Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium
Historical Market Square with Town Hall, Guildhalls, and Museums
The gothic Hôtel de Ville de Bruxelles and Baroque guildhalls line the UNESCO-listed Grand Place (Grote Markt) market square in the historic old town center of Brussels.
The Grand-Place (Grote Markt in Dutch or Flemish) in Brussels is one of Europe’s grandest public squares. It is in the heart of the historical old town and on the must-see list (and the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list since 1998) of every visitor to the Belgium capital.
- The Grand-Place was originally a market square but only flowers are now sold here (in the mornings).
The guildhall buildings on the Grand-Place show a remarkable conformity in style. On August 13, 1695, the French army bombarded Brussels and destroyed most of the center. The shell of the town hall survived but most other buildings on the square was rebuilt from the foundations up and mostly in the then prevalent Baroque style.
Hôtel de Ville de Bruxelles
The largest building on the Grand-Place is the gothic Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall or Stadthuis in Dutch). Its oldest parts date from the 13th century but most of it was completed during the 15th century. The slightly off-center 96-m (315-ft) tower was designed by Van Ruysbroek and topped by a gilded statue of St. Michael. The interior can only be seen on a guided tour.
- The Tapis des Fleurs (flower carpet), when the center of the square is covered in flowers, is held only for three days every second August (even years). It is worth adjusting traveling schedules to see this display.
Maison du Roi (King’s House)
Across the square from the Hotel de Ville is the Maison du Roi (King’s House). It never belonged to a king or housed one and is probably named King’s House as the monarch’s instructions were usually read from here. In Dutch, the building is called Broodhuis (literally Bread House) as the bread market was originally located here. The building was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century to resemble its early-16th-century appearance.
The King’s House now houses the local history museum – Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles / Museum van de Stad Brussel. It has some fine art works from the 15th and 16th centuries but more famous is the room with uniforms donated from all over the world to cover up the boy-statue Mannekin Pis.
- The small Mannekin Pis statue is three blocks behind the Hôtel de Ville – follow Rue Charles Buls, which changes into Rue de l’Etuve to the crossing with Rue du Chêne.
Guildhalls on Brussels’s Grand-Place
Former guildhalls are the majority of the buildings lining the Grand-Place and can be recognized by the decorations of the façade that correspond with the occupations of the original occupants. Most of these guildhalls were constructed after the destruction in 1695 and are Baroque in style as prescribed back then by the city authorities.
The House of the Dukes of Brabant is the largest and is named after the statues of the dukes of Brabant that appears on the pilasters. Its huge façade covered seven buildings – at no 13 is a small chocolate museum.
Other interesting guildhalls include:
- Le Cygne (The Swan) – the home of the former Butchers’ Guild – was frequented by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
- Le Pigeon (The Pigeon) – the former Painters’ Guild – once housed Victor Hugo.
- Maison des Brasseurs (Brewers House) has a small Brewery Museum in the basement.
The guildhalls now mostly house restaurants, cafés, hotels, and shops. Worth noting are two famous chocolatiers: exquisite Godiva at Grand Place 22 and more reasonably priced Leonidas at Rue au Beurre 34, just off the square towards St Nicolas and the Bourse.
Transportation to Grand-Place, Brussels
Grand-Place is in the heart of historic Brussels a few blocks to the west of Gare Centrale (Central Station). Unfortunately, long-distance trains generally stop at Bruxelles-Midi (Brussels South) station requiring a transfer to frequent local trains.
- Tourist information is available from Brussels International.
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