#1 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Anderlecht
Brussels
~0.63 miles from Brussels city center
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#2 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Place du Jeu de Balle
Sint-Jans-Molenbeek
~0.84 miles from Brussels city center
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Where?
Walking distance from the Brussels Kapellekerk station
What?
A popular second hand and flea market.
Anything else you need to know?
This area is renowned for its daily second hand and flea markets. They usually run daily, taking on special themes and events during summer months.
Opening times?
Daily 7am - 2pm.
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#3 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Law Courts of Brussels
Brussels
~1.09 miles from Brussels city center
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The Law Courts of Brussels or Brussels Palace of Justice (Dutch: Justitiepaleis (help·info), French: Palais de Justice) is the most important Court building in Belgium and is a notable landmark of Brussels. It was built between 1866 and 1883 in the eclectic style by architect Joseph Poelaert. The total cost of the construction, land and furnishings was somewhere in the region of 45 million Belgian francs. It is the biggest building constructed in the 19th century.
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#4 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Horta Museum
Brussels
~1.18 miles from Brussels city center
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The Horta Museum (French: Musée Horta, Dutch: Hortamuseum) is a museum dedicated to the life and work of the Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta and his time. The museum is housed in Horta's former house and atelier (1898) in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles. In the splendid Art Nouveau interiors there is a permanent display of furniture, utensils and art objects designed by Horta and his contemporaries as well as documents related to his life and time. The museum also organises temporary exhibitions on topics related to Horta and his art. The building is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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#5 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Notre Dame da la Chapelle
Brussels
~1.20 miles from Brussels city center
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Notre Dame de la Chapelle (Our Lady of the Chapel) is a large Romanesque-Gothic church in Brussels.
Construction began on the church in 1210 and was completed by the end of the 13th century. It thus marks the period of transition between the Romanesque and Gothic styles; the transept and choir are Romanesque-Gothic, while most of the remainder is in the Flamboyant Gothic style.
Several campaigns of restoration were undertaken in the 19th and 20th centuries.
A lovely work of architecture in itself, Notre Dame de la Chapelle is perhaps most notable as the burial place of Francois Anneessens (1660-1719), a Brussels hero who lost his head for campaigning for civil rights.
Anneessens was a champion of the freedom of the Belgian communes against the centralist rule of Belgium's Austrian masters. Condemned to death, he refused to plead for forgiveness, saying, "Never! I die innocent. May my death expiate my sins and be of service to my country." He was then beheaded in the Grand-Place.
A statue of Anneessens stands in the square named after him (place Anneessens) in the city center, and you'll find a commemorative plaque dedicated to him in Notre-Dame's Chapel of the Holy Sacrament.
Notre-Dame de la Chapelle is also the burial site of Pieter Brueghel the Elder and his wife; their epitaph is also in one of the chapels.
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#6 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Sablon District (Neighborhood)
Brussels
~1.32 miles from Brussels city center
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Sablon District is renowned as the Antique Quarter in Brussels. Most of the shops are found in the upper part of the district. Art lovers will be delighted with some of the bargains to be found in the shops in Sablon. Collectors meet at 17 rue Lebeau, at the Collectors Gallery, as well as in Passage 125 Blaes. There are around 30 antique shops in this street.
Grand-Sablon Square is the heart of this district. Every weekend there is an antique market held in the square. You will see the beautiful wall of the buildings in the square which date from the 17th and 18th centuries. In this square, Wittamer has become one of the most popular boutiques. This pastry shop has been selling cakes and sweets since 1910.
Some of the other attractions you must see during you stay in this part of the city is Notre-Dame-du-Sablon church, as well as Petit-Sablon Park.
Sablon district is a hive of activity all year with baroque music festivals in April, an art festival in June and Sablon Nights during the last weekend in November.
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#7 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Astrid Park
Sint-Jans-Molenbeek
~1.32 miles from Brussels city center
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#8 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Place du Grand Sablon
Brussels
~1.33 miles from Brussels city center
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This location is home to many upscale antiques stores, Emporio Armani, the world-renowned pastry boutique, Wittamer, and much more. The square is distinguished by a statue of Minerva, given to the city as a gift in 1751. Our Lady Church and the Sablon Church are also found here. On Saturday from 9a-6p and on Sunday from 9a-2p an antique market is in full swing. Just across the square you'll find Place du Petit Sablon, a quaint garden filled with statues.
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#9 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Notre Dame du Sablon
Brussels
~1.33 miles from Brussels city center
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This flamboyant late-Gothic church, dating from the 15th to the 16th centuries, was paid for by the city's Guild of Crossbowmen, and was their guild church. It is noted for its four-fold gallery with brightly colored stained-glass windows, illuminated from the inside at night, in striking contrast with the gray-white arches and walls. Also worth seeing are the two baroque chapels decorated with funeral symbols in white marble. Inside is a celebrated statue of St. Hubert with an interesting history: It was actually stolen from Brussels and taken to Antwerp but was seized and returned to the church in 1348, where it has remained ever since.
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#10 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Place du Petit Sablon
Brussels
~1.34 miles from Brussels city center
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One of the prettiest gardens in Brussels, encircled by 48 bronze statuettes, each representing a different medieval guild.
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#11 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Ixelles
Sint-Gillis
~1.36 miles from Brussels city center
Hotels Close to Ixelles
Ixelles (French, pronounced [ik's?l]) or Elsene (Dutch, pronounced ['?ls?n?]) is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.
Ixelles or Elsene is located in the south of Brussels and is divided into two parts by Avenue Louise, which is part of the City of Brussels municipality. The smaller west part of the municipality includes Rue du Bailli/Baljuwstraat and extends roughly from Avenue Louise to Avenue Brugmann/Brugmannlaan.
The larger east part of the municipality includes the sites of the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and the Eugène Flagey square. The Bois de la Cambre is located just south of Ixelles.
The construction of Avenue Louise was commissioned in 1847 as a monumental avenue bordered by chestnut trees that would allow easy access to the popular recreational area of the Bois de la Cambre. It was also to be the first Haussmann-esque artery of the city of Brussels. However, fierce resistance to the project was put up by the town of Ixelles (which was then still separate from Brussels) through whose land the avenue was supposed to run. After years of fruitless negotiations, Brussels finally annexed the narrow band of land needed for the avenue plus the Bois de la Cambre itself in 1864. That decision accounts for the unusual shape of today's City of Brussels and for Ixelles being split in two separate parts.
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#12 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Jacques Brel Foundation
Sainte-Catherine
~1.38 miles from Brussels city center
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#13 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Constant Vanden Stock Stadium
Sint-Jans-Molenbeek
~1.41 miles from Brussels city center
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Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (French: Stade Constant Vanden Stock, Dutch: Constant Vanden Stockstadion) is a football stadium in the municipality of Anderlecht, Brussels. It is home to R.S.C. Anderlecht.
It is in 1917 that Anderlecht installed on the border of Parc du Meir / Meirpark (later Astrid Park), in a new stadium they built (with only one stand made of wood). They called it Émile Versé Stadium in the name of a generous patron. Later, concrete stands were set up. Though, in 1983, the stadium was completely rebuilt and took the name of the president Constant Vanden Stock. Its capacity was decreased to 28,063 (1,583 of which in business seats and 406 in V.I.P. boxes). There are still standup places behind the two goals but during European competitions, the stadium is all-seated (decreasing capacity).
The stadium address is Avenue Théo Verbeecklaan 2, B-1070 Anderlecht. It is located near Saint-Guidon / Sint-Guido metro station. Rival supporters must stop at Aumale for UEFA Champions League matches (due to security measures).
The stadium hosts a one-star restaurant (Le Saint-Guidon) and a cafeteria, as well as the official club fanshop.
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#14 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Arcade De Guimard
Brussels
~1.48 miles from Brussels city center
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#15 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
La Grande Place (Grote Markt)
Brussels
~1.49 miles from Brussels city center
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The Grote Markt (Dutch) or Grand Place (French) is the central square of Brussels. It is surrounded by guildhalls, the city's Town Hall, and the Breadhouse (Dutch: Broodhuis, French: Maison du Roi). The square is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels, along with the Atomium and Manneken Pis. It measures 68 by 110 metres (220 by 360 ft), and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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#16 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Brussels City Hall (Hotel de Ville)
Sainte-Catherine
~1.50 miles from Brussels city center
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The Town Hall (French: Hôtel de Ville, Dutch: Stadhuis (help·info)) of City of Brussels is a Gothic building from the Middle Ages. It is located in the middle of the famous Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium.
The oldest part of the present Town Hall is its east wing (to the left, when facing the front). This wing, together with a small belfry, was built from 1402 to 1420 under direction of Jacob van Thienen, and future additions were not originally foreseen. However, the admission of the craft guilds into the traditionally patrician city government probably spurred interest in expanding the building. A second, shorter wing was completed within five years of Charles the Bold laying its first stone in 1444. The right wing was built by Guillaume (Willem) de Voghel who in 1452 also built the Magna Aula.
The 96 meter (310 ft) high tower in Brabantine Gothic style emerged from the plans of Jan van Ruysbroek, the court architect of Philip the Good. By 1455 this tower had replaced the older belfry. Above the roof of the Town Hall, the square tower body narrows to a lavishly pinnacled octagonal openwork. Atop the spire stands a 5-meter-high gilt metal statue of the archangel Michael, patron saint of Brussels, slaying a dragon or devil. The tower, its front archway and the main building facade are conspicuously off-center relative to one another. According to legend, the architect upon discovering this "error" leapt to his death from the tower. More likely, the asymmetry of the Town Hall was an accepted consequence of the scattered construction history and space constraints.
The facade is decorated with numerous statues representing nobles, saints, and allegorical figures. The present sculptures are reproductions; the older ones are in the city museum in the "King's House" across the Grand Place.
After the bombardment of Brussels in 1695 by a French army under the Duke of Villeroi, the resulting fire completely gutted the Town Hall, destroying the archives and the art collections. The interior was soon rebuilt, and the addition of two rear wings transformed the L-shaped building into its present configuration: a quadrilateral with an inner courtyard completed by Corneille Van Nerven in 1712. The Gothic interior was revised by Victor Jamar in 1868 in the style of his mentor Viollet-le-Duc. The halls have been replenished with tapestries, paintings, and sculptures, largely representing subjects of importance in local and regional history.
The Town Hall accommodated not only the municipal authorities of the city, but until 1795 also the States of Brabant. From 1830, a provisional government assembled here during the Belgian Revolution.
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#17 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Brussels
~1.51 miles from Brussels city center
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The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (Dutch: Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België, French: Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique), is one of the most famous museums in Belgium. It is situated in the capital Brussels in the downtown area on the Coudenberg. There are four museums connected with the Royal Museum, and two of them (the Museum of Ancient Art and the Museum of Modern Art, Brussels), are in the main building. The other two (the Museum Constantin Meunier and the Antoine Wiertz Museum) are dedicated to specific Belgian artists, are much smaller, and are located at different points in the city.
The Royal Museum contains over 20,000 drawings, sculptures, and paintings, which date from the early 15th century to the present. The museum has an extensive collection of Flemish painting, among them paintings by Bruegel and Rogier van der Weyden, Robert Campin (the Master of Flémalle), Anthony van Dyck, and Jacob Jordaens. The museum is also proud of its "Rubens Room", which houses more than 20 paintings by the artist. The Museum also houses the famous painting The Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David.
The painting Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, long-attributed to Brueghel, is located here and forms the subject of W. H. Auden's poem Musée des Beaux Arts, named after the museum.
There are constant changing exhibitions. For example, in February 2007, the museum displayed exhibitions on the Belgian artist Leon Spilliaert and one showcasing Christmas food in Flemish painting.
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#18 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Mont des Arts
Brussels
~1.51 miles from Brussels city center
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The Kunstberg (Dutch, pronounced (['k?nzdb?rç] ( listen)) or Mont des Arts (French, [m?~d?za?]), meaning "hill/mountain of the arts", is a historic site in the center of Brussels, Belgium.
The showcase square was created for the Universal Exposition held in Brussels in 1910. It featured a park and a monumental staircase with cascading fountains descending the gentle slope from Place Royale down to Boulevard de l'Empereur/Keizerslaan.
The original square was destroyed during the post-war construction frenzy known as Brusselization; between 1954 and 1965, the square and its surroundings gave way to massive, severely geometric postmodern structures such as the Royal Library of Belgium and the Congress Palace.
The Mont des Arts offers one of Brussels’ finest views. From the vantage point on a hill, the famous tower of the Brussels Town Hall at the Grand Place is clearly visible. On a sunny day, the Koekelberg Basilica and even the Atomium can be seen.
Major tourist attractions are located within walking distance from the Kunstberg: the Musical Instrument Museum, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Royal Palace, and the city’s cathedral.
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#19 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Bourse
Sainte-Catherine
~1.52 miles from Brussels city center
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The Brussels Stock Exchange (BSE) (French: Bourse de Bruxelles, Dutch: Beurs van Brussel) was founded in Brussels, Belgium by Napoleonic decree in 1801. On September 22, 2000, the BSE merged with Paris Bourse, Lisbon Stock Exchange and the stock exchanges of Amsterdam, to form Euronext N.V., the first pan-European exchange for equities and derivatives, with common trading and clearing of all products, and was renamed Euronext Brussels. The most well known index on the Brussels Stock Exchange is the BEL20.
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#20 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Museum of Musical Instruments Old England Building
Brussels
~1.54 miles from Brussels city center
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The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) is a music museum in central Brussels, Belgium. It is part of the Royal Museums for Art and History and internationally renowned for its collection of over 1,500 instruments.
Originally attached to the Brussels Royal Music Conservatory with the didactic purpose of showing early instruments to students, the MIM collection was created in 1877 with a collection of a hundred Indian instruments given to King Leopold II of Belgium by Rajah Sourindro Mohun Tagore in 1876 and the collection of the celebrated Belgian musicologist François-Joseph Fétis, purchased by the Belgian government in 1872 and put on deposit in the Conservatory, where Fétis was the first director.
Its first curator, Victor-Charles Mahillon, greatly expanded the already impressive collection so that, by the time of his death in 1924, the MIM consisted of some 3,666 articles, among which 3,177 were original musical instruments. He was noted of his astute judgments in obtaining these large augmentations by calling on philanthropists, mixing with erudite amateurs who sometimes became generous donors, and through friendly relations with Belgian diplomats in foreign posts, who sometimes brought back instruments from beyond Europe.
The monumental five-volume catalogue of the collection Mahillon commissioned between 1880 and 1922 also included four versions of his essay on the methodical classification of both ancient and modern instruments, which was to serve as the basis for the organological Hornbostel-Sachs classification systems still used today. Beginning in 1877, Mahillon also created a restoration workshop in the MIM where he employed and trained a worker, Franz de Vestibule, to restore damaged articles and make copies of unique instruments in other public collections.
Mahillon's successor at the Conservatory, François-Auguste Gevaert, organized several successful concerts of professors and students playing early instruments in the 1880s.
After the first World War, donors and philanthropists became rarer, with only about a thousand instruments entering the collections between 1924 and 1968, and Belgium's famed instrument builders began becoming scarcer. Until 1957, the curators taking their turn at the head of the MIM, with Ernest Closson (1924-1936), his son Herman (1936-1945), and René Lyr (1945-1957) limiting themselves through the two world wars to preserving the already collected instruments, in not always satisfactory conditions. Ernest is notable for editing several articles on Belgian makers for the National Biography and devoting a long monograph to La facture des instruments de musique en Belgique, which appeared at the 1935 Universal Exhibition held in Brussels.
With the arrival of the esteemed Latinist Roger Bragard, curator between 1957 and 1968, larger budgets became available from the Ministy of Culture as exhibits were renovated, new personnel were hired, concerts were again organized, and new rare pieces were collected. His efforts were continued by his successors René de Maeyer (1968-1989), Nicolas Meeùs (1989-1995), and Malou Haine (1995-2009).
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#21 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Palais des Congres
Brussels
~1.54 miles from Brussels city center
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#22 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Place Royale
Brussels
~1.54 miles from Brussels city center
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The Place Royale (French), Koningsplein (Dutch), or Royal Square (English), is a historic square near the center of Brussels, Belgium.
The square itself is built on the former site of the Baliënplein, which was the main market square adjacent to the former palace of Coudenberg. The palace burned down, however, during a fire that took much of the original royal complex on the night of February 3, 1731. Construction of the new buildings around the square took from 1773 to 1780, using the design of French architect Barnabé Guimard, who received that commission in 1769. The square is almost an exact replica of the Place Royale in Reims.
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#23 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Galeries St. Hubert
Sainte-Catherine
~1.58 miles from Brussels city center
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The Koninklijke Sint-Hubertusgalerijen (Dutch) or Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert (French) is a glazed shopping arcade in Brussels that preceded other famous 19th-century shopping arcades such as the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and The Passage in St Petersburg. Like them it has twin regular façades with distant origins in Vasari's long narrow street-like courtyard of the Uffizi, Florence, with glazed arcaded shopfronts separated by pilasters and two upper floors, all in an Italianate Cinquecento style, under an arched glass-paned roof with a delicate cast-iron framework. The gallery consists of two mayor sections, each more than 100 meters in length (respectively called Galerie du Roi / Koningsgalerij, meaning King's Gallery, and Galerie de la Reine / Koninginnegalerij, meaning Queen's Gallery), and a smaller side gallery (Galerie des Princes / Prinsengalerij, meaning Gallery of the Princes). The main sections (King and Queen's Gallery) are separated by a colonnade at the point where the Rue des Bouchers / Beenhouwersstraat crosses the gallery complex.
Royal Galeries of St-Hubert
At this point there is a discontinuity in the straight perspective of the gallery. This "bend" was introduced purposefully in order to make the long perspective of the gallery, with its repetition of arches, pilasters and windows, less tedious. It was designed by the young architect, Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer, who determined to sweep away a warren of ill-lit alleyways between the Grasmarkt / Marché aux Herbes and the Kruidtuinberg / Montagne aux Herbes Potagères and replace a sordid space where the bourgeoisie scarce ventured to enter with a covered shopping arcade more than 200 m in length. His idea, conceived in 1836, was finally authorized in February 1845. The partnership "Société des Galeries Saint-Hubert", in which the banker Jean-André Demot took an interest, was established by the summer, but nine years were required to disentangle all the property rights, assembled by rights of eminent domain, during a process that caused one property owner to die of a stroke and a barber, it was said, slit his throat as the adjacent house came down.
Construction started on May 6, 1846. It lasted for 18 months, and the 213 m passage was inaugurated on June 20, 1847 by King Leopold and his two sons. In 1845 the Société named the three sections of the new passage the Galerie du Roi, Galerie de la Reine and Galerie du Prince. The ensemble, called the Passage Saint-Hubert has borne its present name since 1965.
Under its motto "Omnibus omnia" (Everything for everybody), displayed in the fronton of its palace-like façade, the Passage Saint-Hubert attracted people of fashion. Brilliantly lit, it offered the luxury of outdoor cafés in Brussels' inclement climate, in an ambiance of luxury retailers that brought to Brussels the true feel of a European capital. In the premises of the journal, March 1, 1896, the first public showing of moving pictures took place of the cinematographers Lumière, fresh from their initial triumph in Paris.
A theatre inside the galleries, the Théâtre des Galeries Saint-Hubert, was designed by Cluysenaer and opened June 7, 1847. It became one of three royal theaters of Brussels, playing operetta and revues. The interior was rebuilt in 1951.
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#24 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
City Centre Brussels
Brussels
~1.61 miles from Brussels city center
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#25 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Bellevue Museum
Brussels
~1.62 miles from Brussels city center
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The BELvue Museum in Brussels, Belgium, is a museum about the national history of Belgium. Exhibitions divided over twelve rooms explore the major periods in Belgium's history, such as the Belgian Revolution, the country in World War I and in World War II. Exhibitions in the hallways discuss the various monarchs of Belgium.
The museum is located in the Bellevue Hotel, a luxury hotel built in the 18th century. It is on top of the Coudenberg and offers an entrance to the archaeological excavations beneath.
In 1977, the hotel became a museum and was totally transformed for this new function. The Royal Museums of Art and History shows some of the collections of furniture and porcelain of 1700. The "Dynasty's Museum" will be installed at the second floor, in 1992.
After the Royal Museums of Art and History's departure in the 1998, the Hotel allows the "King Baudouin Memorial" and an atrium and a big glass window, with view on the royal palace’s park, were constructed.
In 2000 the access for the underground, and so to the archaeological vestiges of the old Coudenberg Palace, are realized after different archaeological excavation realized in different steps; the last one of these was in meantime of the survey by Royal Archeological Society of Brussels in collaboration with the Université libre de Bruxelles. The "Dynasty's Museum" and "King Baudouin Memorial" are lodged until December 2004.
For the 175 anniversary of independence, the King Baudouin Foundation decide to take care about the transformation of the hotel, in a new museum dedicated to history of Belgium.
After a totally reorganization, the "BELvue Museum" opened its doors in July 2005. Twelve room are dedicated to the most important period of the Belgium's history. These one are documented by different originals historical documents, and audiovisual testimonials.
In this way any visitor can discover the country's history through the different documents. There are three levels of reading, that can help to go from a general context, to the most important moments necessary to understand the Belgium's reality of today, as the fight for Universal Suffrage, the World Wars, and the royal case the "golden sixties" or the recent State reforms.
In the meantime of this exhibition, a continual trail will show the reign of each of Belgium's Kings, through different Royal family's artistic opera.
The Bellevue Museum is managed by the "Fonds BELvue", created by the King Baudouin Foundation.
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#26 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Mannekin Pis
Brussels
~1.64 miles from Brussels city center
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Manneken Pis (Dutch for little man urinating), also known in French as the petit Julien, is a famous Brussels landmark. It is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. It was designed by Jerome Duquesnoy and put in place in 1618 or 1619.
The famous statue is located at the junction of Rue de l'Étuve/Stoofstraat and Rue du Chêne/Eikstraat. To find it, one takes the left lane next to the Brussels Town Hall from the famous Grand Place and walks a few hundred meters to arrive at the spot. The statue will be on the left corner.
Manneken Pis dressed like an Organ Builder (21/06/2009)
There are several legends behind this statue, but the most famous is the one about Duke Godfrey III of Leuven. In 1142, the troops of this two-year-old lord were battling against the troops of the Berthouts, the lords of Grimbergen, in Ransbeke (now Neder-over-Heembeek). The troops put the infant lord in a basket and hung the basket in a tree to encourage them. From there, the boy urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle.
Another legend states that in the 14th century, Brussels was under siege by a foreign power. The city had held its ground for some time, so the attackers conceived of a plan to place explosive charges at the city walls. A little boy named Juliaanske happened to be spying on them as they were preparing. He urinated on the burning fuse and thus saved the city. There was at the time (middle of the 15th century, perhaps as early as 1388) a similar statue made of stone. The statue was stolen several times. In 1619 it was replaced by the current bronze statue, created by Franco-Flemish Baroque sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy, father of the more famous François.
Another story (told often to tourists) tells of a wealthy merchant who, during a visit to the city with his family, had his beloved young son go missing. The merchant hastily formed a search party that scoured all corners of the city until the boy was found happily urinating in a small garden. The merchant, as a gift of gratitude to the locals who helped out during the search, had the fountain built.
Another legend was that a small boy went missing from his mother when shopping in the center of the city. The woman, panic-stricken by the loss of her child, called upon everyone she came across, including the mayor of the city. A city-wide search began and when at last the child was found, he was peeing on the corner of a small street. The story was passed down over time and the statue erected as tribute to the well known fable.
Another legend tells of the young boy who was awoken by a fire and was able to put out the fire with his urine, in the end this helped stop the king's castle from burning down.
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#27 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Metro Station
Brussels
~1.66 miles from Brussels city center
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Brussels Metro (French: Métro de Bruxelles, Dutch: Brusselse metro) is a metro system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of a network with four metro lines services with some shared sections and two light rail lines or "premetro" (underground sections used by otherwise open-air tramway lines and designed so as to be convertible to conventional metro lines.). Additionally, it includes a few short underground tramway sections, which makes more than 50 km of underground network and 68 underground stations.
Most of the common section of the first two lines (between De Brouckère and Schuman) was inaugurated on December 17, 1969 as "premetro" (thus with tramways), and was converted in 1976 to the first two lines of the actual metro (which was then considered as one line with two branches).
The Brussels metro is administered by STIB/MIVB, the Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles (in French) or the Maatschappij voor het Intercommunaal Vervoer te Brussel (in Dutch).
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#28 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Tenbosch
Ukkel
~1.67 miles from Brussels city center
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Tenbosch (or Tenbos, meaning in the bush) is a public park in Ixelles ~ Elsene, Brussels. Formerly a privately-owned dendrological garden called Semet after its owner, Tenbosch is now a property of the Brussels-Capital Region.
Although relatively small (2 hectares, or about 2.5 acres), it is an exquisitely landscaped park popular among local residents. It is surrounded by a wall and offers an unexpected oasis of calm in a busy district.
A monument commemorating the Armenian genocide stands at the entrance to the park. Tenbosch is within a short walking distance of Avenue Louise / Louizalaan, the Ixelles Ponds, the Abbey of La Cambre / Ter Kameren, and the Bois de la Cambre / Ter Kamerenbos.
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#29 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Royal Palace of Brussels
Brussels
~1.70 miles from Brussels city center
Hotels Close to Royal Palace of Brussels
The Royal Palace of Brussels (Dutch: Koninklijk Paleis van Brussel, French: Palais Royal de Bruxelles) is the official palace of the King of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capital Brussels. However it is not used as a royal residence, as the king and his family live in the Royal Castle of Laeken on the outskirts of Brussels. The website of the Belgian Monarchy describes the function of the palace as follows: "The Palace is where His Majesty the King exercises his prerogatives as Head of State, grants audiences and deals with affairs of state. Apart from the offices of the King and the Queen, the Royal Palace houses the services of the Grand Marshal of the Court, the King's Head of Cabinet, the Head of the King's Military Household and the Intendant of the King's Civil List. The Palace also includes the State Rooms where large receptions are held, as well as the apartments provided for foreign Heads of State during official visits."
The palace is situated in front of Brussels Park. A long square called the Paleizenplein/Place des Palais separates the palace from the park. The middle axis of the park marks both the middle peristyle of the palace and the middle of the facing building on the other side of the park, which is the Palace of the Nation (the Belgian Federal Parliament building). The two facing buildings are said to symbolize Belgium's system of government: a constitutional monarchy.
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#30 of 30 Things To Do in Brussels
Cathedrale St. Michel
Sainte-Catherine
~1.77 miles from Brussels city center
Hotels Close to Cathedrale St. Michel
The St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Michel or Sint-Michiels Kathedraal) in Brussels is named for the patron saints of Belgium and is the primary church of the country.
History
After the Cathedral of St. Michael was completed circa 1047, the Duke of Brabant transferred the relics of Saint Gudula here. Very little is known about this daughter of a 7th-century Carolingian nobleman, but her relics are still sheltered in the cathedral.
In the 13th century, the cathedral was renovated in the Gothic style. The choir was constructed between 1226 and 1276. The facade was completed in the mid 15th century.
Today, the Cathedral of St. Michael and Gudula is the episcopal see of the Archbishop of Mechlin-Brussels and therefore the leading Catholic church in Belgium. All royal weddings and christenings take place here.
What to See
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the interior are the stained glass windows, designed by various artists. Those by Bernard van Orley, a 16th-century court painter, are the most spectacular.
The window of The Last Judgment, at the bottom of the nave, is illuminated from within in the evening.
The remains of an earlier, 11th-century Romanesque church that was on the site can be glimpsed through glass apertures set into the floor.
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