Last October, the Nobel Peace Prize was given to 500 million people who have, for the past 65 years, made a conscious decision to live together in peace and harmony: the European Union. In the words of the Nobel committee, "The EU has helped to transform most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace."
Who could possibly be more deserving of a peace prize? When your grandparents were kids, Europe had been wracked by 500 years of virtually uninterrupted warfare. Today Europeans are mocked for their pacifistic ways. What a transformation!
The prize money - about $1.18 million - will go to help children who are victims of war zones. The traditional 18-carat gold medal will likely end up on display in the EU's unofficial capital - Brussels.
Just as the EU has transformed Europe, it has also transformed Belgium's capital. Once a minor trading hub, Brussels today is multicultural, hosting politicians and businesspeople (and immigrants) from around the globe - and featuring a world of ethnic restaurants. The city hosts 400 embassies, and every sizable corporation has a lobby in Brussels.
Despite these changes, Brussels remains a rich, chocolaty mix of food and culture. Tourists usually make a beeline to Brussels's Grand Place - my favourite town square in northern Europe - blitz the city's art museums, and then get their pictures taken in front of the famous Manneken-Pis peeing-boy statue.
But visitors should consider Brussels's EU sights as well. A short bus or Metro ride from Grand Place is the European Parliament, a sprawling complex of glass skyscrapers with a cacophony of black-suited politicians speaking all the different Euro-languages. It's exciting just to be here - a fly on the wall of a place that aspires to chart the future of Europe. The 785 parliament members (who also meet in Strasbourg, France) represent 27 countries and shape Europe with a $168-billion budget.
To welcome visitors, the EU recently spent about $30 million on a high-tech centre - the Parlamentarium. You'll see a short film projected on a 360-degree screen about the workings of the parliament, go on a virtual tour through all 27 member countries, and even walk across a huge map of Europe with more than 90 interactive points.
The only way to get inside the European Parliament itself is to join a free, 45-minute audioguide tour. The slow-paced audioguide - with helpful video illustrations - dryly takes you through the history of the EU, as well as its current structure and procedures. You'll learn how early visionary utopians (like Winston Churchill, who in 1946 called for a "United States of Europe") led the way as Europe gradually evolved into the European Union.
From the balcony overlooking the building's lobby, you'll see the giant Confluence sculpture with moving metal-wire pieces - representing people coming together for a common purpose.
The audioguide tells you all about the building itself: In line with EU idealism, it's functional, transparent and very "green."
As you tour the headquarters, consider this: Europe has had its economic woes the past few years. (Who hasn't?) But a bold and ambitious experiment like the European Union is bound to have some growing pains, as member states with starkly different lifestyles, priorities and fiscal philosophies are now sharing one big pot. The fact is, while some of its members are struggling, most EU citizens are much better off today than they were 10, 20, or 50 years ago.
Naysayers continue to predict the imminent collapse of Europe. But what these people don't understand is that European unity is not just a convenient political talking point that's easily abandoned in tough times. It's a way of life that most Europeans deeply believe in. A visit to Brussels and the EU headquarters proves this point: Ultimately Europeans believe as fiercely in unity, co-operation and celebrating diversity as Americans believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts a travel show on KCTS Seattle. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.
IF YOU GO
Accommodation: Hotel Welcome offers 16 outrageously creative rooms, exuberantly decorated with artifacts from around the world (splurge, hotelwelcome.com). Hotel Ibis Centre Ste. Catherine is a big, impersonal, perfectly comfortable business hotel in a great location (moderate, ibishotel.com).
Restaurants: La Villette Restaurant ("The Slaughterhouse") is romantic and subdued, serving traditional Belgian cuisine (Rue du Vieux Marche-aux-Grains 3, tel. 02512-7550). Restaurant Chez Leon is a touristy mussels factory where kids under 12 eat free (Rue des Bouchers 18, tel. 02-511-1415).
Getting there: The European Parliament is next to Place du Luxembourg. From downtown Brussels, take bus number 38 or 95. Place du Luxembourg is also a seven-minute walk from the Trone/Troon Metro stop.
TOURIST INFORMATION: www.visitbrussels.be
