Grand Place area Sightseeing tours of Brussels

And from all sides we found ourselves on the Boterstraat street, leading us to the Grand Place.

The Grand Place, or as locals also call the most important square in Brussels, the Grote Markt, is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe with architecture from three different eras (Baroque, Gothic and the style of King Louis XIV). There are two important attractions here - the town hall and the Bread House or the King's House (Broodhuis/Maison du Roi). The entire complex has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

In essence, this was a place where merchants and townspeople sold and bought food. As a result, all the streets surrounding the square are named after foods such as chicken (poulet), herbs (herbes), cheese (fromage) and so on.

In addition to the town hall and the Bread House/King's House, there are almost forty buildings around the square from the 14th to 17th centuries.
Since 1971, every two years on August 15, a colorful carpet measuring 24 by 77 meters is created on the square using more than 700,000 colorful begonias.

The Grand Place has acquired the status of a town square since the 12th century (it was then called "Nedermarckt").
She also played a negative role in the history of the Belgian city. In the 16th and 17th centuries, hundreds of people were executed in the city square for various reasons. Witches and Protestants were burned at the stake, and rebels and other evildoers were beheaded.

The Brewers' House is the headquarters of the Belgian Brewers' Association. In the basement is the country's main brewing museum. The museum is open daily from 10.00 to 17.00, on weekends it opens at 12.00. Price ~ 6 euros. Here you can get acquainted with the brewing process and try beer in the museum bar at the end of the tour.

Restaurants and cafes around the square are not cheap, but if you are tired, order something light, even just a drink. But you will admire the square and relax. In the small alleys nearby there are many Greek, Turkish or Italian style restaurants that are good for a quick snack. There are also many Belgian waffle shops around. Under no circumstances buy cheap ones, otherwise you will be disappointed and throw it away before you finish it. It's better to pay more, but enjoy the taste.

Grand Place is one of the main avenues of the Belgian capital, located in the heart of the metropolis and proud of its unique attractions. It is worth starting excursions around the city from this famous place, since according to legend, it was this site that marked the beginning of the emergence and development. In addition, it is not only the active, but also the historical center of the capital.

Grand Place in Brussels: history of creation

The history of the famous ancient square began in the 12th century, when numerous swamps were dried up on its future territory. Over the next few centuries, the infrastructure of the structure was built:
— In the 13th century the famous Bread House appeared, or, as it is also called “The King’s House”
— In the 15th century, the left side of the Town Hall was built.
The end of the 17th century was disastrous for the Grand Place, since during the French attack the well-groomed modern site was left in complete ruins; only the Town Hall managed to survive in almost its original form, which lost only the sculptures on the facade and the monument to St. Michael at the top of the tower.
After the end of hostilities, the square was quickly reconstructed thanks to the participation of wealthy guilds. Most of the buildings were reminiscent of the style of Louis XIV, and were also carried out in the Baroque architectural style. The appearance of the square from those times has largely been preserved to this day.
In 1998, the architectural ensemble of the central square was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Modern Grand Place in Brussels is a unique architectural monument that is very popular among tourists and residents of the capital. It amazes with its unusual architecture, as well as the historical buildings located on its expanses, erected during the Middle Ages:
1) Brussels Town Hall is a beautiful metropolitan building, built in the 15th century and intended for the work of the city administration. Over time, the administration of the capital was moved to another building, but the mayor of the metropolis continues to work in the historical building. Despite the fact that the mayor of the city continues to sit in the town hall, you can appreciate the luxury of its interiors during group excursions, which are held for just a few hours, two days a week.
The interior decoration of the building is reminiscent of royal chambers, since expensive materials, gilded decorative elements, and luxurious tapestries were used in its modeling. No less surprising is the façade of the building, which has an asymmetrical shape and is decorated with numerous statues of rulers and sculptures of saints.

2) The Bread House (or the King’s House) is an ancient building, which, despite its second name, was not used for the work of monarchs for a single day. It is often called a record holder among buildings that have repeatedly changed their appearance and purpose. So, in the history of the building the following functions are known:
- in the 13th century the building was used as a warehouse for bakery products
- a few years later it was converted into a place for holding criminals
- then it was bought by the Duke of Brabant and played the role of his personal tax office, and then became the family estate of the ruler.
- after the conquest of Brussels by the French, the Duke's House began to be called the House of the People, which, due to the vesting of foreign governors with royal privileges, was renamed the House of the King.
Nowadays, the historical building houses the city museum, the exhibition of which consists of works by Belgian craftsmen who worked in various historical eras. Among the exhibits of the cultural institution you can find stunning tapestries, interesting paintings, and even modern reconstructions of the historical city center.
In addition, on the Grand Place for about 30 years in a row, starting from August 15, for several days you can watch a parade of flowers that cover the avenue like a fluffy multi-colored carpet.

Grand Place: how to get there?

The Grand Place is located in the very center of the Belgian capital, so you can get to it by several means of transport:
— by trams
The main avenue of the city is reached by routes No. 3, 4, 31, 32, which stop at the Bourse stop.
- by buses going to the Parlement Bruxellois stop (No. 48 and 95)
Also not far from the Great Square is the De Brouckere metro station.

Grand Place (Grote Markt). Square in the center Brussels, a major tourist attraction, one of the most beautiful squares in the world. The square is 110 meters long and 68 meters wide. It is surrounded by houses built in the 17th century - Guild Houses. The entire market square ensemble was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. Grand Place was recognized as the most beautiful square in Europe in 2010. Moscow Red Square then took second place. Here are located City Hall building (Town Hall) And Bread House (King's House, Broodhuis, Maison du Roi). Every two years (in even years) the square is decorated with the famous Flower Carpet from live begonias, which attracts tourists from all over the world.

In the city center in general, and on the Grand Place in particular, the architecture is dominated by medieval houses in the Flemish style, in particular in the Flemish Baroque and Brabant Gothic styles. The architectural ensemble of the Brussels Grand Place took shape in the 16th - 18th centuries. The market square itself (simply an open area for trade) arose at the end of the 11th century on the site of dried marshes, near the fortress on the Seine River, from which Brussels began. At first it was called Nedermerckt (lower market). At the beginning of the 13th century, it ceased to be just an open area - the first “pavilions” appeared, so to speak... Soon, as the city grew, it was surrounded by other buildings. It was built in the 13th century Bread House(used for storing bread), later the building became known as The King's House. The building was erected between 1402 and 1455 Town Halls, which is still preserved. However, many buildings around the square were destroyed at one time. On August 13, 1695, the shelling of Brussels by a seventy-thousand-strong French army began, which lasted for several days. As a result, the entire city center was destroyed. Only survived in the market square Town Hall and (partially) Bread House. After the end of the war, the square was rebuilt in four years by wealthy guilds (something like medieval trade unions). The Guild houses are built in the Baroque and Louis XIV styles. Their facades are decorated with carvings, garlands, figurines and columns. Each has its own name and once belonged to a specific guild. The narrow – three or four windows – facades of these buildings are easily recognizable today. For example, the Rozhok House belonged to a shipbuilding workshop and its façade in the upper part resembles the stern of a ship. A House "Swan" was the butchers' office and was accordingly decorated with a sculpture of a swan. In 1845, during the stay of Marx and Engels in Brussels, they often visited the cafe located in this house (this is house number 9), they presented their “Manifesto of the Communist Party” here to interested parties. Standing next door house "Star" famous for its high relief Everard Circles(No. 8). Another house, "She-Wolf", was occupied by the guild of archers, the house "Cart" was built in 1697 by the guild of oil and fat producers. There is also "Oak", "Little Fox", one of the houses was built by the brewers guild (No. 1) - and there now Beer Museum. In the 18th century, the revolutionary masses defaced the Grand Place, destroyed statues of noble people and even symbols of Christianity. The buildings were in terrible condition, the facades were mutilated, repainted and not restored. But the new mayor at the end of the 19th century brought order here - and the square shone in its former splendor. Until November 19, 1959, the area remained truly a market area - trade was going on here... And the famous Flower Carpet appeared here in 1971. This action turned out to be popular - and therefore, since 1986, every two years, on an ongoing basis, from August 15, a huge carpet of multi-colored begonias measuring 24 by 77 meters and a total area of ​​1,800 sq.m. is created on the Grand Place for several days. The event attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world. In other years they decorate with flowers Town Hall. Details of the promotions are on www.flowercarpet.be.

Immediately after, which I called the most uninteresting attraction in Brussels, I decided to move on in my stories to the Grand Place - a place that has become my favorite in the capital of Belgium, yes, what about Belgium, perhaps this is one of the most beautiful squares in all of Europe. I have often noted in the reports of other tourists a condescending and sometimes critical attitude towards Brussels, but in my opinion, even the Grand Place alone justifies a visit to this city.

We owe the emergence of the Grand Place in its modern form to the Sun King. One of the episodes of the Nine Years' War was the siege of Brussels. When the city was bombed by the French in 1695, hundreds of buildings were destroyed, including the Grand Place, which was almost completely destroyed; only the Town Hall building survived. But just a few years later the square was restored. More precisely, it was built according to a new unified plan; all guild buildings were erected in the then popular Flemish Baroque style.

I am a well-known cartophile, without a map at the beginning of the story I feel like the Leaning Tower of Pisa without a foundation. Therefore, I will post a diagram of the location of buildings on the square and will further use the numbering from this map of the Grand Place.

I'll start with the most impressive building on the Grand Place - Town Halls. The Gothic Town Hall was built in the 15th century. This is the only building on the Grand Place that has survived from those times. I was very happy when I found out that the Town Hall building was real (well, almost), and not an imitation of Gothic built in the 19th century, like, say, in Vienna.

This photo shows that the building is asymmetrical. According to legend, the architect, who discovered the asymmetry after construction was completed, jumped from the tower onto the pavement in despair. Not really. Initially, only the left part (10 windows) was built, then a shorter (7 windows) right wing of the building was added to it.

The rich sculptural decoration of the Town Hall façade dates back to the 19th century. Here you can find images of many saints, dukes of Brabant, horsemen, gargoyles, heroes of various legends. On the spire of the tower stands a statue of the patron saint of Brussels, the Archangel Michael, who defeats the hundredth dragon.

According to legend, Saint Michael the Archangel saved the son of Lambert II, Count of Leuven, from death. True, I don’t know which Henry and Rainier, according to Vicki, Lambert had two sons. In my brief retelling, the story goes like this. The count's heir fell in love with a girl. The girl was undoubtedly worthy, but she was not suitable for the count’s son as a wife due to her lower origin. Besides, she didn’t like the young man himself. Then a brilliant idea came to his mind - to kidnap the girl. But his plan failed and the heir was sent to prison and was soon going to be executed. Then a change occurred in the woman’s heart, the girl changed her mind about the admirer who had suffered because of her and went to visit him in prison. After the meeting, she began to pray to God to save the count’s son and, as it turned out, quite successfully. God was touched by the prayers and sent Archangel Michael to arrange the young man's escape from prison. Then the young lovers, I hope, got married, as it should be in the legends. And in gratitude for the miraculous salvation, the count declared Archangel Michael the patron saint of the city.

I can’t tell you what events are displayed on this console. But if you’re in the square, try to find the legend of Judge Herkenbald on one of the consoles above the Lion’s Porch. The judge killed his own nephew for raping a certain girl. Both the murder scene and the scene of loss of honor are colorfully, if one can say so about the sculpture, depicted in stone.

I borrowed the picture. By the way, a very interesting magazine about Brussels, I recommend it. And the console itself is located near this lion in the picture below, under which sit two girls smoking a joint for two (yes, on the main square, this is Amsterdam Brussels).

You can only get to the Town Hall with a guided tour; they don’t take place very often; I think you’ll find the schedule on the Internet. I personally decided to skip this event. That's it, one more photo of the Lion's Porch of the Town Hall and I'll leave it at that.

Moving on to the next building on the Grand Place House of the Dukes of Brabant(13-17). No dukes lived here, but the facade is decorated with their busts, as many as 19 of them, hence the name. In fact, this is not one house, but seven, united under one roof. Above each door there is a symbol of the guild to which the house belonged. The names of the houses come from these images. I’m not a fan of taking pictures of details, so when you’re on the square you can find the images yourself (from the right edge): Glory (13), Heritage (14), Luck (15), Mill (16), Pot (17), Hill ( 18) and Exchange (19).

Every even year in August, the Grand Place is covered with a carpet of flowers. Look in my friend's journal:
http://platpaul.livejournal.com/310394.html
We missed this spectacle because... were 2015, i.e. odd But we still found a few flowers in the square. Are they selling the remains of last year's carpet?

We move on to the next side of the square, perhaps the most picturesque. Let's start from the right edge. The widest building belonged to the Baker's Guild. It's called King of Spain(1), on the facade between the second and third floors there is a bust of Charles II, King of Spain. The roof of the house of the Spanish King is crowned with a weather vane with Mercury. On the ground floor there is the most famous cafe of the Grand Place, which is also called “King of Spain.” At the very least, I recommend going in and having a beer.

The next building with a funny name " Cart"(2) belonged to the guild of an oil merchant (or fat? Translator from French from me is so-so).

The building Bag" (3) owned by the guild of carpet weavers.

"She-wolf"(4) belonged to the guild of archers. The pediment (a triangular piece of garbage under the roof) is decorated with a bas-relief of Apollo piercing a python with arrows (here is the guild of archers, after all). Cough, cough, the travel bloggers from whom I read this, this is not at all a snake, but a real dragon. Python guarded the entrance to the Delphic oracle, and he himself could prophesy, on his behalf the Pythian soothsayers went (I think everyone watched the Matrix). Under Python and Apollo there are four medallions with Roman emperors: Trajan, Tiberius , Augustus and Julius Caesar. Let's go down to the floor below and see four statues - allegories of Truth, Lies, Peace and Troubles. Above the door is the image of the Capitoline Wolf, which gave the name to the house. The roof is crowned with a statue of the Phoenix - a symbol of the revival of the Grand Place and Brussels after the wars and destruction.

"Horn"(5) the only house whose appearance can be determined which guild it belonged to. Look at the top floor. Have you guessed? That's right, this is the stern of the ship! Which means the boatmen's guild settled here. On the floor below the stern, the façade is decorated with statues of tritons and sea horses.A postal horn is depicted above the entrance to the building.

And, completes the side of the guild houses" Fox"(6). Here was the center of the haberdashery guild. As you already understood, there is a gilded figurine of a fox above the door. Just don’t ask what the fox has to do with haberdashery. However, this also applies to other guilds. The first floor is supported by Atlanteans. On the second The façade is decorated with statues representing four continents: Europe, Asia, Afica and America, in the center is the Statue of Justice, the third is supported by caryatids, and on the roof is a statue of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of these merchants (now under restoration).

You will be surprised, but when I walk around the city, the last thing I care about is how I will later describe my walk in a magazine. If I were a normal blogger, I, of course, would have photographed every detail of the guild houses that I wrote about above so that the story would be better illustrated. But this time I did capture something. I hope that in this form the details of the lush decor can be seen a little better. In the picture below are the houses “Bag” (with caryatids, i.e. half-columns in the form of aunts) and “Trolley”.

Statues of the continents on the facade of the Fox. In the center is Justice with a giant sword. Atlases supporting the balcony are also good.

Allegorical statues on the façade of the She-Wolf. On the right with saggy tits is Trouble, then with a scroll (why?) - The World, Untruth, is aiming at tourists with some kind of stone, and the far left Truth is holding a book (but not explicitly reading it), while Truth is wearing the least amount of clothing out of all honest four.

At night, the Grand Place is beautifully illuminated; I came here almost every evening in Brussels, since the Grand Place is located on the road from our hotel to the famous Dellirium.

The beauty is incredible, I think.

I was in Brussels for four evenings (returning from trips around the area) and one full day, and each time I went to the Grand Place, so don't be surprised at the number of identical photos at different times of the day.

The next side is five more houses. On right " Star"(8) is one of the narrowest houses in the Grand Place. Its roof is decorated with a golden six-pointed star. On the ground floor there is a gallery in which a monument to Everard t" Serclaes is installed (already laid then, probably). I’ll write more about it below.

"Swan"(9) - the tallest building on this side. Quite a contrasting building, the first floors are very austere, then the higher, the more the architect's imagination ran wild. In fact, the house was built in several stages; in the 18th century it was bought by a rich guild of butchers and apparently decided to decorate the building to suit her butcher's taste. In "The Swan", Karl Marx, who lived in Brussels for five years, celebrated the new year of 1848. In some reports about the Grand Place, I came across a statement that he lived here and even wrote here its "Capital", but it is not so.

"golden tree"(10) - the most magnificent and useful house of the five. Why useful? Yes, because it is the house of the Brewers' Guild! The roof is decorated with a statue of Charles Alexander of Lorraine, governor of the Netherlands. As a governor, he earned good fame for his wise and gentle rule. As a person he was strict, but not angry and easygoing. A lover of life and a subtle connoisseur and lover of art. He patronized famous musicians. Which, apparently, earned him a golden statue.

"Rose" (11) and " Mount Tabor"(12) do not stand out in any way, but they are also pleasant.

Let's take a closer look at the roofs of the Swan and the Golden Tree. There are three angels on the roof of the Swan, under the central one there is the inscription “This house was built by wool.” I must admit, I don’t quite figure out where the butchers, whose guild “Swan” belonged to, got the wool from, it seems like industrial waste.

It was getting dark and lights began to come on in the windows of the houses. And, despite some smallness, the buildings began to look cozy and warm.

Gallery of the house "Star". Do you see the Japanese people taking pictures on the left? And just behind them in a niche is monument to Everard t"Serclaes. This resident of Brussels in the 14th century led the liberation of the city from the occupying Flemings. The monument is located on the site where the house stood where Everard died from his wounds. The statue of the dying knight is made in the style of the Italian Renaissance, which at one time outraged some critics, allegedly it is an anachronism, because the hero of Brussels lived during the Gothic era, so the monument should have been made Gothic.

The monument also depicts three scenes from the history of Brussels. It's funny that in at least three places the author of the monument played on the nickname of the Brussels residents, like " chicken eaters"(well, city residents used to love to eat this bird in its finished form): a woman is dragging a cart with poultry, a cook is holding a chicken, a prankster is holding a mug with the inscription “chicken eaters.”

Tradition requires tourists to rub their hand, knee or dog at the knight’s feet, while making a wish that must come true. Allegedly, this custom originated during the occupation of Brussels by the Germans during the First World War, as the city's residents demonstrated their patriotism (hmm).

Brussels has plenty of attractions to keep you and your family busy during your holiday in this beautiful city. These attractions are best visited during the day, while in the evening you can enjoy exotic and trendy restaurants and bars. You can also use the “Hop on Hop off” excursion buses, which will conveniently deliver you to your destination and allow you to enjoy the sights of the city at any time within 24 hours from the moment of first use.

Grand Place

Grand Place - the central square of Brussels and the first thing tourists usually visit in the city. Its name is in French Grand place and in Dutch Grote markt. The small but graceful 15th-century town square has passed through the centuries to become a modern embodiment of Brussels' history, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. All the buildings on the square have historical value, and the town hall of the Hotel de Ville is still open today! The square is located in the heart of Brussels, close to Brussels Centrale train station.
Metro: Bourse/Beurs, Gare Centrale/Cenraal

Pissing boy

Just a few short and narrow streets from the Grand Place is the famous Mannekin Pis statue, as the locals call this work of art. The Manneken Pis not only attracts thousands of curious tourists to Brussels every year: the Brussels residents themselves hold many celebrations at this bronze fountain. At last count, this little boy has already acquired more than 700 costumes from many countries around the world for all the events held throughout the year.
Address: Intersection of Rue de l"Etuve/Stoofstraat and Rue du Chene/Eikstraat
Metro: Bourse/Beurs, Gare Centrale/Cenraal, Anneessens

Palace of Justice

Palace of Justice- a majestic building towering over the entire city, from the windows of which a stunning view of evening Brussels opens. The building still serves its main functions and serves as the seat of the Belgian High Court. The palace is crowned with a majestic gilded dome, and its facade overlooking the square is decorated with numerous columns.
Address: Poelaertplein 1
Metro: Louise/Louiza

Atomium

Mini Europe

Mini Europe is a theme park, where you can admire small copies of the most famous monuments, landmarks and landscapes of Europe. The Mini-Europe park is located in Brupark at the foot of the Atomium. Families with children can look forward to an unforgettable day at this beautiful and educational park. The miniatures presented here are 25 times smaller than the originals. Among the most famous exhibits, it is worth highlighting the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Mount Vesuvius and, of course, the Grand Place!
Address: Bruparck
Metro: Heysel/Heizel
Website: http://www.minieurope.eu

European Quarter

The European Union has firmly established itself in Brussels. Constant EU activity in the city has caused the growth European Quarter in the eastern part of the city, located between the Arts-Loi, Trone, Maalbeek and Schuman metro stations. In this rectangle, street after street there are houses made of glass and concrete, in which various structures of the European Union and other international organizations work, including the headquarters of NATO. Many countries have also opened their embassies here, taking advantage of the proximity of EU institutions.
Metro: Arts-Loi/Kunst-wet, Trone/Troon, Maalbeek, Schuman

Place Grand Sablon

This wonderful architectural ensemble consists of buildings from the 16th to 19th centuries. Today on Grand Sablon Square There are mainly high-end antique shops, restaurants and chocolate shops. At Grand Sablon you can have a pleasant dinner or just take a walk surrounded by the indescribable atmosphere of antiquity. Every weekend, the square is enlivened by an antique market with its red and green awnings, attracting crowds of curious onlookers.
Address: Place du Grand Sablon
Metro: Louise/Louiza, Porte de Namur/Naamseport

Fiftieth Anniversary Park

Parc du Cinquantenaire or Jubelpark- not just a park, but a real national landmark. Translated, the name of the park means “fiftieth anniversary park.” The park was created under Leopold II in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Belgian independence.
The Fiftieth Anniversary Park is symbolically shaped like a pentagon, like the inner and outer ring of the city. The park is located just outside the inner ring, near the European Quarter. In the southeastern part of the park, behind the fountain marking the entrance to the park, there is a huge arch.
The two wings of the arch are the location of three museums. In the left wing there is the Autoworld car museum, demonstrating the evolution of the car from its very invention to the present day. The right wing houses the art and military museums. Visitors can climb for free to the top of the arch, which offers good views of Brussels and the European Quarter.
The park hosts many different events: concerts, parties, festivals, aperitifs, film screenings. This is even the starting line for the Brussels Marathon.
You can get to Centenary Park from the Merode metro station, or in the opposite direction of the park from the Schuman metro station.
Metro: Merode, Schuman