Read what the N.Y. Times writes about Brussels.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/trave.../wd000521.html

What' Doing In Brussels

There is a new and more upbeat spirit in the old town of Brussels, and it is not just because the city is one of Europe's nine Cities of Culture in this millennium year.

One reason is the new, right-of-center government, more spirited and outspoken on the national and international stage than its weary predecessor. Another is the ongoing beautification of Brussels. Sidewalks have been repaved, and flowers and trees planted in profusion.