Bozar Studios

A microbrewery in the heart of the Brussels nightlife district Dansaert, the aim of the project is to experiment with beer brewing techniques. Tours of the brewery are given on Thursdays and Fridays at 16:00, and on Saturdays at 14:00 and 15:00. These last around 15 - 30 minutes, with explanations on the project and the beer brewing processes, and is followed by a beer tasting opportunity involving 4 of the latest creations. Booking in advance is recommended, because only small groups can be welcomed.

Poelaert Square, named after the architect of the adjacent Palace of Justice, is the largest square in Brussels and provides the best view point over the city. On the border between the upper and lower city, the square is on Gallows Hill (Galgenberg), where in Medieval Brussels convicts were executed on the gallows. Famously, anatomist Andreas Vesalius frequented Gallows Hill to collect corpses of executed convicts for his anatomical research. When the weather is clear, Poelaert square offers a view over the north-western part of the city, including the city hall, the Koekelberg basilica, and the Atomium. A free elevator connects Poelaert square with the Marollen quarter of the lower city.

A statue by Flemish artist Tom Frantzen, erected in bronze in 1998. It represents a peeing dog, and the canine counterpart of Mannenken Pis and Jeanneke Pis. Although often referred to as Zinnenken Pis, that name is formally incorrect according to the author. The name is derived from the river originally flowing through (and nowadays underneath) the city, Zenne, and a pejatory historic name for inhabitants of Brussels, Zinnekens. It is also a Dutch play on words of Zin hebben in which means having a desire to. The sculpture was struck by a car in 2015 and slightly damaged, it has since been restored by its creator. Many argue that Het Zinneke is the most esthetically pleasing of the 3 peeing statues in Brussels, although Mannenken Pis remains the most popular.

The hall is a former covered marketplace in the middle of St. Gorik Square, and in use as event space and temporary exposition area. Their history dates back to the early days of Brussels, when at its location, multiple small islands existed in the Zenne, the river flowing through (and nowadays underneath) the city. A chapel was erected in the 12th century, which was replaced by a Gothic church in the 16th century but destroyed during the French occupation between 1798 and 1801. The city cleared the rubble in 1802 and ordered the construction of a marketplace with as central point a fountain with a pyramidal shape. This fountain dates from 1767 and was a gift form the Abbey of Grimbergen, it is on display in the hall. When the Zenne was covered in 1881 and the neighborhood reorganized, construction of the current hall was commenced. After a design of architect Adolphe Vanderheggen, the building with a facade in Flemish neorenaissance style with steel skeleton was inaugurated a year later and presented a counter and four double rows of market booths. The hall remained in use throughout the first half of the 20th century, but after the Second World War it lost its significance, until closure followed in 1977. Having architectural value, the Brussels Capital Region acquired the building in 1987 and gave it a protected status. The halls were turned into an information and exposition area in 1999, and have been opened to the public ever since. There is a café inside, but visitors do not need to feel obliged to make a purchase to visit and take a look around.

The last surviving city gate, it was part of the second walls of Brussels, and built in 1381 as an extension of the first walls which started to become too small to accommodate the growing Medieval city. It is named after the city of Halle which it faces. The original design included a portcullis and a drawbridge over a moat, the structures that housed these are still visible. Already in the 16th century, it became evident that the fortifications and gates were insufficient to protect the city against newer siege weapons, and in 1564 the Gate was relieved of her defensive function. The function of the Halle Gate first changed to a prison, later it saw use as a customs house, as grain storage, and as a Lutheran church. At the end of the 18th century the fortifications had lost nearly all their functions, and demolishing started under pressure of the expanding city. Whereas the other 6 city gates were demolished together with the defensive walls, the Halle Gate survived because it of its function as an archive, but maintenance started to be neglected. Between 1868 and 1870, architect Henri Beyaert restored the building, changing the medieval tower to a more Neo Gothic look. The outer entrance, now facing St. Gillis, is closer to the original appearance. Beyaert added a circular tower topped by a conical roof, containing a monumental spiral staircase, as well as turrets and a large roof. The Gate became a museum in 1847 when it was assigned to the Museum of Armour, Antiquity and Ethnology (now named the Royal Museums for Art and History). It soon became too small, and in 1889 the collection was moved to the Centenary Museum. By 1976 the building was in a dangerous state of disrepair which forced it to be closed to the public. Lack of funding stalled restorations, and part of the Gate was reopened in 1991 but only for temporary exhibitions. New extensive restorations began in 2007, and the Gate was returned to its 19th-century glory a year later when it reopened with its prestigious entrance completely restored. The Gate houses a permanent exhibition on its history, and on the defenses of the city. The collection includes parade armor of Archduke Albert of Austria, among many other armaments and armour. The Guild Room offers an impression on the history and importance of guilds in medieval Brussels. The walkway around the battlements offers visitors a wonderful panorama of the city.

The hill (often referred to its historic French name Mont des Arts, literally Mountain of Arts) is the northern slope of the Koudenberg, and roughly halfway between the Royal Palace and the Grand-Place. One of the first and oldest residential neighborhoods of Brussels, the St. Rochus Quarter (Sint-Rochuswijk in Dutch) was here. By the 15^th century, the quarter had become a ghetto for Jews. Later, large sections of the quarter were claimed by the city for the construction of administrative buildings and palaces. Between the 15^th and 18^th century, monumental palaces were constructed: the Palace of Nassau from 1440 to ca. 1750, the Palace of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine (1757), the Granvelle Palace (1555-1931) and the Palace of the Coudenberg (mid 14^th century until 1731). At the end of the 19^th century, King Leopold II launched the idea to transform what was left of the St. Rochus Quarter into the cultural heart of Belgium. Various architects made designs for the hill, and King Leopold II himself acquired all the properties in the medieval quarter, which were subsequently razed, and the Jews were expelled to Antwerp where they still thrive. Only the Palace of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine and the Granvelle Palace were preserved. Unfortunately, the Belgian government refused to fund the king's project, and for 8 years the large area remained an unused brownfield, and an eye sore in the heart of the capital. With the upcoming World Fair of 1910, King Leopold II commissioned Parisian architect Pierre Vacherot to hastily find a new purpose for the area. He designed a monumental staircase with numerous fountains, waterfalls and sculptures. The park was inaugurated by the king's successor and son, King Albert I, in 1910 after the death of his father. When Brussels prospered after the Second World War and funding was no longer a problem, the original project was revived, and many buildings constructed that remain: the Royal Albertina Library, the Congress Palace, and the Dynasty Palace. The current layout follows a design of architect Jules Ghobert, whereas the Albertina was designed by Maourice Houyoux. The park gradually shrunk to make room for these new buildings, as well as for parking garages and the Central Station. The current park, Tuin van de Kustberg in Dutch (literally: garden of the Hill of Arts), was a design of garden architect René Pechère, which were complemented with a few new buildings for the 1958 World's Fair. The staircase offers visitors one of the most spectacular views over the city, looking out over the Grand-Place. When the weather is clear, the Koekelberg Basilica and even the Atomium can be seen in the distance.