Bruxelles

 

Maison du Roi/King's House, Grand Place.

"Every cobblestone in Brussels is a page from a history book, waiting for a curious traveller to read its secrets aloud" - Anon.

My first ever visit to Brussels, the administrative heart of the European union. A city I'd been wanting to visit for the longest time but had never managed to get around to organising. After COVID struck it no longer seemed to be an urgent priority, my muse Paris always seemed more pressing. I finally made it however, and on arrival at Midi/Zuid station I shunned central Brussels for the time being and made my way out of the city to see the Atomium, symbol not only of the city but the whole country of Belgium which will feature in a future separate post. I then made my way back into the heart of the Old Town of Brussels. The city developed from swamp lands and the origin of the city’s name, “Broekzele,” translates from Old Dutch to mean “home in the marsh.” My first impressive architectural encounter was the grand neo-classical Bourse building. As with the Bourse in Paris, this building is the former Stock Exchange built in 1873 in the style of a Greek temple with columns and ornate decorative carvings. It is now used for temporary exhibitions and concerts. From here I spied a grand ivory spire, the defining feature of the Hôtel de Ville/Town Hall, standing proud and tall above the rooftops and followed it, tracing its source. A short stroll took me through narrow Medieval streets which opened up into the magnificent Grand Place, or Grote Markt in Dutch. A most beautiful square architecturally, and focal point of Brussels. You can immediately see why it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. Grand Place was the former setting for jousting tournaments, the proclamation of decrees and public executions. It now hosts markets, fairs, and pageants. Grand Place is lined with architectural masterpieces adorned with symbolic carvings, sculptures and gilding. These are the former guildhouses and headquarters of merchants and traders such as bakers, carpenters and haberdashers etc. of the city who were responsible for Brussel's wealth. These guildhouses were built in the Flemish Baroque style, and clustered together make for a magnificent setting and ideal place to start an exploration of the city. In a corner of the Grand Place I came across two interesting features, a large bronze bas-relief plaque - Monument to Éverard t'Serclaes, of a figure lying wounded, celebrating a Brussels hero who drove out foreign forces who had been occupying Brussels. The other is the pretty, stylised Art Nouveau era Charles Buls bronze plaque erected by architect Victor Horta and sculpted by Victor Rousseau it is named after a former mayor of the city. Both were popular photo opportunities with the tourists. After absorbing the Grand Place's architectural details I moved on taking in the comic-style murals painted onto the slender sides of buildings. Comic-strip books are hugely popular in Belgium, and none more so than those dedicated to the heroic adventures of local young investigator Tintin. I was pleased to see the Insta-famous mural of hero Tintin with his sidekick Captain Haddock and faithful dog Snowy. A short stroll brought me to the Fashion and Lace Museum, (which will again feature in a future post), and then the renowned Manneken-Pis, the small bronze statue of the little boy famously relieving himself with carefree abandon. He was certainly popular with the tourists but wasn't wearing any of the little outfits he's often dressed up in for special occasions. From here I walked away from the Grand Place and up to the plateau above the old town known as the Mont Des Arts which is a popular viewpoint giving some stunning views that frame the old town and the Town Hall's dominant spire on the horizon below. The Mont des Arts's development began in the late 19th century as part of an urban renewal project initiated by King Leopold II to accommodate the city's cultural institutions. As well as being a viewing platform the Mont Des Arts contains terraced gardens designed by the landscape architect René Pechère and neoclassical and modernist architecture. To the rear are the city's complex of Royal art museums. Also up in this area are the famous Musical Instruments Museum housed in the magnificent Art Nouveau Old England building, as well as the Palais de la Dynastie and the Carillon clock face seen on the rear façade. Like the Atomium it was created for the Brussels World Fair Expo of 1958. Small recesses along its façade depict twelve figures, characters from Brussels history and folklore. They rotate to the sounds of the chimes, which consist of twenty-four bells. The gilded twelve-pointed star-shaped clock on the façade was designed by Ghobert. A bronze automaton (a jacquemart) at the very top of the arcade strikes the bell on the hour. I next made my way round to the complex of art museums but the one I wanted to see most urgently - the Fin-de-Siècle, dealing with turn of the last century art was closed for renovations. Not being in the mood for the art of the Flemish Old Masters, or Magritte, I gently wended my way back down the hill into the old town coming across the elegant Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a glass canopied shopping arcade just outside the Grand Place, which pre-dates the other 19th century European arcades like that of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan (seen last year here). I stopped off for a plate of moules marinière with frites with a glass of Belgian beer, making a new friend in the restaurant in the form of a cat in need of cuddles. I finished my visit in Brussels by further wandering the narrow streets of the old town, and passing through the charming Grand Place one more time. I found Brussels to be a city full of character and charm. It is so small and so very easy to navigate. The historic architecture was as exquisite and elegant as the city's famed intricate Belgian lace. The one piece of architecture I really wanted to see during my visit was the Palais Stoclet (1905-11), a villa designed by Josef Hoffman 1870-1956), for Belgian financier Adolphe Stoclet, which houses Gustav Klimt's masterpiece the Tree of Life frieze. Sadly due to familial disputes the villa isn't accessible to the public. I live in hope that one day the family will come together so that the public will finally be able to get access to the Klimt frieze and period interiors of Hoffman's magnum opus. A return to Brussels will no doubt be on the cards at some point to see some of the other art nouveau architectural gems, and the art museums I missed out on.