We started our walk downtown from our neighborhood Ste. Catherine, which has several points of interest. We saw the outside of the churches of St. Jean Baptiste au Beguinage and Ste. Catherine, both closed (only open on special occasions). Near the latter and mated on the wall of a hotel had the Tour Noire, one of the few remains of the ancient wall that surrounded the city. But the most interesting point is the neighborhood Marché aux Poissons, the old fish market. In this place before there was a navigable channel through which the fishermen came to sell their catch. All that hardly anything is preserved, only hinted at in the channel line of the street and the many seafood restaurants (as we dined the night before).
Marché aux Poissons
Before going into the historic center, we turn north to take a look at the Place de Brouckère, one of the busiest squares (Car) in Brussels. More than a square is the intersection of two major boulevards, similar to Times Square in New York across distances. There are some buildings from the late nineteenth century, as the Hotel Metropole, the Continental coffee or Eldorado cinemas.
Place of Brouckère
Much quieter is the nearby Place des Martirs, a square surrounded by white neoclassical buildings. A monument at its center remembers those who died in the 1830 uprising that ended leading to the independence of the country.
Place des Martirs
Nearby we visited Notre-Dame de Finisterre, a small church of the eighteenth century. In its interior the wooden pulpit, a masterpiece that surprised by the realism of his figures.
Notre-Dame de Finisterre
On leaving the church we toured the Rue Neuve, one of the most important shopping streets, even at that hour of the morning I was still a little inactive. At the end of the street we found the Place de la Monnaie, where the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie. The theater has great historical significance, and that is where there was the rise of the country's independence.
Rue Neuve
Then we approached the Cathédrale des Sts. Michel et Gudule, scene of major events in the country. The cathedral, much like Notre Dame de Paris, was begun in the thirteenth century and ended 300 years later. The facade was quite sober to be Gothic, and looked very restored.
Cathédrale des Sts. Michel et Gudule
Cathédrale des Sts. Michel et Gudule
The interior is equally sober and bright as the light enters through large stained glass windows. The ship we found vast, high ceilings increased the feeling of being in a truly stunning location. It is worth approaching! There is a chapel where the treasure is kept, but there are fees and not enter.
Cathédrale des Sts. Michel et Gudule, inside
Cathédrale des Sts. Michel et Gudule, inside
On leaving the cathedral we approach the Colonne du Congrès behold, a great column commemorating the creation of the Belgian state in the nineteenth century. At the top is a statue of Leopold I, first king of the country, and at its base an eternal flame in memory of the Belgian victims of the two world wars. Just ahead there was a construction zone with abandoned buildings that looked more like a slum.
Colonne du Congrès
Then we walked to one of the most beautiful areas of central Brussels, Ilot Sacre. It is a neighborhood of small houses and winding streets that are saved to the development plan of the city, created following the Universal Exhibition of 1958, which envisaged the demolition of many buildings to widen roads. A quiet stroll through this neighborhood is a must on any visit to Brussels.
Before going through the Galeries Royales St. Hubert, the first commercial galleries in Europe, opened in the nineteenth century. The place had an aristocratic air was full of the most distinguished cafes and shops. One was the famous Neuhaus Chocolaterie, founded in the nineteenth century, selling all kinds of chocolates with a pint of tasty sea!
Galeries Royales St. Hubert
Neuhaus Chocolaterie
But undoubtedly the most typical place of Sacré Ilôt is the Rue des Bouchers, a narrow street surrounded by so well preserved old houses that evoke past times. The origins of the "Street of the Butchers" back to the thirteenth century, and currently houses the seventeenth century still remain. However, the place loses some charm for the many terraces of restaurants, where waiters will hunting tourist.
Rue des Bouchers
Perpendicular to this street are the Petite Rue des Bouchers a small-scale reproduction of his "big sister", with the difference that is much more quiet. Near the confluence of the two get an alley (Impasse de la Fidelité) where the Jeanneke Pis, the female equivalent of Manneken Pis.
Petite Rue des Bouchers
Jeanneke Pis
We were walking for a while in other quaint streets of Sacré Ilôt. We found particularly beautiful the Marché aux Herbes and Rue Gétry, which is surrounded by stately homes of the nineteenth century. In the first we saw Panos and take to make a quick meal of a couple of sandwiches savory pastry.
The highlight of the day was coming soon: the Grand Place, one of the most spectacular places in Europe. Seeing means inclusion in the list of World Heritage of Unesco, is one of those places that warrant a visit from a country. The square is preserved as it was hundreds of years ago, surrounded by Renaissance buildings well-preserved seventeenth century. No modern building that breaks with the aesthetics of the place, which helps to make the visit to the Grand Place a real time travel.
Grand Place
We started on the south side, between the Rue Charles Buls Chapeliers and, with some of the most beautiful houses in the Grand Place. With a facade of arches on the latter road is the Maison de l'Étoile, where the monument to T'Serclaes whose forearm is said to give luck. To his left and headed by a swan hand, there is one of the most beautiful houses, Maison au Cygne, built in the late seventeenth and guild headquarters Butchers century. Do not have anything to envy the next house, the Maison de l'Arbre d'Or, home brewers and currently houses a beer museum. Finally there were two houses of less concern, the Maison de la Rose and the Maison aux Trois Couleurs.
Grand Place, between Rue Charles Buls and Chapeliers
The southeastern part of the square, between Rue Chapeliers and Colline, is almost entirely occupied by the Maison des Ducs de Bravant. Built in the late seventeenth century, its facade groups actually 7 buildings. To the left of the palace stands the Maison de la Balance, with its balcony decorated with caryatids.
Grand Place, Maison des Ducs de Bravant
We were disappointed to see the houses on the east side, between Rue des Harengs and Colline. Their facades were covered with tarps because of a restoration. Beside the impressive Maison du Roi, which despite its name was not home no king rises. It was built in the fifteenth century as a dispatch to the Duke of Brabant, so they called the Maison du Duc. Later the Duke was crowned King of Spain, hence the current name.
Grand Place, Maison du Roi
The next group of houses we saw was the north side, to the left of the Maison du Roi, between Rue Chair et Pain and Beurre. They were narrow and unspectacular, the XVII-XIX centuries houses. Of note is the Maison du Heaume, a baroque house built in the seventeenth century.
Grand Place, between Rue Chair et Pain and Beurre
The houses in the northwestern part, between Rue Tête d'Or and Beurre, are among the most beautiful and interesting. In No. 1 on the square is the Maison des Boulangers, home bakers and decorated with a statue of King Carlos II of Spain, reason why it is also known as Le Roi d'Espagne. Beside him are the Maison de la Maison du Brouette and Sac, home gardeners Corporation and cabinetmakers respectively. Then highlight the rich contours of the Maison de la Louve, surmounted by a phoenix. Finally, they were also nice la Maison du Cornet and Maison du Renard, home of the boatmen and haberdashers.
Grand Place, between Rue Tête d'Or et Pain and Beurre
Left for last the most majestic and spectacular plaza building, the Hôtel de Ville. It was built in the fifteenth century and is surmounted by a tower of nearly 100 m. The Hôtel de Ville is a curious asymmetry: the left side is larger than the right (the latter was built before), so that the tower is not centered. Still, the wealth of sculptures, gargoyles, pinnacles and other ornaments make up. So we put an end to the visit of the Grand Place point. We loved it, well worth spending time!
Grand Place, Hôtel de Ville
Grand Place, Hôtel de Ville
We left the place and headed west to see a couple of old buildings. The first we found was St. Nicolas, one of the oldest churches in town (XII century). It has a couple of trivia: the choir and the nave of the church are built at an angle, not straight like most temples. And outside, there are a number of small houses built directly into the walls of the church, seeking the protection he could offer.
St. Nicolas
Right next door is the Bourse, the nineteenth-century neoclassical building that houses the Belgian stock exchange, in which we not wined. We walked east to the Halles St. Gery, a beautiful nineteenth-century neo-Renaissance Marketplace. Inside source has a simple pyramid eighteenth century was located in the center of the square where the market was placed.
Halles St. Gery
On leaving the Halles St. Gery saw one of the famous comic book murals around the city, in this case "Nero" Sleen. The comic has a great tradition in Belgium, and it is very common to find specialty stores throughout the country. In Brussels there is even a route to seeing the different murals comics. In some tourist maps indicated its location, so it is highly recommended they pursue a few of them are curious sea.
Broussaille, Frank Pé, in the Rue du Marché au Charbon
Le Petit Jojo, Geerts, on Rue Piermans
Ric Hochet, Tibet & Duchâteau in the Rue des Bons Secours
Tintin, Hergé, in the Rue de l'Etuve
Nero, Sleen, Place St. Gery
We returned to the center to see one of the most visited and true symbol of Brussels, Manneken Pis points. The "Child urine" is a small bronze statue, 50 cm, built in the seventeenth century. The statue is so small that could go unnoticed if not for the hordes of tourists posing beside her to take pictures. In the Manneken Pis there are several shops that do very good waffles for 1 €, half in other parts of the city, so we took advantage!
Manneken Pis
eating a waffle next to the Manneken Pis
We left the old town to go up towards the upper town through the Place de l'Albertine, gateway to the Mont des Arts. It is a small hill on which the main museums and other cultural facilities in the city are located. We do not enter any of them, but worth taking a look at the area if only to enjoy one of their gardens.
Mont des Arts
Mont des Arts, with the old town in the background
After Mont des Arts we went to another small hill, the Coudenberg, of great historical importance. Here a castle was built in the twelfth century as the residence of the Dukes of Brabant. In the sixteenth century, Emperor Charles V made him one of the most sumptuous palaces in Europe. But in the eighteenth century a fire reduced it to rubble. Today you can visit some underground remains, but we did not.
In other Coudenberg preserved some of the homes of aristocrats that were built in the vicinity of the palace. A good example is the Hotel Ravenstein, red brick building built in the late fifteenth century. The mansions were at hand were also very nice, in a small concentrated area had a lot of gothic mansions. Near them was a large building built in a completely different style that surprised us, the Old England. They were art noveau department stores in the late nineteenth century and now house a museum of musical instruments. It is interesting to see his approach iron and glass facade.
Old England
Almost at the top of the Place Royale Coudenberg find one of the most important squares of the city. Although he had no life of the people and other coffees, it was surrounded by neoclassical buildings that gave a majestic air. Among them is the Church of St. Jacques sur Coudenberg, built in the eighteenth century after the great fire that destroyed the nearby Palace of Coudenberg. From the center of the square there were some interesting views to the northwest lower town, whence emerged the Hôtel de Ville was suspected. And southwest silhouette great Palais de Justice is implied.
Place Royale, with St. Jacques sur Coudenberg the bottom
Before continuing our route, we went to take a look at the Palais Royal, the official palace of the King of Belgium (although not your residence). It was built in the early twentieth century on some of the remains of the old Palace of Coudenberg. Just opposite the Parc de Bruxelles, a gigantic park that we walked just a few minutes, since the absence of leaves on the trees and took away quite charming flowers.
Palais Royal
One of the parts we liked this area was Sablon. Although very small, worth close to see the Petite Place du Sablon. The grounds were well kept, and the square was surrounded by Baroque houses that enhanced her beauty. It has a fence topped by 48 statues representing the different medieval guilds.
Place du Petite Sablon
Beside the square contemplate the magnificent Notre Dame du Sablon, an impressive Gothic church from the late fourteenth century. If your facade fascinated us, did no less bright and airy interior, since the light coming through the large side windows colors. Although there were not many tourists, this church deserves to be among the five best views in town!
Notre Dame du Sablon
Notre Dame du Sablon, inside
Across from the church is the Place du Grand Sablon, a quiet cobbled square surrounded by buildings of the eighteenth century. Nearby is one of the oldest churches of Brussels, Notre Dame de la Chapelle. Its origins are in a twelfth century chapel on the church, which had a long history of fires, reconstructions, bombings, etc. built He is the parish of the Polish community in the city. It is worth going to take a peek and see the interior.
Notre Dame de la Chapelle
Then we walked south on Marolles, a typical working class neighborhood of Brussels. Its two main streets are Blaes and Rue Haute, and were filled with shops mounted Maghreb, the dominant foreign community in the neighborhood.
Marolles, Rue Haute
From Marolles, we use a free lift that dropped us right next to the Palais de Justice, a giant building that was once the world's largest (XIX century). It was pretty spectacular, but when we went the facade was covered by works. Next to the elevator there was a lookout over Marolles, but the view was not very nice.
Palais de Justice
At the end of Marolles found the Porte de Hal, a huge bastion which is one of the few remnants of the wall in the fourteenth century surrounded the city.
Porte de Hal
The kick that had done that day was considerable, so we gave terminating the sightseeing. We took the metro to Porte de Hal center and approached one of his best-known Sacré Ilôt breweries, the Delirium Café. The ambience of the place was very neat: beer brands posters, rustic barrels, wooden tables ... One of the main complaints is that they have more than 2,000 beers from around the world, mostly Belgian. And the truth is that we believe, and we could see the huge catalog where they leave all they have. Luckily there is a letter with a selection of a hundred, and still cost us choose! In the end we opted for Abbaye de Forest Blonde and Mort Subite Kriek, an abbey beer and cherry respectively. Very good!
having a few beers at Delirium Café
Delirium Café environment
At dinner time, our idea was to do in the area of Rue des Bouchers, but were a turistada. We had read that you had to be careful with the restaurants in this area, as will the tourist. So we decided to play it safe and opt for recommending all guides, Chez Leon. It was housed in a large building and had several plants still looked pretty full. The good thing about this site is that they have a variety of dishes with mussels, to moules et frites of the classic. We asked "moules gratinées escargot" (mussels gratin) that were especially good. We left very happy!
dinner a "moules" Chez Leon
Marché aux Poissons
Before going into the historic center, we turn north to take a look at the Place de Brouckère, one of the busiest squares (Car) in Brussels. More than a square is the intersection of two major boulevards, similar to Times Square in New York across distances. There are some buildings from the late nineteenth century, as the Hotel Metropole, the Continental coffee or Eldorado cinemas.
Place of Brouckère
Much quieter is the nearby Place des Martirs, a square surrounded by white neoclassical buildings. A monument at its center remembers those who died in the 1830 uprising that ended leading to the independence of the country.
Place des Martirs
Nearby we visited Notre-Dame de Finisterre, a small church of the eighteenth century. In its interior the wooden pulpit, a masterpiece that surprised by the realism of his figures.
Notre-Dame de Finisterre
On leaving the church we toured the Rue Neuve, one of the most important shopping streets, even at that hour of the morning I was still a little inactive. At the end of the street we found the Place de la Monnaie, where the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie. The theater has great historical significance, and that is where there was the rise of the country's independence.
Rue Neuve
Then we approached the Cathédrale des Sts. Michel et Gudule, scene of major events in the country. The cathedral, much like Notre Dame de Paris, was begun in the thirteenth century and ended 300 years later. The facade was quite sober to be Gothic, and looked very restored.
Cathédrale des Sts. Michel et Gudule
Cathédrale des Sts. Michel et Gudule
The interior is equally sober and bright as the light enters through large stained glass windows. The ship we found vast, high ceilings increased the feeling of being in a truly stunning location. It is worth approaching! There is a chapel where the treasure is kept, but there are fees and not enter.
Cathédrale des Sts. Michel et Gudule, inside
Cathédrale des Sts. Michel et Gudule, inside
On leaving the cathedral we approach the Colonne du Congrès behold, a great column commemorating the creation of the Belgian state in the nineteenth century. At the top is a statue of Leopold I, first king of the country, and at its base an eternal flame in memory of the Belgian victims of the two world wars. Just ahead there was a construction zone with abandoned buildings that looked more like a slum.
Colonne du Congrès
Then we walked to one of the most beautiful areas of central Brussels, Ilot Sacre. It is a neighborhood of small houses and winding streets that are saved to the development plan of the city, created following the Universal Exhibition of 1958, which envisaged the demolition of many buildings to widen roads. A quiet stroll through this neighborhood is a must on any visit to Brussels.
Before going through the Galeries Royales St. Hubert, the first commercial galleries in Europe, opened in the nineteenth century. The place had an aristocratic air was full of the most distinguished cafes and shops. One was the famous Neuhaus Chocolaterie, founded in the nineteenth century, selling all kinds of chocolates with a pint of tasty sea!
Galeries Royales St. Hubert
Neuhaus Chocolaterie
But undoubtedly the most typical place of Sacré Ilôt is the Rue des Bouchers, a narrow street surrounded by so well preserved old houses that evoke past times. The origins of the "Street of the Butchers" back to the thirteenth century, and currently houses the seventeenth century still remain. However, the place loses some charm for the many terraces of restaurants, where waiters will hunting tourist.
Rue des Bouchers
Perpendicular to this street are the Petite Rue des Bouchers a small-scale reproduction of his "big sister", with the difference that is much more quiet. Near the confluence of the two get an alley (Impasse de la Fidelité) where the Jeanneke Pis, the female equivalent of Manneken Pis.
Petite Rue des Bouchers
Jeanneke Pis
We were walking for a while in other quaint streets of Sacré Ilôt. We found particularly beautiful the Marché aux Herbes and Rue Gétry, which is surrounded by stately homes of the nineteenth century. In the first we saw Panos and take to make a quick meal of a couple of sandwiches savory pastry.
The highlight of the day was coming soon: the Grand Place, one of the most spectacular places in Europe. Seeing means inclusion in the list of World Heritage of Unesco, is one of those places that warrant a visit from a country. The square is preserved as it was hundreds of years ago, surrounded by Renaissance buildings well-preserved seventeenth century. No modern building that breaks with the aesthetics of the place, which helps to make the visit to the Grand Place a real time travel.
Grand Place
We started on the south side, between the Rue Charles Buls Chapeliers and, with some of the most beautiful houses in the Grand Place. With a facade of arches on the latter road is the Maison de l'Étoile, where the monument to T'Serclaes whose forearm is said to give luck. To his left and headed by a swan hand, there is one of the most beautiful houses, Maison au Cygne, built in the late seventeenth and guild headquarters Butchers century. Do not have anything to envy the next house, the Maison de l'Arbre d'Or, home brewers and currently houses a beer museum. Finally there were two houses of less concern, the Maison de la Rose and the Maison aux Trois Couleurs.
Grand Place, between Rue Charles Buls and Chapeliers
The southeastern part of the square, between Rue Chapeliers and Colline, is almost entirely occupied by the Maison des Ducs de Bravant. Built in the late seventeenth century, its facade groups actually 7 buildings. To the left of the palace stands the Maison de la Balance, with its balcony decorated with caryatids.
Grand Place, Maison des Ducs de Bravant
We were disappointed to see the houses on the east side, between Rue des Harengs and Colline. Their facades were covered with tarps because of a restoration. Beside the impressive Maison du Roi, which despite its name was not home no king rises. It was built in the fifteenth century as a dispatch to the Duke of Brabant, so they called the Maison du Duc. Later the Duke was crowned King of Spain, hence the current name.
Grand Place, Maison du Roi
The next group of houses we saw was the north side, to the left of the Maison du Roi, between Rue Chair et Pain and Beurre. They were narrow and unspectacular, the XVII-XIX centuries houses. Of note is the Maison du Heaume, a baroque house built in the seventeenth century.
Grand Place, between Rue Chair et Pain and Beurre
The houses in the northwestern part, between Rue Tête d'Or and Beurre, are among the most beautiful and interesting. In No. 1 on the square is the Maison des Boulangers, home bakers and decorated with a statue of King Carlos II of Spain, reason why it is also known as Le Roi d'Espagne. Beside him are the Maison de la Maison du Brouette and Sac, home gardeners Corporation and cabinetmakers respectively. Then highlight the rich contours of the Maison de la Louve, surmounted by a phoenix. Finally, they were also nice la Maison du Cornet and Maison du Renard, home of the boatmen and haberdashers.
Grand Place, between Rue Tête d'Or et Pain and Beurre
Left for last the most majestic and spectacular plaza building, the Hôtel de Ville. It was built in the fifteenth century and is surmounted by a tower of nearly 100 m. The Hôtel de Ville is a curious asymmetry: the left side is larger than the right (the latter was built before), so that the tower is not centered. Still, the wealth of sculptures, gargoyles, pinnacles and other ornaments make up. So we put an end to the visit of the Grand Place point. We loved it, well worth spending time!
Grand Place, Hôtel de Ville
Grand Place, Hôtel de Ville
We left the place and headed west to see a couple of old buildings. The first we found was St. Nicolas, one of the oldest churches in town (XII century). It has a couple of trivia: the choir and the nave of the church are built at an angle, not straight like most temples. And outside, there are a number of small houses built directly into the walls of the church, seeking the protection he could offer.
St. Nicolas
Right next door is the Bourse, the nineteenth-century neoclassical building that houses the Belgian stock exchange, in which we not wined. We walked east to the Halles St. Gery, a beautiful nineteenth-century neo-Renaissance Marketplace. Inside source has a simple pyramid eighteenth century was located in the center of the square where the market was placed.
Halles St. Gery
On leaving the Halles St. Gery saw one of the famous comic book murals around the city, in this case "Nero" Sleen. The comic has a great tradition in Belgium, and it is very common to find specialty stores throughout the country. In Brussels there is even a route to seeing the different murals comics. In some tourist maps indicated its location, so it is highly recommended they pursue a few of them are curious sea.
Broussaille, Frank Pé, in the Rue du Marché au Charbon
Le Petit Jojo, Geerts, on Rue Piermans
Ric Hochet, Tibet & Duchâteau in the Rue des Bons Secours
Tintin, Hergé, in the Rue de l'Etuve
Nero, Sleen, Place St. Gery
We returned to the center to see one of the most visited and true symbol of Brussels, Manneken Pis points. The "Child urine" is a small bronze statue, 50 cm, built in the seventeenth century. The statue is so small that could go unnoticed if not for the hordes of tourists posing beside her to take pictures. In the Manneken Pis there are several shops that do very good waffles for 1 €, half in other parts of the city, so we took advantage!
Manneken Pis
eating a waffle next to the Manneken Pis
We left the old town to go up towards the upper town through the Place de l'Albertine, gateway to the Mont des Arts. It is a small hill on which the main museums and other cultural facilities in the city are located. We do not enter any of them, but worth taking a look at the area if only to enjoy one of their gardens.
Mont des Arts
Mont des Arts, with the old town in the background
After Mont des Arts we went to another small hill, the Coudenberg, of great historical importance. Here a castle was built in the twelfth century as the residence of the Dukes of Brabant. In the sixteenth century, Emperor Charles V made him one of the most sumptuous palaces in Europe. But in the eighteenth century a fire reduced it to rubble. Today you can visit some underground remains, but we did not.
In other Coudenberg preserved some of the homes of aristocrats that were built in the vicinity of the palace. A good example is the Hotel Ravenstein, red brick building built in the late fifteenth century. The mansions were at hand were also very nice, in a small concentrated area had a lot of gothic mansions. Near them was a large building built in a completely different style that surprised us, the Old England. They were art noveau department stores in the late nineteenth century and now house a museum of musical instruments. It is interesting to see his approach iron and glass facade.
Old England
Almost at the top of the Place Royale Coudenberg find one of the most important squares of the city. Although he had no life of the people and other coffees, it was surrounded by neoclassical buildings that gave a majestic air. Among them is the Church of St. Jacques sur Coudenberg, built in the eighteenth century after the great fire that destroyed the nearby Palace of Coudenberg. From the center of the square there were some interesting views to the northwest lower town, whence emerged the Hôtel de Ville was suspected. And southwest silhouette great Palais de Justice is implied.
Place Royale, with St. Jacques sur Coudenberg the bottom
Before continuing our route, we went to take a look at the Palais Royal, the official palace of the King of Belgium (although not your residence). It was built in the early twentieth century on some of the remains of the old Palace of Coudenberg. Just opposite the Parc de Bruxelles, a gigantic park that we walked just a few minutes, since the absence of leaves on the trees and took away quite charming flowers.
Palais Royal
One of the parts we liked this area was Sablon. Although very small, worth close to see the Petite Place du Sablon. The grounds were well kept, and the square was surrounded by Baroque houses that enhanced her beauty. It has a fence topped by 48 statues representing the different medieval guilds.
Place du Petite Sablon
Beside the square contemplate the magnificent Notre Dame du Sablon, an impressive Gothic church from the late fourteenth century. If your facade fascinated us, did no less bright and airy interior, since the light coming through the large side windows colors. Although there were not many tourists, this church deserves to be among the five best views in town!
Notre Dame du Sablon
Notre Dame du Sablon, inside
Across from the church is the Place du Grand Sablon, a quiet cobbled square surrounded by buildings of the eighteenth century. Nearby is one of the oldest churches of Brussels, Notre Dame de la Chapelle. Its origins are in a twelfth century chapel on the church, which had a long history of fires, reconstructions, bombings, etc. built He is the parish of the Polish community in the city. It is worth going to take a peek and see the interior.
Notre Dame de la Chapelle
Then we walked south on Marolles, a typical working class neighborhood of Brussels. Its two main streets are Blaes and Rue Haute, and were filled with shops mounted Maghreb, the dominant foreign community in the neighborhood.
Marolles, Rue Haute
From Marolles, we use a free lift that dropped us right next to the Palais de Justice, a giant building that was once the world's largest (XIX century). It was pretty spectacular, but when we went the facade was covered by works. Next to the elevator there was a lookout over Marolles, but the view was not very nice.
Palais de Justice
At the end of Marolles found the Porte de Hal, a huge bastion which is one of the few remnants of the wall in the fourteenth century surrounded the city.
Porte de Hal
The kick that had done that day was considerable, so we gave terminating the sightseeing. We took the metro to Porte de Hal center and approached one of his best-known Sacré Ilôt breweries, the Delirium Café. The ambience of the place was very neat: beer brands posters, rustic barrels, wooden tables ... One of the main complaints is that they have more than 2,000 beers from around the world, mostly Belgian. And the truth is that we believe, and we could see the huge catalog where they leave all they have. Luckily there is a letter with a selection of a hundred, and still cost us choose! In the end we opted for Abbaye de Forest Blonde and Mort Subite Kriek, an abbey beer and cherry respectively. Very good!
having a few beers at Delirium Café
Delirium Café environment
At dinner time, our idea was to do in the area of Rue des Bouchers, but were a turistada. We had read that you had to be careful with the restaurants in this area, as will the tourist. So we decided to play it safe and opt for recommending all guides, Chez Leon. It was housed in a large building and had several plants still looked pretty full. The good thing about this site is that they have a variety of dishes with mussels, to moules et frites of the classic. We asked "moules gratinées escargot" (mussels gratin) that were especially good. We left very happy!
dinner a "moules" Chez Leon
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