When my family and I made our first Brussels tourism plans, we knew very little about this corner of the world.

We were familiar with Paris, London and Amsterdam - some of Europe's most popular travel destinations. But who goes to Brussels Belgium?

And why?

Turns out that a lot of folks do.

And for a great many reasons. Reasons like Belgium chocolate, the spectacular Grand Place, and the many historical sites like the Waterloo Battlefield.

In fact, more and more travel lovers are making Brussels tourism plans and discovering all this city has to offer.

Unlike her louder, more flamboyant sister European cities, Brussels is somewhat reserved.

She waits patiently for you to catch her eyes. Then she romances you with her rich history, beautiful culture, gourmet cuisine and distinctive attractions.

And before you know it, your heart is won and you fall in love with her.

My name is Jeff and Brussels-Belgium-Travel-Guide.com is my tribute to the Capital of Europe. (That's right...among other things, this city is the headquarters of the European Union.)

Nine years ago, my family and I did more than visit here. We moved here. And during that time we've fallen in love with this city and other parts of this small country nestled between France, Luxembourg, Germany, Holland and the North Sea.

(At right is a photo of my wife and me overlooking the battlefield where Napolean 'met his Waterloo'.)

We know that some of the larger European cities have more to offer in sheer size and scope. And we appreciate those cities. But we've discovered that bigger isn’t always better.

In fact, sometimes small can be just the right size.

This city is small enough to visit for 24 or 48 hours and come away with an appreciation of Belgian life and culture. But it's large enough to hold your interest for weeks, keeping you occupied with things to do in the city and beyond.

And that is my inspiration for publishing this Brussels tourism and travel guide.

So, where do you start with your Brussels tourism plans?

Well, first you have to get here! Eurostar Brussels will get you here in a flash from London, Ashford, Paris, Lille, Avignon and other European cities. Airlines from around the world fly into Brussels Airport in Zaventem (just outside Brussels) and Ryanair offers flights from European cities.

Once you arrive, we recommend starting with the Grand Place, central to all things Brussels, and often called 'the most beautiful European town square.'

At the Grand Place, you'll find hotels (search: Otel.com Brussels Hotels), museums, restaurants, coffee shops, chocolate shops, lace and tapestry shops, a national tourist office and more

It's the best introduction to the city and THE place to start your Brussels tourism and travel adventures.

From there, you'll want to see some of the sites around the city, take a tour or sample Belgian chocolate. Foe example:

• Visit The Atomium, a site-to-behold structure created for the 1958 World's Fair;
  
• Take A Brussels Walk and choose from a variety of individual and group walking tours featuring Belgian chocolate, Belgian pubs, Art Nouveau and Downtown Brussels;
  
• Sample Belgian Chocolate at one of the many Grand Place chocolate shops where you can choose from Neuhaus, Leonidas, Godiva, Galler, Planete Chocolat, Chocopolis and many, many more.

More reasons to love Brussels...

If you have children, you'll want to take them to the hands-on children's science museum, Technopolis. Fun for kids of all ages, our children love it and so do we.

If you love comics, then you'll be glad to know that Belgium is the 'Kingdom of Comics'. This country is home to some 700 comic strip authors as well as the Belgian Comic Strip Center, a museum promoting popular Belgian comics like 'Tintin'.

And who could pass up the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate? No country is better known than Belgium for what it does with the cocoa bean. This museum is the city's tribute to its famed chocolate delights.

There are more reasons to keep you in the city, but if you have the time, you'll want to add some of our favorite Belgium travel adventures beyond Brussels to your plans:

• Visit Waterloo to the south (where the famous battle was fought);
  
• Experience the beautiful Ardennes mountains to the east;
  
• Check out the port city of Antwerp to the north;
  
• And spend a day in Brugges to the west, often referred to as the 'Venice of the North'.

And you just happen to be in one of the gourmet capitals of the world.

This city offers gourmet eating that rivals any European city, so your Brusels travel experience should include sampling some of the great Brussels restaurants where you can enjoy delicacies like mussels, roasted chicken and frites (fries), fondue, and Belgian chocolate mousse.

And with its large international appeal, the city offers many restaurants with cuisine from around the world including Africa, Asia, India, Lebanon, Tex-Mex (a blend of Texas and Mexico) and many, many more.

No doubt, you'll want to experience the intimate smoke-free cafes and bars offering Belgian-roasted Douwe Egbert coffee or one of the many famous Belgian beers.

And no visit here is complete without having an original hot Belgian waffle and taking home a Belgian tapestry.

Many will agree that you could come here for the food alone.

All of this in a country small enough to drive across in a few hours.

Brussels may not be a big city tourist mecca. But as you can see, it offers world-class attractions, cuisine and culture with a small town heart. And that’s worth its weight in chocolate.

Now you see why this beautiful city won our hearts. We've had nine years to take it in and we're excited about sharing all that Brussels tourism and travel has to offer.

Please take some time to explore the history and experience the beauty of this corner of the world through Brussels-Belgium-Travel-Guide.com.

And on your next trip to this corner of the world, put Brussels tourism and travel plans at the top of your list.

You'll discover for yourself why travel lovers love Brussels tourism.