//
Horse-drawn carriages do circuits of the Lower Town starting from Rue Charles Bulsstraat, near the Grand-Place.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Sculpture from Brussels artist Julien Dillens, commemorating Everard t'Serclaes (1320-1388). t'Serclaes was a Brussels citizen who gained fame with his recovery of the city from the Flemings. After the death of John III of Brabant in 1355, his daughter Joanna and her busband Wenceslaus succeeded him as the rules of the duchy. The count of Flanders, Louis de Male, disputed the legitimacy of the succession however, and seized the city after defeating the Brabantian defenders at Scheute. Louis' legions didn't feel much for a long standing occupation of the city, and his garrison was thinly manned. This gave t'Serclaes the chance to gather a group of 66 partisans and scale the city walls in the night of 24 October 1356. They managed to reach the Grand-Place and lowered the Flemish flag from the town hall, replacing it with the Brabantian flag. When Brussels citizens saw the Brabantian flag restored in the morning, they revolted against Louis' occupying forces and drove them out of the city, after 2 weeks of occupation. t'Serclaes became a hero for liberating the city, and after re-entry of Joanna, he was made alderman for 5 terms. His luck didn't last however, and on 26 March 1388 he was ambushed by bandits on his way from Lennik to Brussels, who cut off a foot and ripped out his tongue. The mutilated t'Serclaes was found by civil servants shortly afterwards and carried to Brussels on a cart, where he died 5 days later from his injuries. The sculpture of t'Serclaes, erected in 1902, is under the gallery of De Sterre, where t'Serclaes arrived on the cart and tried to talk to Joanna but couldn't make himself understandable without his tongue. The caption of the sculpture of dying t'Serclaes is Eberhardo t'Serclaes Patriae Liberatori (Eberhardo t'Serclaes, liberator of his city) and Pro aris et focis (For home and hearth). During the interbellum, a salesman of the Sunday market spread the rumor that rubbing the right arm of the sculpture would bring luck, whoever rubbed it would return to Brussels. The sculpture has been intensively rubbed by locals and tourists since, and the original was moved to the town hall after renovation in 2011. The current sculpture is a messing copy.
Hôtel de Ville/Stadhuis
The oldest part of the present Town Hall is its east wing (to the right when facing the front). This wing, together with a shorter belfry, was built and completed in 1420 under direction of Jacob van Thienen. Initially, future expansion of the building was not foreseen, however, the admission of the craft guilds into the traditionally patrician city government apparently spurred interest in providing more room the building. As a result, a second, somewhat longer wing was built on to the existing structure, with Charles the Bold laying its first stone in 1444. This left wing was built by Guillaume de Voghel who in 1452 also built the Magna Aula at the Coudenberg. The facade is decorated with numerous statues representing nobles, saints, and allegorical figures. The present sculptures are reproductions; the originals have been moved to the city museum. The 96-meter tall tower in Brabantine Gothic style emerged from the plans of Jan van Ruysbroek, the court architect of Philip the Good. By 1454 this tower replacing the older belfry was completed. Above the roof of the Town Hall, the square tower body narrows to a lavishly pinnacled octagonal openwork. Atop the spire stands a 5-meter tall gilt metal statue of the archangel Michael, patron saint of Brussels, slaying a dragon or devil. The tower, its front archway and the main building facade are conspicuously off centre relative to one another. According to legend, the architect upon discovering this "error" leaped to his death from the tower. More likely, the asymmetry of the Town Hall was an accepted consequence of the scattered construction history and space constraints. After the bombardment of Brussels in 1695 by a French army under the Duke of Villeroi, the resulting fire completely gutted the Town Hall, destroying the archives and the art collections. The interior was soon rebuilt, and the addition of two rear wings transformed the L-shaped building into its present configuration: a quadrilateral with an inner courtyard completed by Corneille Van Nerven in 1712. The Gothic interior was revised by Victor Jamar in 1868 in the style of his mentor Viollet-le-Duc. The halls have been replenished with tapestries, paintings, and sculptures, largely representing subjects of importance in local and regional history. The Town Hall accommodated not only the municipal authorities of the city, but until 1795 also the States of Brabant. In 1830, a provisional government assembled here during the attempt of the Third French Revolution which provoked the separation of the Southern Netherlands from the Northern Netherlands, resulting in the formation of Belgium as is known now. At the start of World War I, as refugees flooded Brussels, Town Hall served as a makeshift hospital. On 20 August 1914, the occupying German army arrived at the Grand-Place and hoisted a German flag at the left side of the Town Hall. The Town Hall has been designated a historic monument since 9 March 1936.
Informative 3-hour tour. Groups can be large due to the low price!
Musée Mode & Dentelle/Mode & Kant Museum
Lace was one of the fine trades that gave Brussels as a city its fame during the 19th century. From 1977 onwards, the city council decided to dedicate a museum to lace textile and costumes to emphasize its importance to the city's history. During the museum's 40-year history, the collection has continuously expanded. It covers the entire reange of civil fashion in Western Eurpe from the 18th century up to the present. On display are items gifted to the museum by lace enthusiasts, and specialty items acquired by the museum. There are strict norms regarding temperature, light and humidity in the museum to optimize the conservation of the collection. Because of these constraints to conservation, not the entire collection is on display at any time, but alternating fractions are presented to the public in the context of changing yearly expositions. The museum has a strong emphasis on contemporary fashion, including the acquisition of Belgian and Brussels items.
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.
Learn how to make the best Brussels Waffles during this 90' hands on activity! Everything is provided: assistance from start to end, all ingredients, toppings (chocolate, cream, fruits, nutella,...), cookware, take home recipe, a free drink and as many waffles as you can eat! Great for team buildings, stag/hen parties, families & friends.