Grand Place

It’s impossible not to be impressed by the gilded beauty of the UNESCO-listed Grand-Place. The area has served as a market place since the 12th century. As the wealth of the various guilds — butchers, bakers, tanners etc — grew, they built lavish townhouses to demonstrate their might. These first versions were made of wood but all, save the Hôtel de Ville exterior, were destroyed in 1695 when King Louis VIV of France bombarded the city. The buildings you see today are 17th-century rebuilds. However, their facades are no less glamorous and the intricate carvings indicating which house belonged to which guild are fascinating. For instance, the building now used by Le Roi d’Espagne café once belonged to the wealthy Guild of the Bakers and you can see statues of six Greek gods involved with the production of wheat atop the flat roof and from left to right these are: Hercules (god of strength), Ceres (god of wheat and summer), Eoie (god of wind), Vulcan (god of fire), Neptune (god of water), Wisdom, and Fame blowing her horn.

Be sure to visit the Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles inside the Maison du Roi which, among other treasures, contains a collection of Mannekin Pis costumes gifted by various world leaders. Tours of the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall), across the way, are also available and underneath its colonnade you’ll find a tourist information kiosk.