Did you know that in the 15th century, Brussels was already a sort of capital before it’s time? Under the Burgundian dukes, the city grew to become the political and cultural heart of the Low Countries. Artists, craftsmen and merchants jostled for space. Not to mention the expanding royal court in the upper part of town. This walk will show how Brussels grew into a centre of power under the Burgundians, and which traces of this medieval history can still be found today.
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From marshland village to ducal residence
Brussels was born of humble beginnings. The name Bruocsella referred to a hamlet in a marshy landscape along the Senne river. It was not until the 13th century that the settlement grew into a key residence of the Dukes of Brabant, when they moved their court from Leuven to Brussels, suddenly giving the town a much greater political role.
Brussels developed along a distinct topography, with the central authority situated on top of a hill and its economic life blossoming below. It was no coincidence that the Grand-Place was called the Nedermerct, or ‘lower market’. It was where the heart of the city beat. Traders, craftsmen and merchants turned Brussels into a lively and prosperous trading city.
That urban elite wanted to be seen and made its power visible in the cityscape. As early as the beginning of the 15th century, the wealthy patrician families began construction of the impressive City of Brussels Town Hall. The belfry from that period is still visible in the lower part of the tower. When the Burgundians inherited Brabant in 1430, they therefore found a city with ambition. And that fitted perfectly with the plans of the brand-new duke, Philip the Good. Under his reign, the right wing and the current tower were added. At 96 metres high, it was a real eye-catcher. Today, the town hall is regarded as a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and, together with the other buildings on the Grand-Place, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Grand-Place also hosted jousting tournaments, processions and political demonstrations. In 1452, it was the scene of Charles the Bold’s first tournament victory. It became a site where the Burgundian dukes and their court made their presence felt, but also where the city displayed its own wealth and autonomy. Take another good look around and prepare for the climb up to the Coudenberg.
The art of ruling
Head via the Rue du Marché aux Herbes to Rue de la Madeleine. In the 15th century, this was a major thoroughfare, and you can still see – and feel – that today. The higher you walk, the closer you get to power.
Wealthy citizens and members of the court lived along this road. The Mont des Arts was still called the Hofberg then, but the contemporary name feels like a nod to the past. A striking number of artists and craftsmen also congregated around the Burgundian court on the Coudenberg. Painter Rogier van der Weyden, among others, had his studio here.
.jpg/jcr:content/renditions/medium-1280px.jpeg "Mont des Arts - Kunstberg - © visit.brussels - Jean-Paul Remy")
© visit.brussels - Jean-Paul Remy
That was no coincidence. For the Burgundians, pomp and splendour were not a superfluous luxury, but a political instrument. Silver and goldsmithing, painting, fine drapery, tapestry and richly illuminated manuscripts were intended to display the court’s wealth and power. The dukes were rather pompous, and it certainly did Brussels no harm. Artists came from far and wide, and Brussels tapestries adorned castles and palaces throughout Europe.
You can still see what all this looked like today at the Royal Library of Belgium. It houses one of the greatest treasures from this period. The Library of the Burgundian Dukes is a collection of richly illuminated manuscripts, each a small work of art. Their pages feature knights, castles, saints and 15th-century Brussels in vivid colours and gold leaf.
Once back outside, take another good look at the KBR museum. Between the monumental columns, you’ll see the outer wall of the Nassau Chapel, incorporated into the modern building. At the top of the steps, on the left, stands the Hotel of Clèves-Ravenstein, the only remaining example of the noble houses from the Burgundian era.
At the top of the Coudenberg
So, you’ve made it to the top of the Coudenberg. But where is that impressive palace now? In 1731, Coudenberg Palace was sadly destroyed by a fire. What remains of it now lies a few metres beneath the tram tracks on Place Royale. Underground, in the preserved archaeological site, you can still visit the vaulted corridors, halls and hidden rooms of this once-mighty seat of power.
© visit.brussels - Jean-Paul Remy
It must have been magnificent. Originally, the Palace was a fortress on the city ramparts. When Philip the Good became Duke of Brabant, he made it clear that he wished to stay in Brussels more often. But Brussels would have to ensure that the ducal residence received a substantial upgrade. There was no such thing as a capital city in those days, there were court towns. Any city wishing to count itself amongst the greats had to be able to keep up with the duke. So, Brussels set about renovating.
The highlight of this transformation was the construction of the Aula Magna. This impressive hall towered above everything else, with enormous vaults spanning almost forty metres, long pointed-arch windows, twenty-two chimneys and a grand, elegant staircase. The initial design is usually attributed to Rogier van der Weyden. The state hall was also the setting for countless infamous banquets. In other words, plenty of food and plenty of drink. Is your mouth watering yet? Even today, you can still eat like a true Burgundian in Brussels.
Until the fire of 1731, the palace complex with its gardens and ponds was renowned throughout Europe. And the place has never lost its appeal. Today, the King of Belgium looks out onto Brussels Park and the lower part of town from his Royal Palace on the Coudenberg. On the site of the Aula Magna and the old chapel now stands the Hotel Grimbergen, the offices of visit.brussels! Feel free to pop in for tips and inspiration to explore Brussels further.
From banquet hall to prayer bench
© visit.brussels - Jean-Paul Remy
Amidst all the festive revelry, you could be forgiven for forgetting that the Burgundians were also devout. You can see the Burgundians depicted in the stained-glass windows of the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, amongst other places. Once more, we encounter Rogier van der Weyden – he was buried here in 1464.
If you really want to immerse yourself in the religious life of that era, you’ll need to venture outside the city walls of the era, towards Anderlecht. Leave Brussels Park and take the metro from Parc/Park towards Erasmus (more on him later) and get off at the Saint Guidon/Sint-Guido stop. There stands the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Guidon, an important place of pilgrimage in the late Middle Ages. The church owes its Gothic form, in part, to Jan van Ruysbroeck. He was also the architect of the tower of Brussels’ Town Hall, parts of the Cathedral and the palace on the Coudenberg.
Nearby lies the Erasmus House. Humanist scholar Desiderius Erasmus stayed here for several months in 1521. It is, in all likelihood, the oldest residential house in the region and perhaps one of the earliest recorded examples of ‘urban flight’. According to tradition, a wealthy Brussels money changer had a house built here in 1460 to escape the stench and noise of the city. That is hardly surprising when you consider how crowded Brussels was at the time. When Philip the Good died in 1467, the court numbered more than a thousand people. Today, the museum houses paintings and prints by Albrecht Dürer, Hugo van der Goes and Cornelis Metsys. Behind the house lies a garden of medicinal plants already known to sixteenth-century physicians. Round off your visit with a stroll through the Beguinage of Anderlecht, Belgium’s smallest. It’s a unique piece of heritage and a fine example of religious life outside the city walls.
It's in this quiet little corner that our journey through 15th-century Burgundian Brussels comes to an end. At the start of the 16th century, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V inherited the Burgundian project, and under his rule, Brussels grew to play an even more important role within the vast Habsburg Empire. You can learn more about this great man on this historical walk.
Bart Van Loo walks you through Burgundian Brussels
Would you like to delve even deeper into the story of the Burgundian dukes? With his historical Stoute Schoenen series podwalk In the footsteps of the Burgundians, Bart Van Loo guides you through the capital. The podwalk is available in Dutch, French and English and can be listened to via Flemish broadcaster VRT’s digital platform.
Those who wish to discover the story in images can visit the KBR museum. There, a selection of miniatures and watercolours, curated by Bart Van Loo as a guest curator, is on display until 18 October 2026.
In his previous books and podcasts ‘The Burgundians’ and ‘Stoute Schoenen’, Van Loo unravels the broader narrative of the Burgundians in the Low Countries.
