Grand Place in Brussels. Grand Place, Brussels (photo) - the most beautiful Grand Place in Europe, Belgium

Brussels has plenty of attractions to keep you and your family busy during your holiday in this beautiful city. These attractions are best visited during the day, while in the evening you can enjoy exotic and trendy restaurants and bars. You can also use excursion buses“Hop on Hop off”, which will conveniently deliver you to your destination and allow you to enjoy the sights of the city at any time within 24 hours from the moment of first use.

Grand Place

Grand Place - the central square of Brussels and the first thing tourists usually visit in the city. Its name is in French Grand place and in Dutch Grote markt. The small but graceful 15th-century town square has passed through the centuries to become a modern, listed embodiment of Brussels' history World Heritage UNESCO. All the buildings on the square have historical value, and the town hall of the Hotel de Ville is still open today! The square is located in the heart of Brussels, close to Brussels Centrale train station.
Metro: Bourse/Beurs, Gare Centrale/Cenraal

Pissing boy

Just a few short and narrow streets from the Grand Place is the famous Mannekin Pis statue what is this work of art called? local residents. The Manneken Pis not only attracts thousands of curious tourists to Brussels every year: the Brussels residents themselves hold many celebrations at this bronze fountain. At last count, this little boy has already acquired more than 700 costumes from many countries around the world for all the events held throughout the year.
Address: Intersection of Rue de l"Etuve/Stoofstraat and Rue du Chene/Eikstraat
Metro: Bourse/Beurs, Gare Centrale/Cenraal, Anneessens

Palace of Justice

Palace of Justice – majestic building, towering over the entire city, from the windows of which a stunning view of evening Brussels opens. The building still serves its main functions and serves as the seat of the Belgian High Court. The palace is crowned with a majestic gilded dome, and its facade overlooking the square is decorated with numerous columns.
Address: Poelaertplein 1
Metro: Louise/Louiza

Atomium

Mini Europe

Mini-Europe is theme park , where you can admire small copies of the most famous monuments, landmarks and landscapes of Europe. The Mini-Europe park is located in Brupark at the foot of the Atomium. Families with children can look forward to an unforgettable day at this beautiful and educational park. The miniatures presented here are 25 times smaller than the originals. Among the most famous exhibits, it is worth highlighting the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Mount Vesuvius and, of course, the Grand Place!
Address: Bruparck
Metro: Heysel/Heizel
Website: http://www.minieurope.eu

European Quarter

The European Union has firmly established itself in Brussels. Constant EU activity in the city has caused the growth European quarter in the eastern part of the city, located between the Arts-Loi, Trone, Maalbeek and Schuman metro stations. In this rectangle, street after street there are houses made of glass and concrete, in which various structures of the European Union and other countries work. international organizations, including NATO headquarters. Many countries have also opened their embassies here, taking advantage of the proximity of EU institutions.
Metro: Arts-Loi/Kunst-wet, Trone/Troon, Maalbeek, Schuman

Place Grand Sablon

This wonderful architectural ensemble consists of buildings from the 16th to 19th centuries. Today on Grand Sablon square There are mainly high-end antique shops, restaurants and chocolate shops. At Grand Sablon you can have a pleasant dinner or just take a walk surrounded by the indescribable atmosphere of antiquity. Every weekend, the square is enlivened by an antique market with its red and green awnings, attracting crowds of curious onlookers.
Address: Place du Grand Sablon
Metro: Louise/Louiza, Porte de Namur/Naamseport

Fiftieth Anniversary Park

Parc du Cinquantenaire or Jubelpark- not just a park, but a real national landmark. Translated, the name of the park means “fiftieth anniversary park.” The park was created under Leopold II in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Belgian independence.
The Fiftieth Anniversary Park is symbolically shaped like a pentagon, like the inner and outer ring of the city. The park is located just outside the inner ring, near the European Quarter. In the southeastern part of the park, behind the fountain marking the entrance to the park, there is a huge arch.
The two wings of the arch are the location of three museums. In the left wing there is the Autoworld car museum, demonstrating the evolution of the car from its very invention to the present day. The right wing houses the art and military museums. Visitors can climb for free to the top of the arch, which offers good views of Brussels and the European Quarter.
The park hosts many different events: concerts, parties, festivals, aperitifs, film screenings. This is even the starting line for the Brussels Marathon.
You can get to Centenary Park from the Merode metro station, or in the opposite direction of the park from the Schuman metro station.
Metro: Merode, Schuman

Grand Place is one of the main avenues of the Belgian capital, located in the heart of the metropolis and proud of its unique attractions. From this famous place It’s worth starting excursions around the city, because according to legend, it was this site that marked the beginning of the emergence and development. In addition, it is not only the active, but also the historical center of the capital.

Grand Place in Brussels: history of creation

The history of the famous ancient square began in the 12th century, when numerous swamps were dried up on its future territory. Over the next few centuries, the infrastructure of the structure was built:
— In the 13th century the famous Bread House appeared, or, as it is also called “The King’s House”
— In the 15th century, the left side of the Town Hall was built.
The end of the 17th century was disastrous for the Grand Place, since during the French attack the well-groomed modern site was left in complete ruins; only the Town Hall managed to survive in almost its original form, which lost only the sculptures on the facade and the monument to St. Michael at the top of the tower.
After the end of hostilities, the square was quickly reconstructed thanks to the participation of wealthy guilds. Most of the buildings were reminiscent of the style of Louis XIV, and were also carried out in architectural style baroque. The appearance of the square from those times has largely been preserved to this day.
In 1998, the architectural ensemble central square was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Modern Grand Place in Brussels is a unique architectural monument that is very popular among tourists and residents of the capital. It amazes with its unusual architecture, as well as the historical buildings located on its expanses, erected during the Middle Ages:
1) Brussels Town Hall is a beautiful metropolitan building, built in the 15th century and intended for the work of the city administration. Over time, the administration of the capital was moved to another building, but the mayor of the metropolis continues to work in the historical building. Despite the fact that the head of the city continues to sit in the town hall, you can appreciate the luxury of its interiors during group excursions, which take place over just a few hours, two days a week.
The interior decoration of the building is reminiscent of royal chambers, since expensive materials, gilded decorative elements, and luxurious tapestries were used in its modeling. No less surprising is the façade of the building, which has an asymmetrical shape and is decorated with numerous statues of rulers and sculptures of saints.

2) The Bread House (or the King’s House) is an ancient building, which, despite its second name, was not used for the work of monarchs for a single day. It is often called a record holder among buildings that have repeatedly changed their appearance and purpose. So, in the history of the building the following functions are known:
- in the 13th century the building was used as a warehouse for bakery products
- a few years later it was converted into a place for holding criminals
- then it was bought by the Duke of Brabant and played the role of his personal tax office, and then became the family estate of the ruler.
- after the conquest of Brussels by the French, the Duke's House began to be called the House of the People, which, due to the vesting of foreign governors with royal privileges, was renamed the House of the King.
Nowadays, the historical building houses the city museum, the exhibition of which consists of works by Belgian craftsmen who worked in various historical eras. Among the exhibits of the cultural institution you can find stunning tapestries, interesting paintings, and even modern reconstructions historical center cities.
In addition, on the Grand Place for about 30 years in a row, starting from August 15, for several days you can watch a parade of flowers that cover the avenue like a fluffy multi-colored carpet.

Grand Place: how to get there?

The Grand Place is located in the very center of the Belgian capital, so you can get to it by several means of transport:
— by trams
The main avenue of the city is reached by routes No. 3, 4, 31, 32, which stop at the Bourse stop.
- by buses going to the Parlement Bruxellois stop (No. 48 and 95)
Also not far from the Great Square is the De Brouckere metro station.

Grand Place (Grote Markt). Square in the center Brussels, a major tourist attraction, one of the most beautiful squares in the world. The square is 110 meters long and 68 meters wide. It is surrounded by houses built in the 17th century - Guild Houses. The entire market square ensemble was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. Square Grand Place was recognized as the most beautiful square in Europe in 2010. Moscow Red Square then took second place. Here are located City Hall building (Town Hall) And Bread House (King's House, Broodhuis, Maison du Roi). Every two years (in even years) the square is decorated with the famous Flower Carpet from live begonias, which attracts tourists from all over the world.

In the city center in general, and on the Grand Place in particular, the architecture is dominated by medieval houses in the Flemish style, in particular in the Flemish Baroque and Brabant Gothic styles. Architectural ensemble Brussels Grand Prix Plas took shape in the XVI - XVIII centuries. The market square itself (simply an open area for trade) arose at the end of the 11th century on the site of dried marshes, near the fortress on the Seine River, from which Brussels began. At first it was called Nedermerckt (lower market). At the beginning of the 13th century, it ceased to be just an open area - the first “pavilions” appeared, so to speak... Soon, as the city grew, it was surrounded by other buildings. It was built in the 13th century Bread House(used for storing bread), later the building became known as The King's House. The building was erected between 1402 and 1455 Town Halls, which is still preserved. However, many buildings around the square were destroyed at one time. On August 13, 1695, the shelling of Brussels by a seventy-thousand-strong French army began, which lasted for several days. As a result, the entire city center was destroyed. Only survived in the market square Town Hall and (partially) Bread House. After the end of the war, the square was rebuilt in four years by wealthy guilds (something like medieval trade unions). The Guild houses are built in the Baroque and Louis XIV styles. Their facades are decorated with carvings, garlands, figurines and columns. Each has its own name and once belonged to a specific guild. The narrow – three or four windows – facades of these buildings are easily recognizable today. For example, the Rozhok House belonged to a shipbuilding workshop and its façade in the upper part resembles the stern of a ship. A House "Swan" was the butchers' office and was accordingly decorated with a sculpture of a swan. In 1845, during the stay of Marx and Engels in Brussels, they often visited the cafe located in this house (this is house number 9), they presented their “Manifesto of the Communist Party” here to interested parties. Standing next door house "Star" famous for its high relief Everard Circles(No. 8). Another house, "She-Wolf", was occupied by the guild of archers, the house "Cart" was built in 1697 by the guild of oil and fat producers. There is also "Oak", "Little Fox", one of the houses was built by the brewers guild (No. 1) - and there now Beer Museum. In the 18th century, the revolutionary masses defaced the Grand Place, destroyed statues of noble people and even symbols of Christianity. The buildings were in terrible condition, the facades were mutilated, repainted and not restored. But the new mayor at the end of the 19th century brought order here - and the square shone in its former splendor. Until November 19, 1959, the area remained truly a market area - trade was going on here... And the famous Flower Carpet appeared here in 1971. This action turned out to be popular - and therefore, since 1986, every two years, on an ongoing basis, from August 15, a huge carpet of multi-colored begonias measuring 24 by 77 meters is created on the Grand Place for several days. with total area 1,800 sq.m. The event attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world. In other years they decorate with flowers Town Hall. Details of the promotions are on www.flowercarpet.be.

Decoration architectural complex the square can rightly be called a Gothic town hall (Hotel de Ville, XV century). Oddly enough, it remained the only ancient building that survived in this square, although in 1695 it was the main target of French artillerymen. The town hall is crowned by a 97 m high tower, built in the 15th century by the architect Jan van Ruysbroeck. In 1997, after restoration, the gilded figure of St. Michael, the patron saint of the city, was reinstalled on the tower. The building is asymmetrical: it was not possible to complete the construction of the western wing in accordance with the plan, since Karl the Bold forbade narrowing the passage along the neighboring street, so the wing is somewhat shorter than the eastern wing. The first floor is decorated with a portico with 17 arches. The high window openings of the upper floors are decorated with sculpture. In the Gothic meeting room (25 x 12 m, 16th century) the floor is oak with ebony inserts, and the ceiling and walls are decorated with gilded stucco and tapestries (1875-1881) . The town hall regularly hosts excursions €5 adults, €3 students. and pensions, children under 6 years old - free.

Since the city government was located on the Grand Place, all craft workshops and trade guilds built their representative offices on it - guild houses (Guildhalls). Each house had its own name and symbol, which have survived to this day. For example, Baker's House (Maison des Boulangers) decorated with six allegorical figures representing Strength, Bread, Wind, Fire, Water and Caution. House Wheelbarrow (La Brouette) At first it belonged to the workshop of tallow merchants, later to the workshop of tallow candle traders; in 1912, a statue of St. Egidia (Joseph van Hamme). House Bag (Le Sac) was the pride of coopers and cabinetmakers, and the Volchitsa house (La Louve), which belonged to the archers' guild, is decorated with a gilded phoenix - a symbol of the restoration of Grand-Place after the French bombardment. House Rozhok (Le Cornet) occupied by a shipwrights' shop; its architectural decoration resembles the stern of a ship. House of Foxes (Le Renard)- the headquarters of the haberdashery workshop, decorated with the figure of St. Nicholas. In ancient times, from the balcony of the Zvezda house (L'Etoile) The Brussels prosecutor monitored the execution of the sentences. This is where the national hero Everard Circles ended his life. (Everard"t Serclaes). This patriot, who prevented the Flemings from capturing Brussels in 1356, died in 1388, again defending hometown. A cenotaph was erected under the building's colonnade in memory of him. (memorial tombstone), which is popularly called the “Sleeping Knight”. There is a belief that great luck awaits those who touch the bronze hand of a knight. House Swan (Le Sygne) decorated with an image of a swan. Initially, the house was a butcher shop, then a restaurant was opened here, which Marx and Engels loved to go to. House Dove (Le Pigeon) belonged to the guild of city artists; in 1852, Victor Hugo, expelled from France, lodged there.

In 1695, after a 36-hour bombardment by French artillery, most of the guild houses were destroyed. They were restored at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1998, the Grand Place was included in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. cultural heritage. In August, for three days, a carpet of begonia flowers is laid out on the square. (110 by 68 m), and in winter the skating rink is filled.

Opposite the town hall was the King's House (Maison du Roi), which now houses the Brussels City Museum (Musee de la Ville de Bruxelles; tel. 02 279 43 50, Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun 10.00-17.00, Thu until 20.00, Mon closed. €4 adults, €3 pence, and students, children under 6 years - for free). Exhibits on three floors introduce the history of the city. On the ground floor there is a painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder “Wedding Procession” (Cortege de Noces, 1567). One of the halls on the third floor is dedicated to gifts to the symbol of Brussels - the Manneken Pis (Manneken-pis). More than eight hundred outfits are stored here - from national costumes, including Ukrainian Cossack, to costumes of Santa Claus and Elvis.

Next to the square is also the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate. (Musee du Cacao et du Chocolat), which presents the history of chocolate production, methods of preparing Belgian praline, a collection of labels from famous chocolate brands (Rue de la Tete d'Or, 9-11, m. Bourse, tel. 02 514 20 48 Tue-Sun 10.00-16.30, closed Mon.).

To visit Brussels and not see the Grand Place (Market Square, or Grote Markt in Flemish) is to miss one of the most important places in the city. It is not for nothing that this area is included in the UNESCO World List as an object of world cultural and historical significance, and Victor Hugo expressed the opinion that this is one of most beautiful places in Europe.

The most interesting buildings of the square are considered to be the town hall and the Royal, or Bread House. These are the oldest buildings that survived the shelling of the square in August 1695 by French troops.

A little history:

Back in the early 12th century, there were swamps in this place, which were then drained. There was once an extended section of a shepherd's road along which livestock was driven. In subsequent years, the square was the site of knightly tournaments for the Burgundian nobility.

2.
Royal House on the Grand Place

In the 13th century, the building of the Bread House appeared, which served as a warehouse for food. In Dutch it is still called that, and in French it is Royal House. At the end of the 19th century, the house was renovated in the spirit of the luxurious Baroque of the 16th century. The building is now occupied by the City Museum. In one of its halls, 350 ancient costumes are collected, and 517 outfits for the “pissing boy” are stored here.

The town hall was erected during the heyday of Gothic (91-meter tower 1402-1455, side parts until 1480). On the spire of the town hall tower there is a 5-meter weather vane made of copper, depicting how the Archangel Michael tramples on the dark forces.

The statues on the facade were destroyed, and in the 20th century they were restored from surviving images. The interior decoration of the town hall is interesting with its picturesque canvases and locally made wall hangings. The courtyard is decorated with fountains depicting the Meuse and Scheldt - the most important rivers.

After the Belgian-French War in the late 17th century, merchants from wealthy guilds quickly rebuilt houses around the square.

33 new buildings in the then fashionable pseudo-Gothic and Baroque style, in combination with the Gothic style of the town hall, largely shaped the modern appearance of the square.

3.
View of the square

In even-numbered years, starting from 1986, on August 15-18, a flower carpet of different varieties of begonias is created on the Market Square. The result is a drawing measuring 24m x 77m, the area of ​​which is about 1.8 thousand square meters. Crowds of beauty lovers flock to Brussels these days.

Every morning there is a flower market on the Grand Place, and on Sundays there is also a bird market.

In a side street next to the square behind a secure fence there is a small figurine of the “Manneken Pis”, the unofficial symbol of Brussels and the most famous Belgian monument. The first version of the statue appeared in the 14th century, but, unfortunately, it has not survived.

Drawings on the asphalt after the terrorist attack in March 2016:

On March 22, a series of terrorist attacks occurred in Brussels in the metro and airport, causing casualties. After the attacks, city residents left numerous drawings around the Grand Place to commemorate the event, with messages of peace, love and solidarity: