Brussels
  
Main  

Brussels (Brussel), the capital of Belgium, counts, with its suburbs, approximately 1 200 000 inhabitants. Its history begins in XIème S. According to the legend the Cambric bishop, saint
Gery (Gaugericus), into 580 had built a vault on a small island of the Seine, tributary of the Scheldt, around which developed Brucsella "colony of the marsh" Thanks to its situation privileged on significant trade route from Bruges in Cologne, the city is prosperous dice XIème and XIIème S. the
counts of Leuwen, later dukes of the Brabant, are established there. Then the dukes of Burgundy often reside in Brussels then Charles Quint and the governors of Spain and Austria.
During the two world wars the city was occupied by German troops
Brussels was surrounded by two enclosures. The first enclosure, built between 1200 and 1267, disappeared at the end from XVIIIè S. except for some turns and still visible fragments of ramparts nowadays. The second enclosure, starts in 1357, was completed in 1383, It was demolished at the beginning of XIXème S., except for the door of Hal which always exists (see plane page 17 with number 7).

We will describe a visit of the city below, but It will have to be distributed over several days.


 
Visit of Brussels  
We begin our walk at the Station of North [ 1 ]. 11 has there a few
years, it was moved and rebuilt a little more in north (beautiful modern building) According to the exit chosen, we pass by the Street of Progress or the Street of the Brabant towards the
Place Charles Rogier [ 2 ], then by the Boulevard Adolphe max, a commercial street very animated, towards:
Place of Brouckère [ 3 ]. In second half of XIXème S., the Anspach Burgomaster had made arch the Seine. Cause the many ones elected; the bed of the river was covered with a double central axis which connects the Station of North and the Station of the South. The place, with its adjacent streets, is one of the three centers of the night life of Brussels (the two others are the ilôt Sacré with the accesses of the Town square and the district of the Door of Namur-Carries
Louise): coast at coast, one finds there large cinemas, restaurants, coffees and night clubs.
the evening of many neon signs and the panels with neon give him an air merry and rich color. - To continue on the same avenue, which is called now Boulevard Anspach, to pass the Stock Exchange and to take the Street Plattesteen on the left. While arriving at the Street of the South we remain on the line and take the first street, the Street of the Large Carmelite friars, which leads us directly to the famous fountain.
Manneken Worse [ 4 ]. During centuries the small bronze figure (1619) became very popular near the Inhabitants of Brussels and of the foreign visitors.
the legend wants that a middle-class man, made the v.u equip the town of a statue the representative in the exact situation where one was going to find it. Aujourd.hui the "more former citizen of. Brussels "has a whole collection of costumes and uniforms with which one equips it the feastdays.
After Manneken Worse, to take the Street of the Oak until the Place of the Old Corn exchange, where some beautiful old houses are still seen, then the Street of the Staircase and the Street Steenport towards the Place of the Vault with one of the oldest churches of the city:
Our-lady of the Vault [ 5 ]. This interesting building was built between XIIIè and XVIIIè S. and contains Romance, Gothic elements and baroques.
the Romance transept dates from XIIIè, the central nave of XVème S. And the cupola of 1699, - To the south of the church the District extends from the Maroilles cheese, very animated for the periods of festivals. - After 1.église, to continue by the High Street. To throw a blow of il towards the left, through the narrow lanes, on the enormous Law courts (see I-dessous). - THEN to turn right in the Street of the Foxes towards the Place of the Play-of-Ball with its Flea market [ 6J which is held tous.les.jours from 9 to 13 h. Revenir by the Street of Rasière on the high Street and to continue (on the right) to the Door of Hal [ 7 ], the only door which remains of the old ramparts. Built with XIVème S. and transform in 1869, there is only the back frontage which preserves its original aspect. With l.interior the Royal Museum of the Weapons is. Suivre the Boulevard of Waterloo. On the Louise Place, significant crossroads, to take the left to the Law courts
[ 8 ]. Built in 1866-1883 according to the plans of the Poelaert architect, the building covers a surface of 25000 m2; its cupola is 10410 top; inside, 27 courtrooms and 245 rooms, the esplanade of the palate offers a beautiful point of view. To continue by the broad Street of Regency, on the right: the synagogue, the Academy and the Museum of musical instruments, until the
Place of Small-Fine sand [ 9 ]. This public garden arranged in 1890 on the site of a cemetery is surrounded by a wrought iron grid. It is decorated of 42 columns carrying of the statuette representing the corporations D XVI' S - In top behind the public garden, the Palate of Egmont [ 10 ], built has XIXè S. in the place of the hotel of the count d' Egmont. - In the public garden, the monument of the counts d' Egmont and D. Hornes and 10 marble statues to a memory of the great men of XVIè S. - On the other side of the place (left of the Street of Regency church
Our-Lady of Fine sand [ 11 ], also called Our-Lady of the Victories. It dates from XVème and XVIème S. A the interior one will admire the sculptures with the corners of the ch.ur. - In front of the principal door, the Place of Large-Fine sand where assembled itself at the Average Age l.échafaud of the city. - To always follow the Street of Regency. Left side the Museum of Old Art [ 12 ], entered Street of Regency. It shelters one of liked beautiful picture galleries, with Flemish uvres primitive and Masters of Flemish and Dutch art as well as very beautiful sculptures
On the Royal Place, from where one has a beautiful panorama on the "bottom of the city", one will see the large equestrian statue of Godefroy de Bouillon.

With the angle of the Royal Place, Musé Bellevue contains beautiful collections of pieces of furniture, laces, arms: ceramics, of XIXème and XXème centuries.
A side, the church Saint Jacques de Coudenberg, where the princes are baptized.

In the north of the place, the Palate of Art schools [ 13 ], built in 1928 like concert hall.

On right-hand side of the Royal Street, on the Place of the Palates, the Palate of the King [ 14 built in 1827-29.

A the other end of the place the Palate of Academies [ 15 ]
We cross the beautiful Park of Brussels, which shelters the Royal Theatre and which extends in front of the palate, jusqu.au Palais of the Nation [ 16 ], the seat of the two rooms of the Belgian Parliament, several ministries.

Place of the Nation, which forms the esplanade of it, one discovers with far l.Arc Fiftieth anniversary [ 17 ]. High of 45 m, it completed in 1905 the complex of the Palates of the Fiftieth anniversary (Royal Museums of Art and History, Musée of the Army). It is at the end of a beautiful park which shelters the Mosque of Brussels, become Moslem arts centre.

To return on the Royal Street and to take the line towards the Place of the Congress with the Column of the Congress [ 18 ], high 45 m, set up in 1850-59 to commemorate the proclamation of Belgian independence (1830), With column, the tomb base of the unknown soldier.

By the Street of Line one arrives in front of the beautiful Cathedral Michel Saint (the old Collegial one of the Saints Michel and Gudule) [ 19 ], This beautiful monument of ogival style was built since 1225 in the place of a Romance church become too small. The ch.ur, the transept and the side southern date from the XIII', the great nave, the northern side and are two turns, remained unfinished, of the XIV' and XVII' S. One will notice the splendid canopies of the ch.ur, the transept, and some of the vaults, the pulpit out of carved wooden (1699) and the picturesque tapestries of Van der Borght (1785), which one is useful oneself only at the time of the great festivals.
Of the principal gate, one crosses a small park to descend the monumental staircase (1861). With the corner of the Street of the Mountain and Street Dassault to be turned over towards the cathedral to admire the frontage with its two turns, of which the effect particularly beautiful is seen under this angle. (A left, the large building of the Belgian National Bank, on the right the air terminal of air lines Belgian SABENA, and further the Central Station),
To follow the Street Dassault until the end, where the Galleries St-Hubert [ 20 ] are. Divided into two by the pedestrian Street of the Butchers, which goes down to the c.ur from Ilot Sacré, the district more animated of Brussels the evening, the Gallery of the King on a side, the Gallery of the Queen of the other.
This covered street of 200 m bordered of stores was built in 1846 and thus represents one of the first shopping centres in the world

  
The Market Place  
Traverser the Street of Market-with-Grass and to follow the Street of the Hill to visit most beautiful of curiosities of the city, the Town square [ 21 ]. She measures 110 m out of 70 Mr. On a side tighten the splendid houses of the Corporations, streaming of gold: in the direction length draw up the Town hall and, opposite, the House of the king. Several of the houses were built only with XVIIIème or XIXème S, others were restored, but the place does not represent of it less one moyenâgeux whole of a rare harmony, of an effect seizing with the moonlight or at the time of the illuminations, Since XIVème S, of many memorable events of the town history were held there, and it is in front of the House of the king that into 1568 the counts Egmont and Hornes were decapitated.
the Town hall is most significant of the old monuments of Brussels
and one of the most beautiful secular buildings of the Gothic time, the 90 m tower (1454) high, which offer a remarkable panorama, divides the building into two unequal parts, the left side is 1402-04, the right side was started in 1442, the S-o wing was finished only in XVIIIè S. the worked tower (more than 400 steps) is dominated of a statue of patron saint of the city, the Michel archangel, out of gilded copper (1454, restored in 1897). On the frontage, only the sculptures of bottom are originals, or copies of the originals with preserved at the House of the King; the remainder is modern. At the interior several rooms deserve a visit: in the court, two fountains symbolizing the Meuse and the Scheldt.

On the basis of the Town hall, to make the furnace of the place in the direction of the needles of a watch the most beautiful houses of the Corporations are side No; the n° 7 is the house of the Drapers, also called "house of the Fox" because of the sculpture above the door; with the n° 6, the house of the Boatmen (1696), whose pinion is in the shape of poop of frigate. At side, the n° 5, the house of the Archers ("house of the She-wolf") decorated she-wolf capitoline nursing Romulus and Remus and crowned of a gilded phoenix. With N "4, the house of the ministers and Wet coopers, built in 1644 and restored after the bombardment of 1695. With N "3, the house of Graissiers, also of 1644 and restored in 1697, With N" 21, the house of the Bakers (1697), with a bust of Charles It, king d' Espagne. - Then, on the side, one will not notice the house of the Peacock to the n° 35, and N "37, the house of the Oak, before arriving in front of the
House of King, also called Halle at WFP, since the guide of the bakers had his seat there. The current building was built in 1873-95 in the style of XVIe S.; the old one destroyed in 1695, had been built in 1515-1525 on order of Charles Ouint.1I contains, in addition to offices, a communal Museum which is worth a visit; it is there inter alia the collection of the costumes offerts' in Manneken Pis.
Skilful of the House of the King, with the n° 26-27, the house of the Painters, and with the n° 24-25, the house of the Tailors. The n° 24, on the Street of the Hill, by where we arrived on the place, is the old municipal Rocker (1704), decorated of a balcony supported by two negros, All the south-eastern side of the place is occupied by a whole of six old houses of corporations, called Maison of the Dukes of the Brabant. Before returning in front of the town hall, one will notice with the n° ' 12 1a house of the Three Colors (1699); with the n° 11, the house of the Rose (1702); with the n° 10, the house of the Brewers, with the gilded equestrian statue of Charles of Lorraine, the n° 9, "the Swan", is the old house of the Butchers (1698), N "8, the house of Star, rebuilt in 1897.
northern angle of the place, to follow the Street to Butter, then the Street of Tabora (on the right) and the Street of Fripiers, which continues it, until the Place of the Currency where the central post office and the Royal Theatre of the Currency are, the New Street, very commercial, brings back for us on the Place Charles Rogier [ 2 ] and towards the Station of North, our starting point.

 
More to see  

Other curiosities
the Black Tower [ 22 ], close to theSainte-Catherine church, vestige of the enclosure of the XIII"century.
the Monument of Léopold It [ 23 ], behind the Royal Palate on the Place of the Throne, melted of the copper of Katanga, the province congolaise that this king had acquired for Belgium.
the Academy [ 24 ], Rue of Regency contains a famous collection of more than 4 000 musical instruments.
the Door of Namur [ 25 ] and the Louise Door with galleries and stores of luxury.
the District Léopold [ 26 ], in this aristocratic and middle-class district is inter alia the Léopold Park. Southern side, the remarkable Museum of Natural History (the most beautiful collection of the world of skeletons of let us iguanodons). A Market of the Antique dealers takes place during the weekend, places Large Fine sand.
With the immediate surroundings of Brussels
Evere. It is Ici that built itself in less than seven months the new headquarters of NATO after General de Gaulle meant with Atlantic Alliance the leave of France. The low buildings, in which one arranged 1320 offices and 15 rooms conference, could be occupied dice October 1967. The unit, which covers 20 ha, is located on the road of the airport of Zaventem.
Laeken. To leave by the Roadway Antwerp or the Street Progress (several lines of tram), beside the basins of the port, connected by channels in Antwerp and Charleroi. At the end of the Avenue of the Queen with Laeken, one discovers the neogothic church of Our-Lady (1854-72), where the kings of the Belgians are Inhumés; in the cemetery behind the church, the ch.ur preserved old ogival church (XII "century) and the" Thinker ", sculpture of Rodin. With proximity, the Royal Park, opened to the public, with the Royal Castle (free visit of the royal greenhouses, in May April), the Chinese house (1910) and the Japanese tower (1900), the latter containing of the collections of art of Far East. With the entry of the park, a monument in the shape of pyramid to the memory of Léopold 1". Close to the park, Atomium, witness of the World Fair of 1958.
Wood of Cambers. This timbered park, familiarly called Wood, extends over a width from 500 m and a 2 km length in the south from the city. Centre town one goes there, on the basis of the Law courts, by the Louise Door, and one follows splendid Avenue Louise to the entry of the park. Several restaurants and coffees are disseminated there. With l.île Robinson one can rent boats to make the turn of the pretty small lake. Wood finds a prolongation harmonious in splendid Forêt of Look after,
For the return, the old Abbey of Cambers (XIV-XVIIIè S.), deserves a turning (to take on the right at the exit Wood and to join the avenue E Duray on the left). The Ponds of Ixelles, which follow upon the abbey form with this one a unit full with charm.
Tervuren, is worth a visit in particular for its museum of central Africa. Exit by the Street Belliard and to follow the broad Avenue of Tervuren (several lines of tram, Subway). The Royal Museum of Africa Centrale (in the past Museum of Congo) is in a very beautiful park of 200 ha, Among the rich person collections, one will admire in particular the masks and the indigenous sets of arts.
House of Erasme in Anderlecht; (1515). Entirely built out of Spanish bricks, the losangées windows are with mullions; The room Rebirth, the study where the humanistic one wrote "the praise of the Madness", are two wonders.
Collegial pure St-Handlebar Gothic style blazing has a Romance crypt with four columns monoliths Romans. One finds there frescos former to the oil-base paint and one very beautiful of Crayer.
Béguinage remains claustral which lodged with the XIII' century eight béguines with the blue dress. The partitions are in cob and keep the trace of fresco of XVIè century.
A Anderlecht, also, the Museum Of Brussels of Gueuze (street Gheude installed in the last artisanal brewery where this beer typically of Brussels is still manufactured with old.
Castle of Beersel; feudal castle, built by Jean It, duke of the Brabant Covered way, room of torture.
Today the national Theatre plays there of Shakespeare, of Ghelderode.
Castle of Gaesbeek restored by the Arconati marchioness. One finds there ivory wood collections interesting, ceramics and of copper. The park is splendid.

 
Transportation  

The significant stations for the tourists is in particular the North Station, the Central Station and South Station. The international trains stop only at the stations of North and the South.

Some trains bound for Namur, Luxembourg and Switzerland leave the Leopold Station, close to the Place from Luxembourg, the trains serving the airport Brussels-National in Zaventem leave Sabena, 35, street of the Cardinal Draper, under the Central Station.
public Transport of the lines of trams, bus and subways serves the city and the suburbs
useful Addresses
Office of tourism of the 3 B (Brussels the Brabant, Belgium), 61, street of Walk to Grasses, B-1000 Brussels POStE Central, Place of the Currency