The history of Brussels

About this tour

Diving into the past: what is left of the old city? And certainly, looking at the evolution: how did a village in a swamp (the etymology of BroekZele – Bruksele – Brussels) become the capital of Europe? The physical evidence lies underneath the cobblestones and is still visible underneath the old stock market (La Bourse) and on the island in the river Zenne (today a trendy neighbourhood, the river now flows underneath the city).

The city prospered in the 16th century when the canal reached its very heart of it, the traces are hard to miss. The beautiful “Beguinage”-church, in the 13th century the center of an area inhabited by more than 1200 women and the “Munt”, nowadays a renowned opera house, the Galleries Royales Saint Hubert, at the time of the construction in 1847 the biggest shopping arcade in the world: several stops on our way to the iconic Grand Place – the most beautiful square in the world. We can stop on top of the Coudenberg (the Cold Mountain), which in the 16th century was somewhat the political capital of the empire of Charles V. Do not be afraid, it is only 5 minutes away. If you have some energy left, we can move on to the actual headquarters of Europe!

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itinerary

Start at the Brussels Stock Exchange
Saint Goriks
the quays
The beguinage
The Mint Theatre
The St. Hubertus Galleries
The big market
The Cheese Market
The Lebeaustraat
Straw Street
Ruisbroekstraat
Carmelite Streets
Naamsestraat
The Place Royale
Optional: Place des Palais, through the gardens of the Academy Palace to the European Parliament and Schuman Square with the European Commission‍