Tourist Attractions & Monuments Bruxelles - Brussel

The eastern side of the square has seven houses that join together behind their pilasters to form a gilded palace facade. The ensemble is also called "the Dukes of Brabant", whose effigies are sculpted on the façade. Each house is named: on the left, the Renommée, whose door is surmounted by a statue of this allegorical Greek divinity blowing its horn. To the right follow the Hermitage, Fortune, the Windmill, the Tin Pot, the Hill and the Stock Exchange. To the left of the Dukes of Brabant, already in the Rue de la Colline, stands the Balance.

This is undoubtedly the most unusual park in Brussels! Narrow and long, winding between residential areas and old factories, it follows the old course of the river Senne, which once passed through here. The park is criss-crossed by two streets, defining 3 zones: the two southernmost are more dedicated to relaxation, while the third features a playground. Nicknamed "Brussels' Highline" (for its similarity in design to the New York park), this park offers much-needed green space in a highly urbanized area.

When you stroll through the copses, meadows and ponds of this marshland, who'd believe you were still in the city? This protected area (Natura 2000 zone) is all that remains of the original biotope of the Molenbeek valley and is one of Brussels' hidden gems. The only sign of civilization is the sound of trains, as two railroad lines surround it. In fact, the marsh owes its salvation to these railway lines, which have made the land less desirable for construction.

After years of restoration, the Maison Hannon, a jewel of Art Nouveau, reopened its doors in 2023. Designed by Jules Brunfaut, this private mansion, commissioned by the architect's friends Édouard (a Solvay executive and photography enthusiast) and Marie Hannon, is his only work purely in this style. And it's a splendor. Particularly the winter garden, the smoking room and the graceful stained-glass clematis windows on the^1st floor. The stairwell steals the show with its twirling fresco, seeming to draw visitors upwards.