Grand Place area. Grand Place in Brussels - the central square of the Belgian capital
To visit Brussels and not see the Grand Place (Market Square, or Grote Markt in Flemish) is to miss one of the most important places in the city. It is not for nothing that this square is included in the UNESCO World List as an object of world cultural and historical significance, and Victor Hugo expressed the opinion that this is one of the most beautiful places in Europe.
The most interesting buildings of the square are considered to be the town hall and the Royal, or Bread House. These are the oldest buildings that survived after the shelling of the square in August 1695 by the French troops.
A bit of history:
As early as the beginning of the 12th century, there were swamps in this place, which were then drained. Once there was an extended section of a shepherd's road along which livestock were driven. In subsequent years, the square was the site of jousting tournaments for the Burgundian nobility.
2.
Royal house on the Grand Place
In the 13th century, the building of the Bread House appeared, which served as a warehouse for products. In Dutch it is still called that, and in French it is the Royal House. At the end of the 19th century, the house was renovated in the spirit of the luxurious baroque of the 16th century. Now the building is occupied by the City Museum. In one of its halls, 350 old costumes are collected, and 517 outfits for the “Manneken Pis” are stored here.
The town hall was erected during the heyday of the Gothic (91-meter tower 1402-1455, side parts until 1480). On the spire of the town hall tower there is a 5-meter weather vane made of copper, depicting how the Archangel Michael tramples on dark forces.
The statues on the facade were destroyed, and in the 20th century they were restored according to the surviving images. The interior decoration of the town hall is interesting with paintings and wall carpets of local work. The inner courtyard is decorated with fountains depicting the Meuse and the Scheldt - the most important rivers.
After the Belgian-French War of the late 17th century, merchants from wealthy guilds quickly rebuilt houses around the square.
33 new buildings in the then fashionable pseudo-Gothic and Baroque style, in combination with the Gothic style of the town hall, largely shaped the modern look of the square.
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View of the square
In even years, starting from 1986, on August 15-18, a flower carpet of begonias of different varieties is created on the Market Square. It turns out a drawing measuring 24m X 77m, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich is about 1.8 thousand square meters. Crowds of beauty lovers tend these days to Brussels.
Every morning there is a flower market on the Grand Place, and on Sundays there is also a bird market.
In an alley next to the square, behind a secure fence, there is a small figurine of "Manneken Pis", the unofficial symbol of Brussels and the most famous Belgian monument. The first version of the statue appeared in the 14th century, but, unfortunately, it has not been preserved.
Drawings on the pavement after the terrorist attack in March 2016:
On March 22, a series of terrorist attacks took place in the metro and the airport in Brussels with human casualties. After the attacks, the inhabitants of the city left many drawings in the vicinity of the Grand Place in memory of this event with messages of peace, love and solidarity:
I continue my story about our trip to Belgium. Today I have a short note about one of the most beautiful central squares in Europe - the Grand Place. The market square of Brussels was one of the few that was built in the same style, and what is most surprising, it has retained its original beauty to this day!
In Brussels, we were not very lucky with the weather. It was rather cloudy, and the air temperature varied from +18 to +20 degrees, which is quite cool for June. In one of my previous posts, I already wrote about, which was quite well located. So, let's start our walk around the city from the most beautiful square in Europe - Grand Place, which is located in the heart of Brussels.
Grand Place in Brussels
The main attraction of Brussels is the Grand Place. In various unofficial rankings of the most beautiful squares, the Brussels market square occupies the highest places. What can I say, she is really beautiful.
The cascade of houses on the Grand Place is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The construction of the square began at the beginning of the 12th century. Two sights clearly stand out on the Grand Place - the town hall and the bread house. If by the appearance of the town hall, you can still understand that this is the building of the local parliament, then the bread house, in my understanding, is a completely different building.
Bread House or King's House
In fact, another name for this structure is the king's house. The first mention of the bread house dates back to the 13th century. In fact, at the beginning, stocks of bread were actually stored in it. Later, the building was used as a court and prison. The building now houses the Communal Museum of Brussels. Here is such a Gothic prison, however!
Brussels City Hall looks even more majestic. In its beauty, only the building of the same name in Vienna can compete with it.
The building is also made in the Gothic style. The texture and structure of the façade have been perfectly preserved. To be honest, this building alone can be viewed from different angles for a very long time.
Stunned how everything is preserved, figurines of people, some mythical creatures protruding from the walls. Of course, the Grand Place is the hallmark of the city!
Also on the square are various merchant houses. In total, there are more than 40 houses on the square, built in the Gothic style of the XIV-XVII centuries! One of the most beautiful buildings on the Grand Place, in my opinion, is the home of the Belgian brewers.
Built at the end of the 17th century, the building now serves as a museum of brewing. By the way, in my opinion, Belgian beer is one of the most delicious in the world. Only Czech can compete with it, and then in the segment of light beer. I don’t know how interesting it is to visit this museum, but Belgian beer is definitely worth a try. It is better, of course, to sit down somewhere in the lanes, in one of the many pubs in Brussels. At the Grand Place, prices in restaurants will be much higher.
just the facade of the building on the Grand Place
There are always a lot of people on the square, but it is large enough, so that there is a place for everyone, both a tourist and a seller of paintings, and someone who is great can park his own!
Also on the square there are various small shops with desserts. I already said something when I was talking about ours, that in Belgium, in addition to the cult of beer, there is also very tasty chocolate. So, you can also buy it at the Grand Place.
Shop windows look very appetizing. It is simply impossible to resist not to go to one of these establishments!
Here you have fresh strawberries and various chocolate desserts.
What only the Belgians do not come up with, well, for example, strawberry skewers with dark chocolate!
We were tempted by such a horn! The price is certainly rather big, but we are on vacation. You can’t constantly save money in life, otherwise there will be nothing to remember in old age!
Eh .. what could be better than eating strawberries in one of the most beautiful squares in Europe! Again, don't waste your money. You will not get poorer, but you will get positive for the whole day!
Grand Place is one of those places where you want to return again and again. For 1.5 days we were more than 3 times on this square, and all the time we hung out here for at least 30-40 minutes.
Photo Grand Place at night
We had one of these visits late in the evening. Let's see how the area looks at night.
I have repeatedly said that evening photo walks are best taken at dusk, when the sky is still dark blue, and not pure black at nightfall. In my photo, it’s almost night already, although there is still a slight shade of blue in the sky.
In the evening, Grand Place becomes the main place for hangouts of young people. At this time, it is especially crowded and noisy. However, this does not spoil the overall picture. The building lighting looks amazing.
The Grand Place never sleeps. To be honest, I don’t know what laws the Belgians have about drinking alcohol on the street, but no one really took a steam bath in the central market square of Brussels!
Local youth sing songs right on the square. Everything is very peaceful. I repeat, there was no discomfort on the square.
As well as during the day, the building of the local town hall stands out, which, by the way, is even more difficult to photograph at night than during the day. By the way, about the photo. If you want to photograph the Grand Place at night, be sure to take a tripod with you. There are no parapets on the square and you won’t be able to put your camera motionless somewhere.
Here it is, the most beautiful square in Europe. I will say my opinion that if she were not in Brussels, most likely we would simply skip this city and immediately go to Paris. But I am glad that we stopped for one day in the Belgian capital and had a great time! What I wish you too!
- Address: 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Telephone: +32 2 279 22 11
- Base: 12th century
- Attractions: town hall, King's House
The other buildings of the square, razed to the ground during the war, were then rebuilt in the style of Louis XIV and Baroque. The initiators of such construction were rich guilds, after which these houses are still called guild houses. These are the Tailor's House, the Painter's House, the Boatman's House, etc. And on the square you can also see the Golden Barkas tavern, the famous refuge of Victor Hugo, and the Swan House restaurant, which was once visited by Marx and Engels.
The Grand Place architectural ensemble is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In winter, the capital's square is decorated with a huge Christmas tree - the main one both for and for the whole of Europe, because Brussels is in a certain sense its capital. And in the summer, the Grand Place turns into a real flower paradise. It is decorated with a huge one, each time creating a unique pattern with a total area of 1800 square meters. m. This has been happening every even year since 1986.
A flower market operates on the square every day, and a bird market opens on Sundays.
How to get to the Grand Place?
From there is a direct train to the Central railway station. From there, the Grand Place can be reached on foot in 5 minutes. You can also take a taxi from the airport. And another way is to use (bus number 12 or 21) and get to the historical part of the city, and from there get to the Grand Place by metro (2 stops). You can go to the square along one of the small streets with which it is surrounded: Rue du Midi, Rue Marche aux Herbes, Rue du Lombard.
By the way, if you want to get to the square during or mass celebrations, keep in mind that this is not always achievable. Due to the narrow passages, the entrance to the square can be difficult, and it is necessary to take up positions in advance.
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Something about writing my trip report hit a dead end. I would like to write about Brussels in more detail, but somehow all the sights are not grouped, and the story about them does not line up in a logical sequence ...
I came to the conclusion: those sights about which I found a lot of information, I will put them in separate posts, and I will write about the rest in the final part of Brussels.
So, today the most beautiful square in the world, according to Victor Hugo, and not only him, is Grand Place (Grand Place - French or Grote Markt - Dutch "big market"):
Grand Place - the central square of Brussels, about 110 m long and 68 m wide. The market square arose in the 11th century on the site of dried marshes. In the early Middle Ages, small wooden houses were scattered throughout the area, but starting from the 14th century, they were replaced by stone buildings. Gradually, the market turns into the main commercial and administrative center of the city.
Due to the growing importance of the city, the city's city authorities decide to demolish some of the wooden houses and build a new town hall in their place, which would meet the city's need for a large administrative center. Thus, in 1402, the construction of the town hall building began, which to this day is the dominant feature of the square. The left longer wing of the building was built in 1402-1422 by the architect Jacob Van Tienen to expand the existing tower. Later, a decision was made on a new expansion of the town hall. So in 1444-1448, an unknown architect completed the right wing, shorter than the first. This was due to the fact that the surroundings of the square had formed by that time and neighboring buildings did not allow to make the right side symmetrical to the left. In 1449-1455, a new 96-meter tower was erected on the site of the old tower, designed by the architect Jan van Ruysbroek. The tower is crowned with a gilded statue of Archangel Michael killing the devil, the patron saint of Brussels.
Looking at the town hall, one cannot help but notice the asymmetry, which I have already written about above. Therefore, there was even a legend in Brussels that the architect committed suicide by throwing himself from the tower when he noticed that the tower was not in the middle.
Opposite the tower stands the building of the Bread House (or the House of the King) in neo-Gothic style.
The presence of two such different names for one building was determined by history. In the 13th century, there was a wooden building on this site, which was used by bakers as a place to sell bread. Hence the Nideladian "Broodhuis" - a bread house. At the beginning of the 15th century, the building became less used by bakers, but more and more used for the administrative purposes of the Duke of Brabant, hence the French name "Maison Du Roi" - the king's house. During the reign of Emperor Charles V, a stone building in the Gothic style was built (1515-1536). In subsequent years, the building housed the royal court and even a prison. It was here that the Counts of Egmont and de Horne spent their last night before their execution at the Grand Place on June 5, 1568. After shelling in 1695 by the French army, the Bread House was partially destroyed. In 1868, by order of the mayor Jules Anspach, the city authorities bought this house, which by that time was in a deplorable state. The entire building was rebuilt from scratch in neo-Gothic style, designed by architect Viktor Yamar (1873). Bread House June 2, 1887 became a museum of the city of Brussels.
However, the glory and beauty of the Grand Place is created not only by the town hall and the King's House, but, and perhaps, above all, by the amazing beauty of the Guild House. And although all the houses located on the square are commonly called "guild houses", some of them never belonged to the guilds of artisans, but were privately owned.
In the Middle Ages and later in every city there were many guilds - associations of artisans. The wealthy and politically powerful guilds sought to show their importance in the decor of their homes, where they met regularly to discuss new rules and regulations for trading their wares. In Brussels, the guilds, of course, built their representative houses around the Grand Place. After the almost complete destruction in August 1695, the city authorities ordered the guilds to submit plans for the restoration of houses for final approval. Thus, the stylistic unity of the square was preserved.
In the Middle Ages, houses were not numbered, but had names. The names of the houses were indicated by some small statue or part of the decoration of the facade. Of course, after so many centuries, it is not always possible to find the detail that gave the house its name.
I tried to find out the names of all the houses and the names of the guilds to which they belonged. In general, this is not an easy task, but an interesting one ...
Houses to the left of the town hall (numbered from right to left)
No. 1 "King of Spain". The house belonged to the guild of bakers. Above the door is a bust of Saint Aubert, the patron saint of bakers, and even higher, a bust of Charles II, King of Spain.
No. 2-3 "Trolley". The house belonged to the guild of fat and oil producers, and later tallow candle merchants, and is decorated with a statue of Saint Gilles, patron of this guild.
No. 4 "Bag". The house belonged to the guild of coopers and cabinetmakers.
No. 5 "Wolf". The house belonged to the guild of archers. The façade is crowned with a figure of a phoenix reborn from ashes and flames, which has become a symbol of the city's rebuilding after being bombarded by French troops in 1695. The house is decorated with a relief depicting Romulus and Remus fed by a she-wolf, hence the name.
No. 6. "Cornet" (or "Horn"). The house belonged to the boatmen's guild, so the pediment of the house is made in the form of a ship's stern.
No. 7. "Fox". The house belonged to the haberdashers' guild. The reliefs above the second floor depict allegories of the four continents. Previously, the house was crowned with a statue of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of the guild.
Houses located to the right of the town hall (numbered from right to left)
No. 8 "Star". Amman house. In 1852, the house was demolished, and in 1897, on the initiative of Mayor Charles Bulls, it was restored, although the first floor was replaced by an arcade. Behind the arcade is a plaque paying tribute to Charles Buls for his services to the preservation of the historical appearance of the Grand Place, as well as to the architects of the Grand Place.
And this is a monument to the mayor of Brussels Charles Bulls, not far from the Grand Place
Next to the board is a monument to Everard "t Serclaes - the medieval hero of Brussels.
No. 9. "Swan". The house belonged to the guild of butchers. In the 19th century, this house was a cafe where Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels used to visit.
No. 10 "Golden Tree". The house belonged to the guild of brewers. The facade is completed by an equestrian statue of Charles of Lorraine.
No. 11 "Rose". A private house.
No. 12 "Mount Tabor". A private house.
House numbering from right to left
No. 12a "King of Bavaria" - a private house.
No. 13-18 "House of the Dukes of Brabant". In fact, behind one monumental facade designed by Guillaume de Bruyna, there are 6 separate houses. The facade is decorated with 19 busts of the Dukes of Brabant, who gave the house its name.
No. 13 "Glory". A private house.
No. 14 "Hermitage". The house belonged to the guild of tapestries and furniture upholsterers.
No. 15 "Luck". The home of the tanners' guild.
No. 16 "Windmill". House of the Millers' Guild.
No. 17 "Tin Pot". Home of the Guild of Carpenters and Carriage Makers.
No. 18 "Hill". House of the Guild of Sculptors and Stonemasons. Or otherwise, the “House of the Four Crowned Guilds”: sculptors, masons, roofers and stonemasons.
No. 19 "Purse". A private house.
To the right of the Khlebny Dom (numbered from right to left)
No. 20 "Deer". A private house.
No. 21-22 "Joseph and Anna". Two private houses united by a common facade.
No. 23 "Angel". A private house.
No. 24-25 "Golden boat". House of the guild of tailors. Above the entrance is a bust of St. Barbara.
No. 26-27 "Dove". House of the Guild of Artists. During his stay in Brussels, Victor Hugo lived in this house.
No. 28 "Rooms of Amman". A private house.
To the left of the Bread House (numbering from right to left)
No. 34 "Helmet". A private house.
No. 35 "Peacock". A private house.
No. 36 "Oak". A private house.
No. 37 "Fox". A private house.
No. 38 "Saint Barbara". A private house.
No. 39 "Donkey". A private house.
Still, it is interesting to study history by the names of houses, to find out which guilds existed in medieval Brussels ...
To be continued...
Brussels has many attractions to keep you and your family entertained while on holiday in this beautiful city. These attractions are best visited during the day, and exotic and trendy restaurants and bars are at your disposal in the evening. You can also use the Hop on Hop off sightseeing 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. Her name in French grand place and in Dutch Grote Markt. A small but graceful 15th-century town square has gone through the centuries to become a modern embodiment of the history of Brussels, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. All buildings on the square are of historical value, and the Hotel de Ville town hall is still open! The square is located in the heart of Brussels, close to Brussels Centrale train station.
Metro: Bourse/Beurs, Gare Centrale/Cenraal
Manneken Pis
Just a few short and narrow streets from the Grand Place is the famous statue of a pissing boy or "Mannekin Pis", as the locals call this work of art. Manneken Pis not only attracts thousands of curious tourists to Brussels every year: the people of Brussels themselves hold many festivities 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 events 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 the evening Brussels opens. The building still performs its main functions and serves as the seat of the Supreme Court of Belgium. 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, sights and landscapes of Europe. 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. The constant activity of the EU in the city has caused the growth European Quarter in the eastern part of the city, located between the metro stations Arts-Loi, Trone, Maalbeek and Schuman. In this rectangle, street after street 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 Grande Sablon
This wonderful architectural ensemble consists of buildings from the 16th-19th centuries. Today on Grand Sablon square located mainly elite antique shops, restaurants and chocolate shops. On the Grand Sablon you can have a nice dinner or just take a walk surrounded by an indescribable atmosphere of antiquity. Every weekend, the square enlivens with its red and green tents an antique market that attracts crowds of curious onlookers.
Address: Place du Grand Sablon
Metro: Louise/Louiza, Porte de Namur/Naamseport
50th Anniversary Park
Parc du Cinquantenaire or Jubelpark- not just a park, but a real national landmark. In translation, 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 right outside the inner ring, not far from the European Quarter. In the southeastern part of the park, behind the fountain that marks 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 is the Autoworld Automobile Museum, showing the evolution of the automobile from its very invention to the present day. In the right wing there are art and military museums. Visitors can climb for free to the top of the arch, which offers a good view of Brussels and the European Quarter.
The park hosts a wide variety of events: concerts, parties, festivals, aperitifs, film screenings. There is even a starting line for the Brussels Marathon.
You can get to the 50th Anniversary Park from the Merode metro, or in the opposite direction of the park from the Schuman metro.
Metro: Merode, Schuman