City of Brussels

The central municipality of Brussels, Belgium, and one of 19 municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region. It includes the historic city center and several outlying districts.

Connect

Brussels-Capital Region: Belgium’s multilingual region comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels. The municipality is one constituent part of this regional government.
Brussels: The common name for Belgium’s capital and its wider urban area, whose exact extent varies by context. The broad name is often mistaken for this single municipality.
Brussels City Council: The elected deliberative body that makes local decisions for the City of Brussels. It sets municipal policy and oversees the local administration.
Medieval Brussels: The medieval town that grew around the Senne valley and became a major commercial center. Its settlement formed the historic core of today’s municipality.
Brussels City Hall: The Gothic Revival town hall on Brussels’ Grand-Place, housing the municipal administration. It is the municipality’s best-known civic building and administrative seat.
Brussels-City (district): The central administrative district of the City of Brussels, distinct from the municipality as a whole. The district covers the historic core, not all territory governed by the municipality.
Mayor of Brussels: The head of the City of Brussels’ municipal executive, appointed under Belgian local-government rules. The mayor leads the municipal executive and chairs the council.
Senne: A river flowing through Belgium that once crossed central Brussels before much of it was covered. The river valley shaped the early settlement and layout of Brussels.
Grand-Place: Brussels’ central square, enclosed by historic guildhalls and the city’s town hall. The square anchors the historic center within the municipality.
Brussels metropolitan area: The densely connected urban area around Brussels, extending beyond the Brussels-Capital Region. Its functional geography crosses municipal and regional borders.