). Brussels became the headquarters of NATO and later the EU and was the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2000. 

The most important landmarks to visit are the Royal Palace of Brussels, Palace of the Nation - the seat of the Belgian Federal Parliament, the Grande Place square (along with Town Hall - Hotel de Ville and the Galeries St Huber), the Atomium, the Zavel district, the amusing statue Manneken Pis, the Louise Square, the Cathedral of Saints Michel and Gudule, all the major political institutions of the European Union (the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union), The Mini-Europe Park, the Museum of the Coudenberg, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Cinquantenaire Park (Jubelpark), the picturesque square Place du Grand Sablon, not to mention the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate and the Brewery Museum.

Belgian cuisine is known by the combination of French cuisine with the more hearty Flemish fare. Local specialties include waffles (goffres), mussels, the famous Belgian chocolate, and many types of beer or the Brussels sprout. Brussels has an oceanic climate. There are almost 200 days of rain per year in Brussels and snowfall is rare, generally once or twice a year.

The city of Brussels is served by the Brussels Airport (BRU), an international airport 11 km northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is not located in Brussels, but in the Flemish Region of Belgium. In 2012, almost 19 million passengers arrived or departed at Brussels airport, making it the 24^th busiest airport in Europe.

Did you know? ..... 10 Interesting Facts about Brussels

1. The Brussels International Airport is the world's largest chocolate selling point.
2. The Royal Palace of Brussels is bigger than the Buckingham Palace, as it has a 50% longer façade.
3. The Palace of Justice or the Law Courts of Brussels is the largest court of justice in the world at 26,000 square meters at ground level.
4. The Galeries St Hubert in Brussels was opened in 1847 and is Europe's oldest shopping arcades.
5. Brussels sprouts have been growing in Belgium for over 400 years.
6. The central square of Brussels, the Grote Markt or Grand Place, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
7. Brussels has 138 restaurants per square mile.
8. Nemo33, the world’s deepest swimming pool reaching 35 meters in depth, is located in Brussels.
9. Brussels has the third-highest GDP per capita of any European city, after Luxembourg and London.
10. Brussels served as a temporary home to several famous exiles, such as Victor Hugo (1851-1852, 1861 and from 1866 to 1870), Alexandre Dumas (in 1851), Charles Baudelaire (from 1864 to 1867), Napoleon IV (in 1870), and Paul Verlaine (1872 to 1873).