Grand Place Walking Tour (Self Guided), Brussels

The Grand Place ("Grand Square" in French), otherwise known as Grote Markt (Dutch for "Grand Market"), is the central square in Brussels – a top tourist destination and by far the most memorable landmark of the Belgian capital. Recognized as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, if not the whole world, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. Surrounded by opulent guildhalls with cafes, the Choco-Story chocolate museum, and dominated by two larger buildings: the Gothic-style City Hall, and the King's House or Breadhouse (French: Maison du Roi, Dutch: Broodhuis) accommodating the Brussels City Museum, the Grand Place never ceases to amaze.

Here, alongside 17th-century architectural jewels you will find many centuries-old bars hidden down alleys and serving authentic Belgian beer, restaurants offering steamed mussels along the narrow Rue des Bouchers, stores selling delicious chocolate, lace and souvenirs, and so much more.

Renowned all over the world for its decorative and aesthetic wealth, the Grand Place is also steeped in history and has witnessed, over the centuries, many historic events including the burning of Protestant martyrs by the Inquisition and the beheading of counts in the 16th century, as well as the bombardment of the City Hall by the French with flaming cannonballs in the 17th century, destroying much of the area. The houses surrounding the square were quickly reconstructed in stone by the various guilds; among them, the house of the Brewers guild now sheltering the Brewers Museum.

Nowadays, on a more peaceful note, the Grand Place regularly sees numerous festive and cultural events. Among them is the “Flower carpet” (77x24 m, 1800 sq meters) organized every two years in mid-August, featuring more than 500.000 colorful begonias set up in patterns. The first such flower carpet was “rolled out” in 1971 and has since become a tradition attracting thousands of tourists. Also popular is the Ommegang, a historical procession rooted in the medieval times, revived in 1930 to mark the centenary of Belgium as an independent state. Other major events include the annual Christmas tree, the procession of the Meyboom, musical concerts, and more.

Why You Should Visit:
Without a doubt, the heart of the city. Gorgeous and breathtaking, even in terrible weather.

Tip:
Go during the day to better appreciate the details on the facades and come back in the evening to see them lit.
If lucky, you might be able to catch a special sound & light show after dark (around 10:20 pm).

The King's House, also known as Maison du Roi, is designed in a Neo-Gothic style incorporating many decorative statues. In Dutch, it continues to be called the Broodhuis ("Bread Hall"), after the medieval bread-market whose place it took when the Duke of Brabant ordered its construction as a symbol of ducal power. Having suffered extensive damage from the bombardment of Brussels by French troops in 1695, the building underwent a series of reconstructions, with the newest masterpiece from the 1870s currently housing the Brussels City Museum.

The museum features pieces of Brussels' heritage including maps of the city from different years, glorious wall tapestries, earthenware, silverware, paintings (including works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens) and architectural relics that speak volumes about the Belgian capital's past. The top floor houses an entire exhibit dedicated to 'Manneken-Pis', which is unmissable, as it not only has the original statue on display but also the hundreds of varied – and often whimsical – costumes donated by overseas countries for the diminutive city mascot to be dressed in.

Why You Should Visit:
Good way to familiarise yourself with the history of the city while on the run.
While the building itself is a sight to behold, its balcony gives a great view of the plaza.

Tip:
Unless you speak French, consider purchasing the museum's audio tour.

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 10am–5pm; free admission on the first Sunday of each month

The guild-houses and private mansions running along the north side of Grand Place, just to the right of the King's House, are not quite as well-known as their neighbors, though the "Pigeon House", formerly owned by the painters' guild, is of interest as the place where French writer Victor Hugo spent some time during his exile imposed by the Coup d'Etat of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte in 1851. The house also bears four unusual "mascarons" (grotesque masks) in the manner of the green man of Romano-Celtic folklore.

The adjacent Chaloupe d'Or ("Golden Boat") is appealing, too; the old headquarters of the tailors' guild, it is capped by a statue of St. Homobonus of Cremona, their patron saint, and now home to one of the square's bars serving good waffles and fries, and an excellent variety of mussels.

On the eastern side of Grand Place, you will find the House of the Dukes of Brabant (La Maison des Ducs de Brabant) – a set of seven guild-houses grouped behind the same monumental facade and named after the nineteen busts of dukes of Brabant that grace the facade's pilasters, at ground level. Restored in the 1880s and 1980s, this building, more than any other on the square, has the flavor of the aristocracy – as distinct from the bourgeoisie – and, it goes without saying, was much admired by the city's Habsburg governors. It currently houses as a restaurant as well as the square's only hotel.

On the south side of Grand Place, beside the Town Hall, L'Arbre d'Or ("Golden Tree") is the only house still owned by a guild – the Brewers'. Look for the equestrian statue of 18th-century aristocrat, Charles of Lorraine on top, but also the gilded emblems of hops and wheat, and the tiny Belgian Brewers Museum (daily: 10am–5pm) on the ground floor.

The Cygne ("Swan") mansion next door takes its name from the swan on its facade and has originally housed the butchers' guild before becoming a tavern where political theorist Karl Marx and his collaborator Friedrich Engels regularly met during the former's exile in Belgium. Indeed, it was in Brussels, in February 1848, that the two penned "The Communist Manifesto", made up of theories and opinions about the ideal socialist world. Quite appropriately, the Belgian Workers' Party was founded here four decades later, though presently the building shelters one of the city's more exclusive restaurants.

Completing the vista is the Maison de l'Etoile ("The Star") – a 19th-century rebuilding of the city magistrate's medieval home. This house, the smallest on the square, and with the 2nd-narrowest facade, has an arcade gallery in which you'll find a statue of Everard t'Serclaes, depicted in the throes of death, after defending the city from powerful ducal enemies. Many tourists touch (or rather rub) the statue, particularly the arm, as legend has it that it will ensure one's return to Brussels.

Considered as one of the world's top architecture beauties to see, the dazzling Hotel de Ville is a perfect example of the so-called Brabantine Gothic (flamboyant yet with some restrained finishing) built over several decades in the 15th century. Many visitors do not immediately notice that its 96-meter (310-ft) tower – whose spire is topped by Archangel Michael, patron saint of Brussels, slaying a devil – is not symmetrically placed in the middle; urban legend has it that even the architect did not initially see this and leaped to his death from the same spire after discovering his error (this is not the case, as the asymmetry was likely an accepted consequence of the scattered construction history and space constraints).

After the bombardment of Brussels in 1695 by a French army, 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, in the classical Louis XIV style, transformed the L-shaped building into its present configuration: a quadrilateral with an inner courtyard. The statues you see now on the façade – which represent nobles, saints and allegorical figures from the city's past – are relatively modern, part of a 19th-century refurbishment that also included the interior's replenishment with tapestries, paintings, and sculptures, largely representing subjects of importance in local and regional history.

The regular 45-minute guided tours are confined to a string of lavish official rooms with many different decorative styles, the most dazzling of which is the 16th-century Council Chamber with a superb ceiling by Victor Janssens.

Why You Should Visit:
A most impressive building (particularly spectacular at night), acting as a beacon wherever you are in the heart of Brussels.

Tip:
Make sure to buy your guided tour tickets in the mornings to view the building from the inside – there are just a few tours each day and they do sell out. Tickets are on sale only the day of the guided tour, starting 9am, at the information desk.

Guided Tours (French/English/Dutch/Spanish):
Mon: 1pm (EN); 2pm (FR); 3pm (SP); 4pm (FR); 5pm (EN);
Wed: 1pm (FR); 2pm (EN); 3pm (NL); 4pm (FR); 5pm (EN);
Fri: 3pm (FR); 5pm (NL); 6pm (FR); 7pm (EN);
Sat: 3pm (FR); 4pm (EN); 5pm (NL); 6pm (FR); 7pm (EN);
Sun: 10am(EN); 11am (FR); 12pm/2pm (EN); 1pm (FR); 3pm (NE,SP); 4 pm (FR); 5pm (EN); 6pm (FR);
CLOSED: Jan 1, May 1, Nov 1, Nov 11, Dec 25

Le Renard, which translates to "The Fox", served as the guild house of haberdashers since the 15th century and was rebuilt in 1699. It contains animated bas-reliefs playing with haberdashery above the ground floor, while a slender fox squats above the door. A statue of Justice blindfolded proclaims the guild's honorable intentions and is flanked by allegorical sculptures of the four continents known at the time, suggesting the guild's designs on all markets across the world – an aim to which Saint Nicholas, patron saint of merchants, glistening above, unambiguously confers his blessings.

Le Cornet, next door, was the former boatmen's guild-house and features a fanciful Italianate-Flemish facade by Antoine Pastorana, who drew its gable in the shape of a ship stern in the 17th century (some say it looks like a war frigate). Air is blown on the vessel by means of a special horn, the "cornet", an action also symbolized by the four winds visible at the top of the ship's stern, along with representations of sailors and the head of Charles II of Spain in the medallion.

This ensemble of guild-houses on Grand Place is noteworthy for having partly resisted the French bombardment of 1695 when the rest of the square's edifices laid in ruins.

La Louve ("The She-Wolf"), originally home to the influential Oath of Archers, was built in 1690, though only 6 years later, its facade was rebuilt with a horizontal cornice, surmounted by a base where a statue was placed of a Phoenix rising from the ashes, symbol of the reconstruction of the city after the bombardment. The decorated pediment holds a relief of Apollo firing at a python, while below are four statues representing Truth, Falsehood, Peace and Discord. Finally, above the door, a charming bas-relief represents Romulus and Remus suckling the Roman she-wolf.

Le Sac ("The Bag"), was the house of carpenters and coopers whose tools decorate its facade since the 15th century. Built in stone in 1644 and partly spared by the bombardment, it was rebuilt in 1697 by carpenter Antoine Pastorana, who added the upper ornamentation resembling the flashy legs of Baroque furniture. Look out for the frieze above the door, which depicts a man taking something out of a bag ("sac").

La Brouette ("The Wheelbarrow"), was the house of tallow merchants but takes its name from the faint gold wheelbarrows etched into the cartouches above the door. Built in stone in 1644, rebuilt in 1697, and restored in 1912, when the figure of Saint Giles – the guild's patron saint – was placed on top. For now, the ground floor is occupied by a café.

After taking pictures of the magnificent Grand Place, stop by the famous Le Roy for a beer with a view. Despite having served as the original house of the bakers' guild, the building draws its name from the bust of Charles II which is incorporated into the 2nd-floor facade. As the ruler of the Spanish Empire, Charles II was the undisputed sovereign of Southern Netherlands, which included present-day Belgium when the building was completed.

Some of the notable features of the King include the statues on the roof and dome, while on the dome's very top is a gilded weathervane symbolizing Fame, which adds to the square's elegance. The six statues on the roof each represent one of the six items needed to make bread; from left to right, when facing the building, they are strength, wheat, wind, fire, water and foresight. Above the door is a gilded bronze bust of Saint Aubert, the patron saint of bakers.