Guided walk: Briefly, the European Union

Guided walk: Briefly, the European Union

Hi! Welcome to my tour. My name is Elif. I tell stories through art and politics; I have a background in both: I make documentaries and I’m a political scientist specialized on European Affairs. Brussels has been my home for 12 years. I worked most of it for institutions in the EU quarter. I’ve guided ministers and other VIPs around the neighbourhood, but prefer to show it to real people. I always try to find unique ways of putting pieces together. You can also check-out my extended version of the tour “from Colonial to EU Power”. It is fun helping visitors peek behind the scenes ;) Let's discover the EU together in 1,5h.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Council of the European Union, Rue de la Loi 175, Brussels 1000 Belgium

The tour is composed of 8 stops within the EU’s “triangle of power”, marked by the imposing buildings of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament. We will literally walk through the European political landscape. I also add some of my personal anecdotes and you will learn a few “secrets” and inside stories :)

We will walk through the European quarter to the Schuman roundabout. There, we will see some of the most imposing buildings of the European institutions, including the modernist Europa building, the star-shaped Berlaymont and the bunker-like Justus Lipsius.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: European Parliament (Hemicycle visits), Rue Wiertz 60 Paul-Henri Spaak Building, Brussels 1050 Belgium

Later, you will also see the towering Paul-Henri Spaak building and the European Parliament hemicycle. At each stop, you will learn what happens behind these buildings’ walls, differences and the central role they play in European politics. Along the way, we will pass by some museums that you can visit if you want to continue your EU journey after the tour, such as the House of European History and Parlamentarium.

We will also look at the lifestyle of the “eurocrats” working there. And how their work impacts all Europeans.This is an interactive storytelling tour, and I encourage guests to share the experiences they had with the EU institutions.

Note that we'll not enter any EU building: access constraints (badge, wait, advance notice, etc) would distract us from the general story.

Duration: 30 minutes