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(wind blows)
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(upbeat music)
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(inspirational instrumental music)
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(upbeat music)
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- [Narrator] Our journey
starts at Bouillon
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on the southeast corner of Belgium.
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Following Namur Valley
through the Ardenne Forest,
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we find the medieval town of Dinant,
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home to a famous beer
once brewed by monks.
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The highest boat lift in the world
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is near the great 19th century
industrial town of Charleroi.
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It's canal network extends north towards
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one of the most important battlegrounds
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in European history, Waterloo.
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From here it's a short
distance to Brussels,
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the capital of Belgium and headquarters
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of the European Union.
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This is the wild and
picturesque Ardenne region
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in the southeast of Belgium,
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a country with a population
of around 10 million.
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But despite it's rich heritage,
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Belgium is actually one
of the newer countries
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in western Europe.
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For hundreds of years, Belgium was part
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of one country or another,
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starting with the Romans
in the first century B.C.
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They named the region Belgika
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after the Celtic tribes
who inhabited the area.
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Since then it's been used as
a crossroads and battleground
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for European powers.
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(slow inspirational music)
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Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Austria
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and The Netherlands all
held sway over this region
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at various times.
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But the centuries of
turmoil have left a legacy
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of division between the
country's three languages,
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Dutch, the official language of the north,
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German in the east and
French here in the south,
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where our journey starts.
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(upbeat music)
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The Semois River winds it's
way through the Ardenne Forest
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famous for it's steep
wooded hills and ridges.
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With only the odd farmhouse or campsite,
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the area is vastly populated
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until you arrive at the small
medieval town of Bouillon,
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nestled on a happened bend of the river.
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(slow instrumental music)
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And sitting high over the
town on a craggy ridge
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is the earliest and best preserved example
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of medieval feudal
architecture in Belgium.
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It was originally constructed
by Godrey de Bouillon
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in the 11th century over the remains
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of an even older fortress.
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After Godfrey de Bouillion,
it was held by a succession
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of four other powerful dukes,
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also called Godfrey de Bouillon.
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(slow dramatic music)
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The castle was made famous
when the fifth and last Godfrey
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sold the fortress to raise
money to lead the first crusade
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to the Middle East.
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And after his siege of
the Holy City in 1099,
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Godfrey was crowned
first king of Jerusalem.
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The castle is now a tourist attraction
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with it's battlements,
towers and dungeons.
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(slow instrumental music)
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Down below the town of
Bouillon is a popular base
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for those exploring the
beauty of the Semois Valley.
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In fact, there are over 90
walks beginning and ending
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in or around Bouillon.
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Following the national park west
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along the border with France,
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an exclusion zone prohibits
aircraft from flying
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any closer to these
giant columns of steam.
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They rise from the cooling towers
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of the world's most powerful
nuclear power station,
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Chooz B.
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As well as supplying
electricity for France
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and it's neighbors, a deep
underground laboratory
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studies the mysterious subatomic particles
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emitted by the reactors.
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These neutrinos as they're called
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may give scientists a better understanding
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of the origin of the universe.
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The Semois flows into the Meuse,
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one of the major rivers of Europe
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and the Meuse villages
nestle the rocky banks
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but dominating the Meuse
are these imposing cliffs,
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the Freyr rocks, renowned
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as the most important
climbing area in Belgium.
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(slow instrumental music)
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The site counts seven main
crags and eight secondary crags,
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over 600 routes in all.
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And on the opposite bank
is another important part
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of southern Belgium's
heritage, Freyr Castle.
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(regal music)
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It was originally the site
of a medieval fortress
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which was destroyed and
replaced in the 1600's
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with a Renaissance-style country
house and formal gardens.
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In the 1800's it became the residence
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to the Dukes of Beaufort-Spontin
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whose descendants still live here today.
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The castle and gardens with
a 350 year old orange tree
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are open to the public
during the summer months.
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(regal music)
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Further along the Meuse Valley,
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this picture postcard setting of Dinant
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belies it's troubled past.
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(slow instrumental music)
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It's strategic location
on the Meuse Valley
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together with it's prosperity
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has always exposed the
town to battle and pillage
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from Roman times right
up to the two world wars.
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One visible clue as to it's turbulent past
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is the fortified Citadel that was built
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to defend against invaders.
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It's been here in one form or another
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since the 11th century.
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And what we see today was
rebuilt by the Dutch in 1821
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after it was destroyed by the
French over 100 years earlier.
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Today the Citadel is
Dinant's biggest attraction,
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though it's other landmark
lies directly beneath it,
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the Gothic Church of Notre Dame
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topped with it's
distinctive bulbous spire.
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It had to be rebuilt in the 13th century
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after the original Romanesque
church was destroyed
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by falling rocks from the Citadel's cliff.
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(slow instrumental music)
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Belgium is well-known for it's abbey beers
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and a short distance along the river
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is the iconic building that features
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in one of it's most famous
labels, Leffe Abbey.
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Like many other monasteries in Belgium,
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beer was brewed here as far
back as the 13th century
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as a way of sterilizing water.
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Using local and wild ingredients,
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the recipe for the unique beer
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was handed down for hundreds of years
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until in 1952, Leffe
Abbey licensed the beer
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to be brewed commercially
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which was said to be the
first deal of it's kind.
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Today the abbey continues
to receive royalties
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from the sales.
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As hills and crags gradually
give way to open farmland,
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there are constant
reminders of man's presence
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throughout the ages.
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Archeological excavations of caves
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beneath this medieval
ruin of Montaigle Castle
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have revealed evidence of human habitation
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dating back 35,000 years.
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But it wasn't until the
1800's that this region
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drew people in a way that
had never been seen before
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in mainland Europe.
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This is Charleroi, once the
greatest industrial city
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in Belgium.
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It was the center for glass
and steel manufacturing
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until the 1950's when it
gradually fell into decline.
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Today it has a population
of around 200,000
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making it the second largest here
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in the French-speaking south.
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It's also one of the
poorest cities in Belgium
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with unemployment running much higher
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than the national average.
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Though heavy industry continues,
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it's far cry from it's
heyday in the 19th century
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when Charleroi became the
first city outside Britain
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to manufacture on a massive scale.
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It was made possible by
the sheer abundance of coal
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in this region earning
it's name Pays Noir,
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meaning black country.
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Now only a few disused pit towers remain.
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But this one legacy of
the industrial revolution
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that's very much in evidence, the canals
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that were once used to transport
raw materials and goods.
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This is the Canal du Centre
a 21 kilometer waterway
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linking two rivers, the
Meuse and the Scheldt.
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But to overcome the 100
meter hike difference
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between the rivers, a series
of four hydraulic lifts
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were completed in 1917 to
raise and lower the boats.
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But with the revival of
the waterways in the 1950's
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and the need to meet European
standards for boat traffic,
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the Belgium parliament gave the go ahead
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for the construction of one boat lift
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that would do the job of
it's four predecessors.
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Opened in 2002, the Strepy-Thieu boat lift
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is the tallest in the world at 73 meters.
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But it's by no means the fastest lift.
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It takes a full seven minutes
to raise and lower boats.
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The lift operates two giant tubs
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called (speaks in foreign language)
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which are balanced like
scales on either side.
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In the first five years of it's opening,
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canal traffic increased almost 10-fold.
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It's also proved popular with tourists
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who come to marvel at
this engineering wonder.
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Another mega structure on this canal
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completed the same year
was the Sart Canal Bridge
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almost 500 meters in length,
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it's 28 concrete pillars
support a staggering 80,000 tons
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of water.
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Although it's mainly
pleasure craft that navigate
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these waters now, 200 years ago
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this was an industrial superhighway
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connecting Charleroi with Brussels.
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But the building of
such a crucial waterway
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was plagued with setbacks,
most notably in 1794
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when revolutionary French
forces led by Napoleon Bonaparte
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set out to conquer Europe
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and it was finally here at Waterloo,
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13 kilometers south of Brussels
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that Napoleon fought his last battle
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on the 18th of June 1815.
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It was end two decades of European wars.
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(slow instrumental music)
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The fighting started here at Hougoumont
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which was one of a line of
45 farm and country houses
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just south of Waterloo.
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The attack on the farm was ferocious.
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1400 French troops in all
against the 12,000 British
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and allied soldiers who'd been ordered
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by the British allied leader,
the Duke of Wellington
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to defend the post to the last extremity
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and after nine hours of fighting,
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they finally forced a French retreat.
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Though the mansion was
burned to the ground,
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some of the original building survived
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like the chapel in the center
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that has a memorial to those
who fell at the battle.
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(slow dramatic music)
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Overall 25,000 were killed
or wounded on that one day.
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9,000 French troops were captured.
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At Waterloo, Napoleon's
empire finally crumbled.
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Two years after the
victory over the French,
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this great monument was constructed
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to commemorate the fallen and
the end of 23 years of war.
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However, the Duke of Wellington
is said to have remarked
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that they have spoiled my battlefield.
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390,000 cubic meters of soil
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from the actual battle ground
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was excavated to create it's mound.
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It's topped with a 28 ton bronzed lion
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symbolizing the courage
of those how fought.
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Legend has it that the lion was cast
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from the bronze cannons
abandoned by the French
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on their final retreat.
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It's an unlikely story since the lion
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was actually cast from iron.
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Today it's a popular visitor attraction
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with 226 steps leading to a
43 meter high observation area
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offering a vista of one of the
most important battlefields
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in European history.
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(slow dramatic music)
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Over the 200 years since, the monument
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has witnessed the nearby town of Waterloo
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grow from a small crossroads hamlet
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on the main route between
Brussels and France
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to a town of almost 30,000,
and near fifth are non-Belgium
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making Waterloo a melting
pot of languages and cultures
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alongside the native
French, Dutch and German.
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It's the legacy of 2,000 years
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of different races and cultures
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inhabiting this land
at one time or another.
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In 1830, the Belgiums revolted
against the Dutch occupiers
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forming the independent state of Belgium.
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But it wasn't enough to
eradicate deep ethnic divisions.
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It led to the unique
formation of language regions
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with their own governments.
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Waterloo lies in the
French region, Walonreye
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but it's close to the border
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with the official Dutch
language area, Flanders.
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And once across the border,
the Dutch connection
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becomes more evident in the
characteristic red brick
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and architecture of The Netherlands.
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This 14th century
fortress is Beersel Castle
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built as a first line of
defense against an attack
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on the nearby capital city, Brussels.
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And being situated on this flat valley
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demanded exceptionally
high towers and walls
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to spot an approaching enemy
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as well as a vast moat
to discourage attempts
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to breach this formidable stronghold.
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And it's seems as if it did the job.
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Having been attacked on numerous occasions
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over the centuries it was only
overtaken once in the 1500's
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during an uprising
against the Austrian ruler
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at the time.
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Ironically, the attackers were troops
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from the very city it was
built to defend, Brussels,
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the capital city of Belgium.
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00:18:36,674 --> 00:18:39,264
(upbeat music)
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From it's origins as a walled
city in the 10th century,
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it rapidly grew as a cosmopolitan center
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on a key trade route.
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And today Brussels has developed
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into one of the greatest
multicultural cities in the world
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hosting over 2,000
international associations.
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00:19:23,150 --> 00:19:26,420
NATO, the alliance military
powers based itself here
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after the Second World War
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but Brussels is now best
known as the headquarters
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00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:33,780
of the European Union,
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00:19:33,780 --> 00:19:37,660
where it hosts the European
Commission and Council.
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00:19:37,661 --> 00:19:40,241
(upbeat music)
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Known locally as the European Quarter,
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this complex houses
the parliament building
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that employs over 10,000 civil servants.
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In turn a great many
international companies
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have moved to Brussels
drawn by the European Union.
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And with this international presence,
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it's not surprising that over a quarter
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of the one million
population is non-Belgium.
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00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,700
When Brussels became the
capital city of a new country
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in the 19th century, the
old town was destroyed
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00:20:28,875 --> 00:20:32,355
to make way for the brand
new ministries, schools,
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00:20:32,360 --> 00:20:34,540
army barracks and office buildings.
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00:20:36,610 --> 00:20:40,270
Sadly, not much of the
original architecture remains,
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00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:45,370
and only a few blocks in
the city center was spared.
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00:20:45,366 --> 00:20:48,446
(instrumental music)
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At the heart of this old quarter
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is one of the best preserved
Gothic baroque squares
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00:20:54,300 --> 00:20:56,370
in Europe the Grand-Place.
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00:21:00,750 --> 00:21:04,560
Once the busy central marketplace
for meat, bread and cloth,
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it now attracts locals and
tourists in their droves.
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In 1998, it was awarded the UNESCO status
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of world heritage site.
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Every two years in August,
an enormous flower carpet
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00:21:20,550 --> 00:21:24,340
is set up in the
Grand-Place for a few days.
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00:21:24,340 --> 00:21:27,440
A million begonias are
arranged in patterns
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00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:28,640
across the square.
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00:21:33,970 --> 00:21:35,900
The Grand-Place is dominated
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by the magnificent 15th century town hall
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00:21:39,380 --> 00:21:42,510
with it's spire standing
at almost 100 meters
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00:21:45,340 --> 00:21:48,210
and it's topped with a
statue of Saint Michael
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00:21:48,210 --> 00:21:49,550
slaying a demon.
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00:21:52,810 --> 00:21:55,710
And it's the same archangel
who is one of the patron saints
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00:21:55,710 --> 00:21:57,900
of the city's Roman Catholic Cathedral
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00:21:57,900 --> 00:21:59,720
of St. Michael and St. Gudula.
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00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:07,370
Renovated in the Gothic
style in the 13th century,
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00:22:07,370 --> 00:22:11,240
the elaborate facade was
completed 200 years later.
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00:22:12,190 --> 00:22:14,690
(regal music)
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This is Sainte-Catherine
Park, created in 1880
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00:22:24,270 --> 00:22:26,600
as the centerpiece for a world expedition
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00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,670
celebrating Belgium's 50th
anniversary of it's independence.
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00:22:33,780 --> 00:22:36,270
The aim was to present
to the world the idea
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00:22:36,270 --> 00:22:38,920
of a flourishing and prosperous new nation
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worthy of a place alongside
the great European powers.
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00:22:42,906 --> 00:22:45,406
(regal music)
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The Triomphe Lodge was also planned
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00:22:49,870 --> 00:22:52,890
to symbolize Belgium's glorious past
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00:22:52,890 --> 00:22:55,680
but this imposing monument
was only completed
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00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,220
in time for it's 75th anniversary.
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00:23:03,260 --> 00:23:06,530
As part of the same celebration,
the first stone was laid
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00:23:06,530 --> 00:23:09,630
for one of the largest
Catholic churches in the world,
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00:23:09,630 --> 00:23:11,540
the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
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00:23:12,630 --> 00:23:15,010
Built of brick and reinforced concrete,
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00:23:15,010 --> 00:23:18,600
this massive structure
has a 90 meter high dome
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00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,420
that dominates the northwestern
skyline of Brussels.
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00:23:24,380 --> 00:23:27,680
It was built on the orders
of King Leopold the Second
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00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,840
who was so taken by the
the Sacre-Coeur in Paris
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00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:34,210
he decided to have one just
like it here in Brussels.
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00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:39,240
But owing to spiraling costs and delays
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00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,560
it wasn't completed until 1969
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00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,760
having undergone major changes
to the original design.
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00:23:46,710 --> 00:23:50,890
The result was a unique
fusion of neo-Gothic design
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00:23:50,890 --> 00:23:51,970
with Art Deco.
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00:23:55,500 --> 00:23:58,200
Given it's size, it's
not just church services
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00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,680
that take place, it also
houses a restaurant,
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00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:06,120
a Catholic radio station,
a theater and two museums.
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00:24:07,110 --> 00:24:08,850
And from the dome's viewing area,
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00:24:08,850 --> 00:24:11,510
visitors can enjoy a
spectacular panoramic view
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00:24:11,510 --> 00:24:15,450
of Brussels including it's
most distinctive landmark.
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00:24:18,730 --> 00:24:21,000
As Paris has the Eiffel Tower,
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00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,340
New York the Statue of Liberty,
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00:24:23,340 --> 00:24:25,690
Brussels has the Atomium.
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(slow instrumental music)
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Originally created for
the 1958 World Fair,
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this 102 meter high monument
has nine steel spheres
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connected so that the hole forms the shape
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00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:49,760
of an iron crystal
magnified 165 billion times.
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00:24:53,100 --> 00:24:56,780
The tubes enclose escalators
connecting the spheres
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00:24:56,780 --> 00:24:58,910
that are 18 meters in diameter,
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00:25:00,550 --> 00:25:02,590
large enough to fit exhibition halls
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00:25:02,590 --> 00:25:05,710
and other public spaces
with the top sphere
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00:25:05,710 --> 00:25:08,270
providing an unrivaled view of Brussels.
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00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,690
The monument was originally
planned to stand for six months
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00:25:16,690 --> 00:25:20,350
but it soon became a symbol
not only of the World's Fair
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but of modern architecture
and the city of Brussels
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00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:24,190
and of Belgium.
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The Atomium is one of the
most visited attractions
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in Brussels today and a perfect
place to end this journey.
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(slow instrumental music)
29542
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