//
Stokkel opened on 31 August 1988 and is still the terminus station of metro line 1 to the east side of Brussels. Known as Stokkel for the neighbourhood it is in (or Stockel in the ancient Dutch spelling), the murals in the station illustrate over 140 characters from Hergés comic The Adventures of Tintin (Kuifje in Dutch), one of the more populare and internationally known Belgian comic figures. The sketches were drawn by Hergé himself, not long before his death, and completed by Studio Hergé which conserves its heritage. Recommendable for comic and Tintin fans. The metro station is adjacent to a shopping mall, which by itself is also worth a look around.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Cinema Stokkel
Local movie theater with a focus on Belgian, French and Hollywood movies. Can be reached by public transport by metro or tram. Beware of the schedule: even non-animated English movies are routinely translated (dubbed) in French, resulting in a very awkward and disappointing experience. Make sure to get a ticket for the original version (vo) and not the French version (vf).
Opened on 7 May 1982, the Vandervelde metro station was named after Belgian politician Emile Vandervelde. The murals on the platform walls are from the hand of artist Paul De Gobert, officially titled La grande Taupe et le petit Peintre, but known as The Four Seasons because it depicts the transition of nature from one season into another. The 360° painting is placed on top of a band in earth colors, representing the geological layers of the underground. The work shows the environment of the station as it used to look before urbanization, thus focusing the viewer's attention on the effect of urbanization on nature. Some of the marshes and willow trees in the murals can still be observed today in the Woluwe valley. The Four Seasons is the largest painting, in surface, in Belgium.
Erected in 1755 on the site of a much older building and perpendicular to it, with funds from the abbey of Forest. Traces of the older building can still be seen on the left of the current church.
Museum of Urban Transport Brussels
Besides having a collection of vintage trams in its depot, the museum also runs old trams to one of Brussels suburbs, Tervuren, through a very nice wooded area. The trip is especially pleasant on a sunny day.
Open for visitors.