Neighbourhood Walk: Matongé

16 February 2022
Matongé - food - Rue Longue Vie - Cap Africa
© visit.brussels

Matongé is Brussels' African district. Despite being known far beyond our borders, this ‘district’ is actually no more than one street and two galleries.

Chaussée de Wavre is the main axis – the heart, the Ixelles and Porte de Namur galleries are the lungs, and the streets around them are the blood vessels. The area is dotted with numerous hairdressers, cosmetics shops, 'African fast food' restaurants, money transfer offices, cafés, travel agencies, shops from which tropical fruit and vegetables stick out into the streets, and evangelical churches which attract Africans from all over Belgium.

People from the Netherlands, Northern France and even Western Germany flock to this particular part of Brussels. The quarter is unique. Such a strong concentration of African activities is unparalleled in Europe.

During this walk, you'll pass by the galleries and shops, but you'll also visit other spots such as the Cinéma Vendôme, which promotes auteur cinema, or Saint-Boniface church, the very first neo-gothic church in Brussels. Admire the Art Nouveau buildings that surround this monument. Next to the church you'll find Fika, a Swedish coffee bar where you can enjoy pure, high-quality coffee and delicious pastries. Further along, you'll also pass the GRACQ and Pro Vélo, two associations that passionately promote the use of bicycles, and which can provide you with information on all aspects of this ecological means of transport.

This walk is also an invitation to discover African culture. It's a gourmet stroll that encourages you to try the cuisine of the African continent: the Calebasse, for example, lets you sample the combination of ginger and bissap juice, an infusion of hibiscus flowers. As for the Salle de Dublin, it will introduce you to some of the more popular forms of physical expression from exotic countries: tango, salsa, yoga…

Discover our Matongé walk

Duration of walk: 2hrs.
Starting point: metro station Trône/Troon

The map for this walk is available in French, Dutch and English. 

In collaboration with Brukselbinnenstebuiten