The History Of The Statue Of Europe In 1 Minute

Although the Statue of Europe is not one of the most popular tourist attractions in Brussels, it still deserves to be recognized as a symbolic representation of the European Union’s motto, ‘United in Diversity.’

Inspiring Story

Designed by the European Commission, the Europe Statue was erected in 2003 during the European Year of People with Disabilities, which also served as the inspiration behind the work itself. The artist behind the statue, French painter and sculptor Bernard Romain, wanted to demonstrate that a handicap should not be classified as a weakness and aimed to prove this through the creation of the Statue of Europe.
Supervised by Romain, children from the disability community were invited to assist him in building the statue through modeling, painting, and polishing. The statue itself contains a white dove sitting atop a sphere depicting the EU flag’s colors, which is then held by several different hands, representing equality among various citizens and communities within Europe.

Every detail of the statue is significant, even the colors used for the arms are painted to represent the national flags for member states and are interlaced to showcase the fellowship and power of the EU.
The statue is located in the garden of the European Commission’s library, also called Convent Van Maerlant. It is made of resin and it is five meters high and weighs almost 800 kilograms. The statue was inaugurated by then Vice-President of the European Commission Neil Kinnock, and then Commissioner for Culture Viviane Reding.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.