It's one of the most important cities in Europe and certainly the most important in the country. Many major European institutions are headquartered here; it's at the junction of a number of major European cultures; has a well preserved if culturally mixed Flemish heritage; has major identities in both Dutch and french (most people speak French); and is simply a beautiful metropolis.
The French bombarded and flattened a large part of the town in 1695, but the city built itself back. It's got a brilliant cultural, social and political scene, and is probably one of the friendliest cities in Europe.