This was part of A day in Brussels 🇧🇪 🔗.
I arrived at the Grand Place to join the Brussels City Center Free Tour. Our guide shared the fascinating history of Brussels and Belgium while we admired the ornate guildhalls. We saw the Everard ‘T Serclaes monument; local tradition says that rubbing the arm of this 14th-century hero brings good luck and ensures a return to Brussels. We then walked to the world-famous Manneken Pis, the small bronze fountain of a boy that has become the city’s most iconic—and frequently dressed-up—mascot.
From there, we headed toward Place de la Bourse through some of the surrounding neighborhoods as we learned more about Brussels’ growth. The Brussels Stock Exchange (Bourse de Bruxelles) is a grand neoclassical building that stands as a testament to the city’s commercial history. We then walked to the Galerie de la Reine, a stunning 19th-century shopping arcade where we visited Neuhaus, the legendary chocolatier famous for inventing the Belgian praline right here in these galleries.
The next stop was the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, a masterpiece of Brabantine Gothic architecture that serves as the main church of Belgium. We enjoyed the view of the lush, green Rue Sainte-Gudule right in front of the cathedral, which provides a serene approach to its twin towers.
Continuing uphill, we walked past the Musical Instruments Museum, housed in the breathtaking Art Nouveau “Old England” building. We caught a glimpse of the Place Royale Bruxelles, featuring the statue of Godefroy de Bouillon, the leader of the First Crusade. Our tour concluded at the Whirling Ear fountain (L’Oreille Tourbillonnante), a unique modern sculpture located on the Mont des Arts that rotates slowly in the wind.
