Grand-Place
Often considered the most beautiful square in the world, the Grand-Place of Brussels' reputation precedes it!
Today, it still has a political and administrative function as it houses the City of Brussels Town Hall, which remains the workplace of the mayor and most of their aldermen.
As a prestigious venue, it hosts many festive events - concerts, fairs, folklore events, the Christmas tree and nativity scene, sound and light shows, the flower carpet in the summer, etc. - or symbolic events, such as the celebration of sportsmen and women after fine performances.
Its story began as a market square in the 12th century. Gradually, the square was filled with houses and halls, then primarily made of wood. The splendid Gothic town hall was built in the 15th century in three phases; the same 15th century saw the installation of trade guilds in the houses that border the Grand-Place. Even more so than at present, the square was the nerve centre of Brussels life: economically, as already mentioned, with intense sales activity (several halls devoted to the sale of bread - the present King's House or Broodhuis in Dutch -, meat, linen, etc.), culturally (theatrical performances), judicially (with executions taking place on the square) and, of course, local politics.
It was bombarded by Louis XIV's troops in 1695 and was subsequently almost entirely rebuilt. It underwent further major renovations and modifications during the following centuries, especially in the 19th century, which gave it its current appearance.
The Grand-Place of Brussels has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
Grand-Place
Museum of the City of Brussels / The King’s House
Two majestic buildings that stand opposite each other on Brussels' Grand Place have a long-standing rivalry: on one side you have Brussels' City Hall, and on the other the Broodhuis (Bread House), a UNESCO World Heritage Site which houses the Brussels City Museum. The rivalry between these two buildings is no coincidence. In the 15th century, the Duke of Brabant replaced the 13th century wooden bread market building with a prestigious building that would be a symbol of his power and face off against the imposing building on the other side of the Grand Place that symbolised the city's independence. The building owes its French name of Maison du Roi (King's House) to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who once ruled over a large part of the globe and once owned the Bread House. After being destroyed in the 16th century, it was rebuilt in the Gothic Revival style in the 19th century by city architect Victor Jamaer.
But it's not all about the Broodhuis' history and facade. Inside the Brussels City Museum gives a comprehensive overview of Brussels' history, with particular attention given to the arts, crafts,urbanism and architecture . The original Manneken Pis is also housed here for security reasons, but as for his wardrobe, which is a thousand times larger than even the most passionate fashionista's, you can marvel at that in its dedicated museum on Rue du Chêne - Eikstraat.
Combined ticket giving access to the Brussels City Museum -Maison du Roi and the Garderobe MannekenPis.
Museum of the City of Brussels / The King’s House
Manneken-Pis
You're no doubt familiar with the Manneken-Pis, the bronze statuette that attracts crowds with cameras just a stone's throw from the Grand-Place. But how did this statue come into being? Originally, the statuette was a simple decoration adorning one of the many fountains that supplied the city with water in the Middle Ages. Although other statues had previously borne its name, the famous little boy relieving himself, who everyone knows today, is the work of Jérôme Duquesnoy l'Ancien, who made it in 1619. He has gone from being a public fountain to a legendary figure. In addition to his purely material appearance, Manneken-Pis has, on various occasions, taken on the symbolic roles of protector of the city and spokesman for the people of Brussels, personifying them in a way that is often mischievous and irreverent. Today, he embodies the rebellious yet modest spirit that reigns in Brussels.
Over the years, it has become customary to dress the statue up for special occasions. Fitted out with numerous costumes and decorations, sometimes gifts from important political figures, his wardrobe includes more than 1,000 pieces, which can be admired at the GardeRobe MannekenPis, a museum opened in 2017. The oldest was donated by the Elector of Bavaria in 1698. Sadly, Manneken-Pis has been subjected to numerous acts of vandalism. The original statuette, stolen and damaged on several occasions, now rests safely in the Brussels City Museum (housed in the King's House on the Grand-Place).
Manneken-Pis
Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
Initiated by the architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer, the spectacular Galeries Royales project took shape in the 1830's. The works, begun in 1846, were almost completed in time for the official opening on 20 June 1847.
The gallery included shops, auditoriums, cafés, restaurants and apartments. The place to be seen for the fashionable, right away, the Royal Galleries of Saint Hubert drew a wide audience, attracted by its luxury brands, elegant cafés and cultural spaces. These included the Théâtre du Vaudeville, the Cinéma des Galeries and the Taverne du Passage, called the Café des Arts until 1892 and the meeting place for painters and writers of the time. The colony of French refugees, like Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Edgar Quinet and others, would also gather there. The Surrealist painters and artists from the Cobra group were regulars at the venue.
A commemorative plaque recalls the first showing of the Lumière brothers’ motion picture camera on 1 March 1896, in the former dispatch room of the La Chronique daily newspaper (above Pâtisserie Meert, Galerie du Roi).
Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
Comics Art Museum
The Center’s prestigious great hall, light pit, mezzanines, auditorium and side rooms are available for hire throughout the year for dinners, cocktail parties, press conferences etc. Guests at these events may visit the center’s exhibitions free of charge.
With absolute respect for the general public of the Center, cocktail parties, gala dinners, seminars, press conferences and high-level meetings can be held in the same venue, either outside opening times if located in areas normally open to the public such as the light pit or the famous entrance hall with its emblematic street lamp, or during opening hours if they are held in side rooms not open to the public.
Every year the BCSC hosts over 120 events: press conferences, seminars, business meeting and presentations, weddings and private parties…
These can take up to 1,200 persons standing.
Historical venues
Comics Art Museum
MIM - Musical Instruments Museum (MRAH)
As soon as it opened at the end of the 19th century, the luxurious Old England department store earned an excellent reputation for its highly distinctive building. The entrance to the building is a jewel of the Art Nouveau style, while the rest is in perfect harmony with the neoclassical ensemble on the Place Royale, and just around the corner from the Grand-Place and Central Station, no less!
With a wealth of some 9.000 instruments, some 1.200 of which are on permanent exhibit, the museum's reputation is mainly built on its extraordinary collections.
Once inside, you'll embark on a true tour of the musical world. After your visit, the instruments and their history will no longer hold any secrets: from the viola da gamba from the Court of Brussels to the 20th century theremin, and even including the African kora!
The mim is nothing other than a place to experience music. A visitor's guidance system allows you to explore the thematic tours to the tune of the melodious sound of the instruments presented.
A program packed with concerts, demonstrations and workshops for the young and the not so young makes the mim experience even better.
The mim has its own concert hall, specialized library, museum shop, workshop for restauration and conservation of musical instruments and is crowned by a restaurant with panoramic view over Brussels.
MIM - Musical Instruments Museum (MRAH)
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium assemble six different museums: the Oldmasters Museum, Meunier Museum, Wiertz Museum and the Magritte Museum.
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Musée Magritte Museum
The Musée Magritte Museum, located in the heart of Brussels, brings together the world's largest collection of the renowned surrealist artist René Magritte: 230 works and archives are displayed. The multidisciplinary space houses paintings, gouaches, drawings, sculptures, and painted objects, as well as advertising posters, musical scores, photographs and films. The Museum also has the most important collection from the artist’s "vache" period.
The selection of works exhibited in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium is constantly expanding with a changing selection of external loans. With the support of Belgian and foreign museums as well as private collectors, works are being made available that have previously never been exhibited. The visitor can thus discover many treasures that are still in private possession.
The Musée Magritte Museum has already received 8 nominations and prizes. Every year more than 300,000 visitors come here for all over the world to discover the life and the works of René Magritte.
Musée Magritte Museum
Place Poelaert
Between the popular Marolles district and the elegant Louise neighbourhood lies the place Poelaert. This is the place to go for a superb panoramic view of the lower part of the city. On the horizon are architectural heritage gems such as the Basilica of Koekelberg and the Atomium. Sunset in particular is a great time to enjoy the seemingly endless sky. Not afraid of heights? Since 2019, the giant Ferris wheel 'The View' has taken up residence here and you can admire the Belgian capital from a height of no less than one hundred metres! Afterwards, take the free glass lift and dive into the Marolles for more urban fun.
Place Poelaert, with its 750m² surface area, is also the largest square in the capital. It was named after Joseph Poelaert, the architect of the Palace of Justice, which is the monumental courthouse you see on this square, a mastodon from the 19th century. The scaffolding surrounding the courthouse has become part of the public's collective memory.
Place Poelaert
The Mont des Arts Garden
The Mont des Arts garden is located below place Royale and provides a green transition between the upper and lower parts of the city, between the Royal Quarter and the Grand-Place in the city's historical centre.
Originally built for the 1910 Universal Exhibition, it was adapted in the 1950s to form part of the vast urban complex of the Mont des Arts. The Mont des Arts "complex" includes the KBR (formerly the Royal Library); a shopping and office gallery on the other side of the street appropriately named the "Mont des Arts"; the Square congress centre, with its glass cube and statue of Albert I; gardens and esplanades and finally an underground car park...
The current garden was restored in 2001.
Don't miss the sound of the carillon, located in the lower part of the covered passageway, which brings joy to tourists and Brussels residents alike!
Facilities:
- Benches
- Fountains
- A skatepark
Disabled access:
Only via the entrance on rue du Mont des Arts; other access is via flights of stairs.
The Mont des Arts Garden
KBR
At KBR, history comes to life. The Royal Library of Belgium collects all Belgian publications and preserves a vast cultural and historical heritage. The collection contains over 8 million items, including books and manuscripts, newspapers, prints, music scores, coins, medals, and maps. As the national scientific library, KBR’s mission is to manage, study, and make this heritage accessible to the general public.
At the heart of the Royal Library lies the KBR museum. Dive into the enchanting world of manuscripts, polyphonic music, and illuminated miniatures. Discover the magnificent Library of the Dukes of Burgundy and enjoy a unique musical experience.
Enter the miniaturists' workshop and immerse yourself in a soundscape in the late-Gothic Nassau Chapel, where you are surrounded by the polyphony of the Franco-Flemish composers of the 15th and 16th centuries. Want to get hands-on? Design your own miniature, test your skills as a copyist, or experiment with polyphony yourself. Two or four voices, just the tenor or the bassus? The result is in your hands.
KBR
