Grand Place


The historical center of Brussels begins with the market square - Grand Place. It originated in the distant XII century on the site of a dried up swamp, like the whole old city. This area is considered one of the most beautiful. To find out why - read the article further.

What is interesting about the Grand Place in Brussels?

The Grand Place is not only a beautiful and majestic square, but also very cozy, and this despite its impressive size. It is closed from all sides: you can get here only through several narrow streets. In rainy, windy weather on the Grand Place is relatively quiet, and from the rain you can take refuge in one of the many cafes.

Most sightseeing tours around Brussels begin with the Grand Place. But the main feature of the square is its development, namely - the two most important historical buildings of Brussels, facing each other. This is an old town hall and the famous Bread House, also known as the King's House .

Other buildings of the square, during the war erased from the face of Brussels , were then rebuilt in the style of Louis XIV and Baroque. The initiators of this construction are rich guilds, in honor of which these houses are still called guild. This is the tailor's house, the house of the painter, the house of the boatman, etc. And on the square you can see the tavern "Golden Boat", the famous shelter of Victor Hugo, and the restaurant "House of the Swan", which was once visited by Marx and Engels.

The architectural ensemble of the Grand Place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In winter, the capital's square is adorned with a huge Christmas tree - the main one for Belgium and the whole of Europe, because Brussels in a certain sense is its capital. And in the summer time the Grand Place turns into a real floral paradise. It is decorated with a huge carpet of live multicolored begonias , each time creating a unique picture of a total area of ​​1800 square meters. m. This occurs every even year, beginning in 1986.

Every day there is a flower market on the square, and on Sundays an aviary opens.

How to get to the Grand Place?

From Brussels airport Zaventem there is a direct train to the Central railway station. From there, the Grand Place can be reached on foot within 5 minutes. You can also take a taxi from the airport. And one more way is to use public transport (bus number 12 or 21) and get to the historic part of the city, and from there get to the Grand Place by metro (2 stops). Go to the square you can by one of the small streets, with which it is surrounded: Rue du Midi, Rue Marche aux Herbes, Rue du Lombard.

By the way, if you want to get to the square during the holidays or mass festivities, keep in mind that this is not always achievable. Because of narrow passages, the entrance to the square is difficult, and you need to take positions in advance.