( Tribune Media Services ) -- Six hundred years ago , Brussels was just a nice place to stop and buy a waffle on the way to France . Today , it 's a city of 1.8 million , the capital of Belgium , the headquarters of NATO and the political center of the European Union . It may be easy to skip as you zip from Amsterdam to Paris by train , but its rich brew of food and culture pleasantly surprises those who stop . Its magnificent grand square , rightly named La Grand Place , alone makes a visit worthwhile . When in Brussels , try mussels with a side of crispy fries , or frites . The city is still buzzing over the opening of its new Magritte Museum in June . With more than 250 paintings , it has the world 's largest collection of works by surrealist Rene Magritte , who famously painted a picture of a pipe and wrote on the canvas `` this is not a pipe . '' Take time to wander through Brussels ' other excellent museums . The Ancient Art Museum , featuring Flemish and Belgian art , has a dazzling collection of masterpieces by Van der Weyden , Breughel , Bosch and Rubens . The Museum of Modern Art next door also makes for an enjoyable stroll . Brussels has its silliness , too . Its mascot is the Manneken-Pis , a fountain statue of a little boy who lives up to his name . You 'll find him three blocks off La Grand Place , possibly wearing some clever outfit . By tradition , countries send him costumes from around the world . Cases full of these are on display in the City Museum on La Grand Place . The Atomium , another of Brussels ' offbeat attractions , looms on the edge of town . This gigantic , silvery iron `` molecule '' has escalators connecting the various `` atoms , '' fun space-age videos and a view from the top sphere . If you 're scared of heights or tight spaces , tell your friends you 'll wave to them ... from the ground . If you 're hungry , muscle your way into a restaurant to order mussels in Brussels . They 're served everywhere . You get a big-enough-for-two bucket and a pile of fries . Use an empty shell to tweeze out the rest of the mussels . Do n't call fried potatoes `` French fries . '' Belgian fries ( `` frites '' ) taste so good because they 're deep-fried twice -- once to cook , and once to brown . The locals dunk them in mayonnaise , especially delicious if the mayo is flavored with garlic . My favorite budget meal in Brussels is having simple pub grub in an atmospheric old pub with a gaggle of `` beer pilgrims , '' who 've flocked here from around the world to appreciate some of Europe 's best brew and selection -- more than 300 Belgian varieties . To get a budget hotel deal , visit in peak season without a reservation , when the city 's fancy business-class hotels rent rooms for half-price . Normal hotel prices are high , but if you arrive in July , August or on a Friday or Saturday night any other time , three-star hotels abound with amazing summer rates -- you can rent a double room with enough comforts to keep a diplomat happy , including a fancy breakfast , for about $ 85 . Go through the tourist information office to get the best price . If you 're nervous about traveling without advance reservations , contact the tourist office by email ( info @ visitflanders.be ) and ask which business-class hotels will have special rates during your visit . Bone up on bonjour and s'il vous plait . Brussels speaks French . Though the city ( and country ) is officially bilingual and filled with foreign visitors , 80 percent of the locals speak French first and English second , if at all . Belgium is split between Wallonia in the south , where they speak French , and Flanders in the north , where they speak Flemish , a dialect of Dutch . French-speakers have often dominated the national government , which irks the Flemish , who comprise about 60 percent of the Belgian population . The longstanding rivalry has made it increasingly difficult for the Belgian Parliament to form a stable coalition government . One prime minister recently said that Belgians are united only by the king , a love of beer and the national soccer team . While the Belgians debate their unity , Brussels is the administrative center of the European Union . It hosts business people from around the world -- only Washington , D.C. , has more lobbyists . When Europeans have a gripe , this is where they demonstrate . The European Parliament , a towering complex of glass skyscrapers , has 785 members representing 28 countries and more than 450 million citizens . Take the audioguide tour . It 's exciting just to be here -- a mouse in the corner of a place that aspires to chart the future of Europe . Brussels is one of Europe 's great secrets . A trade boom 500 years ago left this city with striking art and stately architecture . And it 's once again a trade and cultural center of Europe . Rick Steves writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio . E-mail him at rick @ ricksteves.com , or write to him c/o P.O . Box 2009 , Edmonds , Wash. 98020 . Copyright 2009 RICK STEVES , DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES , INC .
Rick also writes European travel guidebooks and produces TV shows . His TV series , ` ` ' Does ' Europe , '' airs on PBS stations . His ' company , Tours Through the Back Door , conducts European tours .