Visit the seaside - in Brussels

In July and August the banks of the Willebroek Canal are playing host to a temporary seaside resort. Brussels-on-Sea is home to barbeques, sand castles and straw huts.

The new resort will be created in order to enable those who live in the city to holiday within Brussels without having to pay for a vacation. It is also hoped that the new attraction will bring thousands of additional tourists to the city.

Unlike a traditional holiday resort, all of the services in Brussels-on-Sea - such as beach lounger hire, sports and concerts - are free. There will also be a team of professional masseurs on hand to make the beach more comfortable.

Brussels-on-Sea has been inspired by a similar scheme in Paris and was first held in 2003.

The city itself is the capital of Belgium and the administrative centre of the European Union. It is also the capital of Flanders and the French community within Belgium.