Brussels Urban Summit 2023

THE VENUE

Situated on the imposing Mont des Arts with a broad view over Brussels, SQUARE sits in the historical and cultural heart of the city, very close of the Central Train Station, plenty of hotels, restaurants and the iconic Grand'Place.

So much more than the capital of Europe
Even if you haven’t visited Brussels before, you no doubt know a few things about the city already: it’s the centre of European decision-making, produces world-class beer, mouth-watering chocolate and waffles. Now what you may not realise is that the city offers a unique blend of culture, international business and leisure all combined with its own distinct national flavour. Evolving from a combination of Flemish, Walloon, European and global influences, Brussels is a true melting pot. Where else can you have a meeting, enjoy Ethiopian cuisine and sip a fine Trappist beer in an art-nouveau bar once frequented by the world-famous Belgian singer, Jacques Brel? This city will greet you with its different neighbourhoods and their secrets, each one offering an experience totally distinct to the next.

Discover what’s on in the vibrant cultural agenda of Brussels during your stay :

Jean-Paul Remy Grand-Place - stadhuis_JPR4879-Modifier_JPR4884-Modifier_© visit.brussels - Jean-Paul Remy

Jean-Paul Remy Place du Petit Sablon - Kleine Zavel__JPR5518M_© visit.brussels - Jean-Paul Remy

Bar André - guinguette_1120506-© visit.brussels - Jean-Paul Remy

ShoppingEDA_2316_© visit.brussels - Eric Danhier(1).jpg

GETTING TO THE VENUE

SQUARE is two steps away from the capital's main transport hub, Central Station, which has a direct and fast train connection to Brussels Airport. Local train, tram, metro and bus lines all converge at Central Station, providing access to the entire city and rest of the country.

Information desks & transfer from Brussels international airport

Information desks will be available at the following three points of arrival in Brussels for the participants to the Brussels Urban Summit:

- Brussels Airport (Zaventem) : In the arrivals hall
- Train: Brussels Midi station, in front of the international Thalys counter
- Train: Central Station, at the ticket office

Information desks are for general information about your accommodation in Brussels and travel to your hotel. Please note that your registration will take place at the summit’s venue, the Square and not at these information desks. Information desks will be clearly sign posted and visible with the Brussels Urban Summit logo. They will be open in these three places on Monday 12 June from 9.00 to 23.00 CET, and on Tuesday 13 June from 8.00 to 14.00 CET. Info desk at Brussels Airport will also be open on Sunday 11 June from 11.00 to 23.00 CET.

Your transport by shuttle bus from Brussels airport to your hotel will be arranged by the information desks. For persons with reduced mobility, the information desk will arrange adapted transfer by taxi.

Public transport and car parks

By public transport
The Central Station of Brussels is a short walk across the Mont-des-Arts public gardens from the Square. All main tram, bus, metro and train lines converge here, as well as the fast train from Brussels International Airport. Train routes to every part of Belgium run from the same station which includes the cities of Antwerp, Brugge, Charleroi, Gent, Mons and Liège.

Metro lines 1 and 5, tram lines 38, 63, 65, 86
Bus lines 29, 48, 66, 71, 86, N06, N08, N09, N10, N11
Bus lines 48 and 95
Bus lines 38, 71, N06, N08, N09, N10, N11, N12
Trams 92 and 93

By bicycle
The Brussels bicycle network is well marked on all routes around the city and cycling is encouraged as a great way for visitors to discover the city. In the mornings and evenings you will see many cyclists on their way to and from work on two wheels.

Cycling is permitted on all routes in both directions, even on one-way streets for vehicles. Just look out for the signs with "Excepte / Uitgezonderd" with a picture of a bike.

You can rent bicycles throughout Brussels using the "Villo" service, with many stations to collect and drop off your rental bicycle. There are two stations within two minutes walk from SQUARE. Visit the Villo website for more details.

By car
There are two public car parks with over 1700 parking spaces. Parking Albertine is the closest car park and is situated underneath SQUARE with direct access to the venue from the inside. Both car parks are accessible 24 hours and both have recharging facilities for electric cars. For direct access from the car park, please go to level -3 and follow the directions to SQUARE. This route provides direct elevator access. A short walk away is the Grand'Place car park which is conveniently placed midway between SQUARE and the UNESCO >orld Heritage site of Grand'Place…

Parking Albertine #1 - Place de la Justice 16, 1000 Brussels
Parking Albertine #2 - Rue des Sols 3 Brussels

Return Transfers

Return transfers are organised from the Square (Mont des Arts, like the departure point for buses).

On June 15th, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, there will be one bus every 30 minutes: 5:00 PM, 5:30 PM, 6:00 PM, 6:30 PM, 6:45 PM, 7:00 PM.

On June 16th, from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM, there will be one bus per hour: 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM.

Getting to the « Welcome drink »

Meet the other Summit participants and exchange views during this opening reception in the beautiful setting of the Museum of Ancient Art. (By invitation only)

Here an access plan from the Square to the Welcome drink

Getting to the « Eurocities Award »

Welcome to the spectacular setting of the Gare Maritime, a former freight station that is part of a wider urban revitalisation project. Enjoy the fine Brussels cuisine while discovering the winners of the Eurocities awards. (By invitation only)

Shuttles will offer pick-up times from 6:00 p.m. for the outward journey and 10:30 p.m. for the return journey.

For further information, please visit the information desk or contact us.

ACCOMMODATION

For the participants whose accommodation during the Brussels Urban Summit will be arranged by the organiser, we have selected two comfortable hotels, accessible to people with reduced mobility and close to the conference centre, The Square.

Hilton Grand Place

The four-star Hilton Brussels Grand-Place is ideally located in the heart of the historical centre of Brussels, 200 meters from Grand-Place and 100 meters from the conference centre, The Square, where the Brussels Urban Summit takes place. This hotel is also very close to many tourist and cultural sites.
All rooms are air-conditioned and feature free Wi-Fi, an LCD TV, tea and coffeemaking facilities and a city view. Breakfast is included. From the hotel, you can reach Brussels Airport by direct train in 20 minutes from the Central Station (Bru. –Centraal/Brux. - Central). Eurostar and Thalys trains to Brussels South Station (Gare du Midi) are a 5-minute train ride away.

Find out more here

NH Collection du Grand Sablon

The four-star NH Collection Brussels Grand Sablon is located on the Place du Grand Sablon, famous for its antique shops and chocolatiers. Near the hotel you can discover Grand'Place and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts. The hotel is 600 meters from The Square conference centre, where the Brussels Urban Summit will be held, and from the Central train station (Bru. –Centraal/Brux. - Central), which offers direct connections to Brussels Airport and Brussels South Station (Gare du Midi), the departure point for Thalys and Eurostar. Breakfast is included. All rooms are spacious and comfortable and offer a contemporary environment. They are equipped with free Wi-Fi and 24/7 room service.

Find out more here

If you organise your own accommodation, we invite you to book a room in one of our eight selected hotels of different standards and close to the Brussels Urban Summit venue. Rooms have been specially pre-booked for the event by bookingdesk.brussels. These hotels guarantee a high level of service and comfort.

VISA APPLICATIONS

Important information: visa application procedures can be lengthy and, in some cases, can take several months. Moreover, the processing times can vary considerably from country to country. Please note that certain embassies may be far from your usual place of residence and the time required to issue your visa can vary. Please start your visa application process as soon as you decide to attend the summit.

We recommend that you submit all the required supporting documents along with your visa application. The attached summit invitation and the visa application will be of use.

Please make sure you find out what other supporting documents you need to submit when applying for your visa by checking the website of the embassy or with the immigration authorities.
As a rule of thumb, a standard visa application should contain the following documents:

a completed visa application form with your handwritten signature
a valid travel document (passport)
passport photograph(s)
proof of payment of the visa application costs
digital fingerprints
documents relating to the purpose of the stay (personal invitation, proof of relationship with the host, proof of a business or professional relationship, confirmation of a booking for an organised trip, ticket to a sporting event, etc.)
documents relating to your accommodation arrangements (written proof of private accommodation, hotel reservation, etc.)
documents relating to your means of financial support (personal income or an undertaking to assume financial responsibility for you)
travel insurance to cover any medical costs
guarantees of your return to your country of residence at the end of the authorised stay in the Schengen area, e.g. proof of employment, proof of regular payment of a salary into an account as shown on bank statement, pension or other sources of income, e.g. amount, origin, proof of regular payments into an account as shown on a bank statement, ownership of a house, apartment, land, strong social ties, and/or previous visa(s) whose conditions have been respected

Should you have any difficulty in getting your visa, please contact us.

practical information