The Brussels-Capital Region
What is commonly known as Brussels is actually the Brussels-Capital Region, which is the smallest of Belgium's three federated regions. The other two are Wallonia and the Flemish Region. It was created in 1989.
The Brussels-Capital Region (1,200,000 inhabitants) is made up of 19 municipalities, each headed by a mayor and a college of aldermen. Some of the powers fall to the Region, others to the municipalities. This is quite complicated for the management of decisions, but it still feeds a large number of civil servants. In good times, this is of little importance, but in times of crisis management, the model quickly shows its limits.
The historic centre (Pentagon)
It's by far the most visited district in Belgium, for the architectural beauty of its pedestrian streets and the density of its stores and museums. This guide breaks it down into several districts: Grand-Place, Monnaie, De Brouckere, les Marolles, Sablon, Mont des Arts, Dansaert, Saint-Géry and Sainte-Catherine.
The Grand-Place. This is both the jewel and the heart of the Belgian capital. Pedestrianized, it is lined with traditional guild houses, whose 18th-century facades rival each other in beauty. To the north of the Grand-Place, the Îlot Sacré is a network of streets and alleys listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The commercial tradition of this district is particularly evident in the street names: rue au Beurre, rue des Harengs, rue des Bouchers, rue du Marché-aux-Fromages, rue du Poivre... In the area around the Grand-Place, you'll find numerous cafés and restaurants, as well as the famous Manneken-Pis.
La Monnaie. From the Place de la Monnaie runs the Rue Neuve, where the city's most expensive commercial rents are concentrated. This is where you'll find all the big international names, and crowds of people lining the streets. To the right of Rue Neuve, via Rue Saint-Michel, is Place des Martyrs. Contemporary with the Place Royale (1775), it has a more intimate character. It was abandoned for twenty years, due to lack of funds and uncertainty about its future, before being restored. Drive on and you'll see, on your left, the small church of Notre-Dame du Finistère (early 18th century), whose interior is well worth a visit. Note the superb facade of the presbytery, in the opulent style of the period.
De Brouckère. The recently restored Passage du Nord (1882) links Rue Neuve and Place De Brouckère. Adorned with caryatids under the high glass roof, it is in keeping with the tradition of shopping passages typical of Brussels. Place De Brouckère, recognizable by its now extinct Times Square-style sign for a famous soda brand, is one of the largest pedestrian spaces in the city center. The largest in Europe, it is said...
Les Marolles. This working-class district lies at the foot of the Palais de Justice, between the Chapelle church to the north and the Porte de Hal to the south. The Rue Haute, which follows the route of an ancient Roman road, was the main artery, leading from the Steenpoort, gateway to the first wall, to the Porte de Hal, gateway to the second wall. The district is famous for its flea market, which is particularly lively on Sunday mornings. The great painter Peter Bruegel the Elder lived in the district in the 16th century. In the 17th century, in response to growing poverty, many religious congregations moved into the area. Among them were the Apostolic Sisters, nicknamed the "Maricolles Sisters", which gave rise to the name "Marolles". In the 19th century, during the revolution of 1830, many Marollians took to the barricades and fought for independence. The construction of the courthouse led to expropriations in the district, while work on the vaulting of the Senne River drove the traditional flea market, the Vieux Marché, out of the city center. The flea market and the wretched people who made a living from it moved to the Marolles, as craftsmen moved to the inner suburbs. Les Marolles was also a stronghold for many immigrants who came to the capital in search of a better life: Spaniards, Poles, Italians and many others, right up to today's Africans. After the First and Second World Wars, the neighborhood resumed its traditional life, its main economic activity being the recovery of old metals and rags. In response to insalubrity and poverty, social housing was built. Today, the Marolles district is still a popular place. It is, however, influenced by the nearby Sablon and has developed an alternative, even trendy, side. Between the flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle, the brocantes and the artists, the transformation of Les Marolles is clearly visible.
Le Sablon. The Grand-Sablon is located below the church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, now known as Notre Dame du Sablon. Place du Grand-Sablon is a fine architectural ensemble, with houses dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries. On weekends, the square bustles with activity thanks to its famous antique market, which attracts crowds of curious onlookers. Inaugurated in 1890, the Square du Petit-Sablon is the work of architect Henri Beyaert and one of the architectural gems of central Brussels. A neo-Renaissance garden, it is surrounded by a wrought-iron balustrade with a variety of motifs: the railings include forty-eight columns bearing statues representing the guilds of medieval society. At the far end of the garden, behind the pond, other statues celebrate the great men of 16th-century Belgium. By day, the restful atmosphere of the Petit-Sablon, or by night, the Grand-Sablon illuminated by the stained-glass windows of Notre-Dame, attracts the inhabitants of Brussels. On the commercial side, chocolate shops rival art galleries and antique dealers.
Dansaert. Between authenticity and creativity, Dansaert is at the heart of Brussels' hustle and bustle. A colorful neighborhood where avant-garde designers and hard-core Bruxellois rub shoulders, it was long forgotten before being reawakened by young Flemish artists in the 1990s. Thanks to its world-renowned art schools, Brussels has been able to offer its exuberant, innovative and enterprising creators a framework and environment conducive to their blossoming. And they've paid it back in spades. Since then, rue Dansaert has become the nerve center of Brussels' creative scene; THE district dedicated to fashion, design and contemporary creation, with its cafés, cosmopolitan restaurants and art galleries.
Sainte-Catherine. Another lively district, Sainte-Catherine, is home to Brussels' former inland port, and its streets still bear witness to its past: Quai aux Briques, Quai au Bois-de-Construction, Quai au Commerce and more. In the 16th century, the inhabitants of Brussels dug the Willebroek canal, the oldest in Belgium, and transformed this north-western district of the Pentagon into a dynamic area where merchants came to unload their goods. Secondary canals provided access to the various basins, including that of Sainte-Catherine. The canals were named after the businesses they served (quai aux Pierres-de-Taille, quai au Foin, etc.). In the late 19th and early 20thcenturies , modernization of the Willebroek canal rendered the basins and their various canals useless, and they were filled in one after the other. The area was gradually abandoned by the people of Brussels, until about fifteen years ago. From the days of the port, when fish had to be sold as soon as it was unloaded, the district has preserved a few fish and seafood restaurants, more bourgeois than troquet. Rue de Flandre, Rue du Vieux-Marché-aux-Grains, Rue Sainte-Catherine and their neighbors are a good example of this mix of innovation and picturesqueness. A charming place to stroll, dine or just hang out.
Saint-Géry. This square was once the historic heart of the town. It was here, in the middle of the marshes of the Senne valley, that the first fortified castrum was built in the5th century, creating the core of the town, around which the first wooden houses sprang up. All that remains of this period is a false Senne decoration, walled in below a staircase in a courtyard. A nod to the river that made Brussels prosper. Today, the Place Saint-Géry is the scene of daytime and nighttime hustle and bustle, with young people coming to relax or indulge in one of the many bars and terraces where it's a pleasure to linger in summer until the early hours.
Industrial district and canal
The old industrial districts are close to the Charleroi-Brussels canal:
Anderlecht. One of the 19 communes of the Brussels-Capital Region, with a population of 120,000. Industrialization along the canal attracted a rather poor population that surged in the 19th century. It boasts interesting period architecture and is home to the famous Royal Sporting Club d'Anderlecht. In addition to the Musée de la Gueuze, housed in the Cantillon brewery founded in 1900, the Maison d'Erasme is a must-see. It houses a collection of old paintings, a library with thousands of old editions and a Philosophical Garden.
Molenbeek. This municipality has a population of around 100,000. Since the attacks in France and Belgium in 2015 and 2016, it has become world-famous for harboring radicalized fundamentalists. But Molenbeek, like northeast Paris, is first and foremost a cosmopolitan neighborhood, originally home to workers from the surrounding factories. In the 19th century, it was nicknamed "Little Manchester". Italian, Spanish and Portuguese immigrants were joined by Armenians, Turks and above all Moroccans, who today make up half the population. Molenbeek boasts interesting alternative cultural venues such as MIMA and the Fonderie.
Forest. A tiny municipality, but steeply sloping, as it runs alongside the canal and also claims to be the highest point in the Brussels Region, with its place de l'Altitude 100 (as in one hundred meters!). As its name suggests, it is located on the former Abbey wood, where vines once grew. At the end of the 19thcentury , the former abbey grounds were converted into a park to provide leisure and recreation areas for the local working-class population. The industrial era saw the construction of the huge Audi/Volkswagen factory, which still produces the electric Audi Q8. The former Wielemans Ceupens brewery has been transformed into the Wiels center for contemporary art.
North of the Canal
North of the Willebroek Canal" stretches Laeken, with its many sights and monuments, as well as Koekelberg, a city built in the Middle Ages. Jette is very green and well worth a quiet stop. These neighborhoods also boast good Belgian restaurants, with relatively few tourists, apart from those who visit the Atomium.
Laeken. This is a former commune that became part of the city of Brussels in 1921, because it is home to the royal castle, the residence of our sovereigns, and because the royal family could only live in the capital. In early spring, don't miss a visit to the castle's magnificent greenhouses, open to the public only at this time of year. As for the Atomium, it remains the country's most visited monument. At its foot, the interesting mini-Europe, the Parc des Expositions and Adam, Brussels' design museum, also attract visitors.
Koekelberg, Ganshoren, Berchem Sainte-Agathe and Jette. The Koekelberg basilica is the5th largest in the world. But certainly not the most elegant. The main green space is the magnificent Baudouin Park in Jette, which extends into the Jette-Ganshoren marshes. For the rest, these communes have retained a village soul that is quite pleasant in certain respects.
The European Quarter
We define it here as the entire area to the east of the historic center. From Evere to Saint-Gilles. It is rich in restaurants and hotels, and well served by public transport (with the exception of Evere).
Evere is very residential and home to NATO HQ.
Schaerbeek. City within a city, with 130,000 inhabitants. One part is more bourgeois, with beautiful mansions, and the other is more popular and cosmopolitan. The town hall is remarkable, as are the Art Nouveau houses such as the Maison Autrique. Jacques Brel was born here. The railway station has been transformed into the original Train World museum. Schaerbeek and its Gare du Nord station are also one of the best-known prostitution districts in the city. On the park side, there's no denying the vast Josaphat Park.
Saint Josse. This very popular and cosmopolitan commune is famous for being the smallest and poorest in Belgium... Nearly three quarters of the population are of Moroccan or Turkish origin, which is particularly noticeable on election nights or soccer match nights including these countries. This neighborhood is home to the Botanique cultural center, which hosts many concerts, and its beautiful garden.
Etterbeek. A popular commune for EU expats, located south of the Parc du Cinquantenaire. Home to the Autoworld automobile museum, the Art Nouveau Cauchie house and, above all, the Natural Science Museum, one of the world's largest.
Ixelles. This commune of 90,000 inhabitants is the true heart of Europe, where you can visit the famous Parlamentarium. Gentrification of a number of lively corners, where all languages are spoken, but very often French. In the trendy Châtelain and Louise districts, as well as in the African district of Matonge (named after a neighborhood in Kinshasa). Between 2019 and 2022, Ixelles became the most expensive commune in Brussels, before being dethroned by Woluwé-Saint-Pierre.
Saint-Gilles. Just south of the historic center, this is the friendly commune of artists and hipsters. It boasts an impressive town hall and several cultural centers. Not to be missed is the magnificent Maison Horta, where the Master of Art Nouveau lived for some twenty years.
Uptown and green spaces
The "green lung" of Brussels is equivalent to the Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes in Paris, large parks where you can relax and get some fresh air for a day.
Uccle. On the southern outskirts of the city, Uccle has 85,000 inhabitants and is known for its bourgeois and green neighborhoods, near the Forêt de Soignes.
Auderghem. Also on the edge of the Forêt de Soignes, it is home to the magnificent Saint-Anne castle and the Val Duchesse priory, better known for the political deliberations held there than for the history of the place.
Woluwé-Saint-Lambert and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Watermael-Boitsfort. Old villages in the greenery integrated in the city, where it is good to stroll during the weekend, many Art Nouveau and Art Deco houses. A nice quality of life for the inhabitants of Brussels who prefer calm and space.
