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Photo: EmDee, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
One of the oldest remaining churches of Brussels, the history of the St. Nicholas Church dates back to the 12th century with the construction of a chapel for traders in the market district. It is named after St. Nicholas, the protector of merchants in Christian mythology. The church had a turbulent history and suffered many natural and cultural disasters. Its belfry tower was destroyed by a storm in 1367, but had been rebuilt by 1380 in the new Gothic style of the era, but with preservation of the Romaneque foundations. One of the first automated mechanical clocks in the world were installed in the tower. It served as the meeting hall of the city council, and trumpetters announced new acts and decisions. Between 1662 and 1665 an additional floor and dome was added by architect Leo van Heil. It then was attacked by iconoclasts in the 16th century, which became a Parish church in 1618. It was again under attack in 1695 by French marshall Villeroy whose cannons destroyed nearly the entire center of the city and started a fire in the church. The bells crashed down from the bell tower. One of the cannon balls, penetrating one of the stone pillars, can still be seen today. Once again the church was rebuilt in 1712-1713, and architect Willem De Bruyn replaced the upper floors. Unfortunately, proper foundations were neglected, and because of the marsh around the Zenne, the tower collapsed for a second time in 1714. The City Museum has a scale model of the tower on display that eventually never got erected. It took until 1956 for the Gothic front of the church to be rebuilt after the collapse of the tower, but small Romaneque remains can also be observed. A final restoration was completed between 2002 and 2006. The church is under the care of Father Mario Rosas, and religious ceremonies are still frequently held in the church. The buildings to the south east side of the church have been occupied by merchants throughout the churches' history, and give a good impression of the size and scale of merchant houses in Medieval Brussels. The peculiar orientation of the building is attributed to the flow of the original Zenne river. Of particular interest in the interior of the church are the choir chairs dating from 1381, with medaillons telling the story of St. Nicholas.
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Bourse/Beurs
Former stock market building. Locals like to sit on the steps, sometimes with fries. A local restaurant owner has proposed turning the unused building into a beer hall.
From 1238 onwards the Franciscans were given permission to settle between the Senne river and the Grand-Place, which were strategic points in the city in the Middle Ages. This settlement reflects the important role played by these men in the city’s social and religious life. The site knew good times and periods of adversity, expansion, destruction during the Calvinist period and the 1695 bombardment; it was rebuilt several times, only to finally disappear during the French period. In this underground archaeological museum, the history of Belgium’s capital city is told from a different angle.
Run by the cooperative nouveau cinema. Screens interesting films in their original version with French and Dutch subtitles.
Daily bike tours in English allow you to see the main sights in about 3.5 hours. It includes a halfway stop for fries and beer (not included in price). Reservations recommended.
Maison du Roi/Broodhuis
A 19th-century building hosting the Brussels City Museum, with an extensive collection items of the city's history. The Dutch name Broodhuis (literally bread house) dates from the 13th century, when a wooden hut existed on the Grand-Place where bakers sold their bread. It was replaced by a stone building in 1405, but at the beginning of the 15th century it was gradually abandoned when bakers started selling their wares door to door. The vacant building was then occupied by the Duke of Brabant, turning it into an administrative centre, and renaming it to Duke's House ('s Hertogenhuys). It later became the property of emperor Charles V, but its condition soon deteriorated due to lack of maintenance, and was razed to the ground at orders of the emperor. This architect Antoon II Keldermans was commissioned to design a new building in Gothic style, the plans finished in 1514 and construction was carried uit from 1515 to 1536. After Keldermans' death, subsequent architects finished the building. Under Spanish reign, queen Isabella of Spain ordered the renovation of the facade in 1625 and placed it under protection of the Holy Mary foundation. During French bombardments in 1695, the building was damaged to such an extent that extensive maintenance was required, but due to lacking finances this was limited to the minimal efforts to prevent collapse. Only in 1767 a second renovation was carried out. Taken over by the city of Brussels in the 1860, the house was renamed House of the People (Volkshuis), but fell prey to decay a second time and razed at the end of the 19th century, then reconstructed in neo-Gothic style, which was very popular at the time. It was one of the achievements of major Carl Buls, known for his progressive ideas, and Jules Anspach. Construction responsibilities were assigned to architect Pierre-Victor Jamaer, who constructed the building based on the original plans of Antoon Keldermans. Construction started in 1873 and took over 20 years and cost 2 million francs, which was a fortune at the time. It became the best example of neo-Gothic style in Belgium, and assigned the function of city museum in 1887. From 1895 to 1895, the belfry's carillon featured 49 bells, which were planned to be extended by another 6 bells in 1895, and moved to the City Hall's belfry. However, this was never carried out because of the failing mechanism of the carrillon, and it was eventually removed from the Belfry completely in 1898. The belfry has remained empty ever since. Since 1998 the King's House is a . It hosts many statues that used to decorate the City Hall and were removed and replaced with replicas to preserve the originals. Over 500 costumes of Manneken Pis are stored in the basement of the King's House, and a smaller selection is on display.
Free welcome beer, mini beer tasting, party guide, and massive drink discounts. The tour starts at 21:30PM and finishes after 13:00. It visits 4 bars/club in 3 hours. Book on the website or just show up.