City of the month

Brussels : A city bubbling with excitement

History

Architecture

Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie - De Munt : Programme see calendar.
Opened in 1700 and made a public institution in 1963, La Monnaie - De Munt opera house (officially bilingual) is one of Europe’s oldest cultural institutions.
The first opera performances in Brussels were held in a theatre built by Paolo and Pietro Bezzi on the site of a workshop where coins were minted (hence the name). Lully and the most fashionable composers in Europe and above all Paris were on the programme.
In 1819, William I gave the town a new modern theatre. Works by Grétry, Méhul, Boieldieu and Auber met with huge success at this venue. Indeed it was shortly after a performance of Auber’s Mute Girl of Portici, in August 1830, that the Belgian Revolution broke out. The theatre burnt down in 1855 and was rebuilt by Josef Poelaert. From that time on, Gounod, Berlioz and Thomas became favourites with the public and grand opera occupied the stage. Many works were premiered there, Hérodiade by Massenet, Sigurd by Reyer, Le Roi Arthus by Chausson etc. But Brussels was also distinguished for hosting the first performances in French of great works by foreign composers, notably Wagner (Lohengrin, the Ring cycle, Parsifal) and then Britten after the war (The Rape of Lucretia, Peter Grimes…).
La Monnaie - De Munt acquired an international dimension in the world of opera under the direction of Gérard Mortier who brought in great men of the theatre (Luc Bondy, Patrice Chéreau) for his productions.
Since 1992, the passionate Bernard Foccroulle has continued to call on great stage directors and set designers, on artists from other fields such as Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (choreographer in residence) and on exceptional artists such as Antonio Pappano, musical director. The programming is still focused on the great repertoire and is expanding towards the baroque. The creative policy remains a lively one and a new opera is put on every year (Reigen and Wintermärchen by Boesmans, composer in residence, Medeamaterial by Dusapin or more recently Œdipe sur la Route by Bartholomée).
This Opera House, one of the most beautiful historic buildings in Belgium, is open for tours by visitors.

The Orchestre National de Belgique : Programme see calendar.
Established in 1936 under the patronage of Queen Elisabeth, the vocation of this orchestra is to give symphony concerts in the Brussels-Capital region, throughout Belgium and abroad.
It has been directed by great conductors such as Erich Kleiber, Hans Knappertsbush, Karl Böhm and Pierre Monteux. In 1958, André Cluytens, its full-time conductor, brought the Orchestre National de Belgique international renown. In 1969, Michael Gielen took up the direction and extended its repertoire to contemporary music. He was later succeeded by André Vandernoot, Georges Octors, Mendi Rodan and Ronald Zollman. The orchestra kept its very extensive repertoire that ranged from classical and romantic works to 20th century pieces and film music. Since its foundation, it has been the favoured guest of the Palais des Beaux-Arts but travels abroad frequently. Indeed, the orchestra has visited no less than seven countries since 1994 and travels throughout Belgium just as regularly. In 1998 it was invited to Oviedo and Madrid where it played with, among others, the orchestras from La Scala in Milan and the Wiener Symphoniker. Since 1999, the orchestra has accompanied the finalists of the famous Concours Reine Elizabeth music competition.

The Societe Philharmonique de Bruxelles : Programme see calendar.
Attached to the Palais des Beaux-Arts since 1927, this is the leading concert organiser in Brussels. Operating from the heart of the European capital, it is the symbol of the meeting together of people. Through the diversity of the 250 concerts it puts on each season, the institution upholds “the idea of a living art, a creativity perpetually nurtured by tradition and memory, and an openness to the world that is as broad as possible”. The Société Philharmonique is a member of the European Concert Hall Organisation, which includes the top concert organisers of Europe, the aim of which is to develop a network of collaboration at international level.

The name “Bruocsela” (“residence in the marshes”) appears for the first time in a charter of 966, when Charles, Duke of Lotharingia, had a castle built on the island of Saint-Géry. The excellent strategic situation of this platform allowed the development of the town that grew up around the castle. The year 979 is recognised as the date of birth of Brussels.

The town subsequently developed trade and manufacturing, established a middle class and acquired its own administration. Around 1100, a protective rampart was built around the town. At the death of Duke John III, Count of Flanders, Louis de Male, taking advantage of the situation, took possession of Brussels. But, two months later, Everard t'Serclaes succeeded in driving the Flemish from the town and further ramparts were built to protect the city-dwellers.

The arrival of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, brought economic prosperity. Twenty years later, Brussels was considered the capital of the kingdom of Burgundy and became, under Charles V, the capital of the Low Countries. The death of his successor, Philip II of Spain who left no succession, brought with it numerous conflicts. In 1695, the troops of Louis XIV destroyed much of Brussels. The town finally came under Austrian domination until the French revolution.

Administrative centre of the French département of Dyle from 1795 until the fall of Napoleon, and later one of the two capitals of the Low Countries, Belgium was declared an independent monarchy in 1830 with Brussels as its capital. The town then built up its industrial base. In the reign of Leopold II (1865-1909), commercial, administrative and financial activities grew and the city expanded into new quarters by incorporating surrounding towns. During the world wars, in which Belgium found itself at the centre, the city was miraculously spared from bombing.

In 1958, Brussels expressed its willingness to embrace industrialisation by welcoming part of the European institutions and by organising a World Fair. Brussels, capital of the European Union and of Belgium, now consists of nineteen urban districts. It is the meeting point of the Flemish, Walloons and Brussels people themselves but also an international centre, which makes it a truly cosmopolitan city bubbling with excitement. It holds the title of the European city that every evening puts on the greatest number of shows per inhabitant.

The central nucleus of the city is rich in historic buildings inherited from the Middle Ages (notably the Grand-Place) while vast modern districts overflow beyond the ring of boulevards that form the Brussels pentagon. A great mixture of styles is to be found in this city :

Romanesque Style
Worth seeing : Notre Dame de la Chapelle.

Gothic Style
Worth seeing : the Hôtel de Ville (town hall), the Cathédrale Saint-Michel et Sainte-Gudule, Notre Dame de la Chapelle church, Notre Dame du Sablon church.

Flemish Baroque Style
Worth seeing : The façades of the guildhalls on the Grand-Place, especially the Maison du Renard (Fox Hall)

Art Nouveau (1893- 1910)
At the end of the 19th century, Brussels became the great capital of Art Nouveau thanks to the architects Victor Horta (1861-1947) and Henri Van de Velde (1863-1957)
Worth seeing : the Palais Stoclet by Josef Hoffman

Art Deco (from 1920)
Worth seeing : the Basilique de Koekelberg, the Palais des Beaux-Arts (1920-1928)

Some Highlights

In the surrounding area

Buildings and Monuments :

- The Grand Place : The Grand-Place, in the heart of the old town, remains today the pride of the people of Brussels. In the architectural field, it is a masterpiece of town-planning and melding of styles. A regular rectangle 110 m long by 68 m wide, this Grand-Place is dominated by the Hôtel de Ville and, opposite, the Maison du Roi, two Gothic-style buildings surrounded by former guildhalls dating from the 17th century. It has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1998.

- The Hôtel de Ville : The left wing was built by the architect Jacob van Thienen in 1402 and the right wing by Charles the Bold in 1444. The spire is topped by a statue of Saint Michael striking down the devil. In 1515, Charles V had the building rebuilt in Gothic style. After the destruction of Brussels in 1695, only the tower and exterior walls of the Hôtel de Ville were saved but restoration work was soon carried out. In 1814, the façade was decorated with statuettes representing the dukes and duchesses who reigned between 580 and 1564. The Hôtel de Ville today houses the Musée Communal.

- Manneken Pis - Corner of rue du Chêne and rue de l'Etuve
This very famous bronze statuette, only 60 cm high, made at the beginning of the 17th century by the sculptor Duquesnoy, represents a little man (Manneken) tirelessly filling the basin of his fountain with his stream of water. He is free, nonchalant, mischievous and perfectly illustrates the spirit of fun and sense of humour of the people of Brussels who have made him their symbol.

- Atonium : 102 metres high, the Atomium was built for the 1958 World Fair. It is formed of nine steel spheres linked by tubes representing the forces that the different atoms exert on one another. The aim of the engineer who designed it, Waterkeym, was to show the world of the infinitely small on a grand scale.

- The Cathédrale Saint-Michel et Sainte-Gudule : This cathedral, begun in 1226, is a genuine example of the mixture of styles: the choir coping is Romanesque with Gothic elements; the chancel and walls are early Gothic style; the central nave, transept, right-hand nave and the Holy Sacrament Chapel are Gothic. The two unfinished towers dating from the 15th century are Gothic and Flamboyant Gothic in style.
Worth seeing: the paintings by Coxie, the stained-glass windows depicting Charles V bringing the Relics of the Holy Sacrament, the statue of Jan van Ruysbroeck and the tomb of Archduke Ernest.

- The Basilique du Sacré Cœur de Koekelberg : This basilica is the biggest "Art Deco" style building in the world and the Peace Bell is the biggest bell in the Benelux countries.

- Notre Dame de la Chapelle : A mixture of Romanesque and Gothic style, this church was built in 1134. The body of Anneessens, who championed the freedom of the people of Brussels and was beheaded in 1719, lies in this Chapel. Pieter Bruegel the Elder and his wife also have their memorial stone in this church.

- Eglise Notre Dame du Sablon : A church with five naves, in Flamboyant Gothic style, built in the times of the Dukes of Burgundy. Worth seeing: the sacrarium (1549), the Chapel of the Princes of Tour and Tassis built by Faid'herbe and the triptych by Coxie (1592).

Parks and Gardens

National Botanical Garden : This Garden contains one of the most important plant collections in the world. Plants and trees from all over the world grow here.

Sculpture Garden : Contemporary sculptures in the heart of a magnificent botanical garden laid out as a public garden and containing a “Garden of medicinal plants”.

Parc du Cinquantenaire : This former parade ground was converted into a park on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Independence of the kingdom in 1880. Worth seeing: its “Triumphal Arch”, its statues and gardens.

To the north: the province of Vlaams-Brabant

The Green Belt

Beersel Castle : Built around 1300, it is one of the rare specimens of the military architecture of the Middle Ages.

Gaasbeek Castle : Built in 1236 by the Duke of Brabant to create a strategic bastion against attacks from neighbouring earldoms. Worth seeing: a precious collection of works of art.

Hageland

Hoegaarden : This village with its superb farms is well-known for its beermaking activities. Worth a visit: the brewery where the famous pale ale was born.

Château d’eau de Horst at Sint-Pieters-Rode : Built in the 16th and 17th centuries from iron-bearing sandstone, this mansion is often featured in the cartoon strip “Le Chevalier Rouge” as the home of the Hero.

Leuven

Town Hall: Built in the 15th century by the architect Mattheüs de Layens, it is a masterpiece of late Brabant Gothic architecture.

St.-Pieterskerk : This Brabant Gothic style church contains some genuine works of art.

To the south: province of Brabant Wallon

Waterlooo
Wellington museum : In 1815 this inn was the Headquarters of the Duke of Wellington, commander-in-chief of the Anglo-Dutch allies opposed to the French Forces of Napoleon. The rooms are dedicated to each of the nations that took part in the battle.

Musée de cire (waxworks museum) : This museum depicts the principal figures of the battle (Napoleon I, the Duke of Wellington…) made of wax by the artists of the Musée Grévin of Paris in 1949.

Food & Drink

Festivals, Traditional customs

Brussels Dishes
- Witloof or chicon (called "Belgian endive" or "white endive" in France). A dish often served as a gratin or a “velouté”.
- White and black puddings served with apple compote and/or mashed potatoes.
- Sautéed chicken in gueuze beer
- Mussels and french fries - Belgian fries are cooked in two phases which is what makes them so light.
- Pies : made of a mixture of pieces of pork, bacon and Brussels sprouts in butter.
- Œufs à la bruxelloise (eggs with chicory and béchamel sauce)
- "Hutsepot" : a hotpot based on steamed meat, pig’s trotters, sausages, turnips, bacon, potatoes and various vegetables.

Cheeses
- Soft cheeses : Bouquet des Moines, Madreret, Vieil Aubel…
- Semi-hard cheeses : Fromages d'abbaye, Chimay Cru or à la Bière…
- Hard cheeses : Vieux Bruges, Vieux Chimay…
- Blue-veined cheeses : Bleu de Franchimont, Château d'Arville …

Pastries
- Gaufres de Bruxelles (waffles with light-brown sugar, vanilla)
- Spéculoos : hard biscuits with light-brown sugar, flavoured with cinnamon and shaped into figures. You can also get spéculoos ice-cream.
- Bodding bruxellois (stale bread, cinnamon, raisins..).

Belgian Beer
Belgium’s temperate climate has always made it ideal for growing cereals, which are the ingredients needed for making beer.
- Kriek - a beer based on red cherries, belonging to the family of beers produced by natural fermentation.
- Lambic - Naturally fermented beer made from 70% barley and 30% unmalted wheat. It can be drunk immediately after manufacture but tends to be used as a base for gueuze, faro and fruit beers.
- Gueuze is the result of a mixture of lambics from previous years. A nourishing and thirst-quenching drink.
- Faro : An acidic beer resulting from a blending of March ales and lambics.

Worth visiting : Musée de la Brasserie.

Chocolate
The history of Belgian chocolate began in 1857 when Jean Neuhaus opened a pharmacy in Brussels in which he sold notably bitter chocolate. An enthusiast for this product, he refined it and produced sweets from it. His grandson, Jean, invented the "praline" in 1912 and the "ballotin" or box of chocolates in 1915. Belgian chocolates and pralines have a worldwide reputation today.
Site Web : http://users.skynet.be/chocolat/fr

Worth visiting :
Musée du Chocolat et du Cacao.

- Festivals and Traditions

The Fête du Bœuf Gras (end of March in Anderlecht) This festival, with a livestock competition, is a genuine folk event that includes exhibitions, processions, parades… and ends with a barbecue of roast lamb.

The Ommegang (first Thursday in July and the following day)
During the 13th century, merchants, magistrates and nobles decided to organise a procession in honour of the Virgin Mary: the Ommegang. Since then, an accurate reconstruction of this period, one of the most prosperous of the history of Brussels, is held each year.

Planting of the traditional "Meiboom" (first Sunday in September in Etterbeek)
A folk procession commemorating the planting of the traditional "Meiboom" (tree of joy) in the reign of Charles V.

The carpet of flowers: A 25 by 75 m carpet, made of more than half a million flowers, decorates the Grand-Place in August every other year. The pattern is different each time.

Festivals

Festival de Wallonie - www.festivaldewallonie.com
Every year in September-October, a classical music festival is organised with well-known performers and beginners. The concerts are held in the finest artistic venues (Palais des Beaux-Arts, Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie - De Munt) but also in churches, abbeys and museums...

Festival de Flandres à Bruxelles
www.festival-van-vlaanderen.be
Festival of classical music, world music, contemporary dance and theatre which hosts internationally-renowned orchestras in the finest historic venues.

"Mallemunt Festival (during the summer)
Concerts of folk music, pop, jazz, street theatre…

Concours Reine Elisabeth (in mai)
A talented violinist, the wife of King Albert 1 took a great interest in art. From 1937 on, she directed the Concours International de Musique Eugène Isaye, which, in 1950, took the name Concours Reine Elisabeth. This is one of the most important music competitions in the wo.

Things to Do

Hotels

Restaurants

Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire - www.kmkg-mrah.be
The MRAH consists of four museums:
Musée du Cinquantenaire - Parc du Cinquantenaire 10
This museum contains 4 sections: Antiquity (Egypt, Near-East, Greece and Rome), national archeology (prehistory, Gallo-Roman and Merovingian periods), European decorative arts and non-European civilisations (Islam, India, South-East Asia, China, America and Oceania).
Musée des Instruments de Musique - www.mim.fgov.be
Rue Montagne de la Cour 2
The museum houses 7000 pieces and musical instruments from all over the world and all periods. There is a splendid collection of instruments from the 16th to 19th centuries, including unique or rare examples, notably an Indian collection given to Leopold II by Raja Sourindro Tagore. There is also a unique example of Winkel’s componium, dating from 1821, wind instruments by Adolphe Sax, and painted and inlaid pieces.
Japanese Tower and Chinese Pavilion - Av. Van Praet 44 - 1020 Laeken
These two architectural curiosities were built between 1901 and 1904 at the initiative of Leopold II. The Japanese Tower holds temporary exhibitions displaying contrasting aspects of Japanese civilisation. The Chinese Pavilion, built entirely of wood, has a collection of Sino-Japanese porcelains.
Musée Royal d'Art Ancien - Rue de la Régence 3
www.fine-arts-museum.be
The art represented here is the 15th century Flemish school (Rogier de la Pasture, Bouts, Bosch, Van der Goes, Memling), and works from the 16th century (Metsys, Bruegel the Elder and David) and 17th century (Rubens, Jordaens, Van Dyck, Teniers).

Musée Royal d'Art Moderne - Place Royale 1-2
www.fine-arts-museum.be
This museum of modern art houses 2000 paintings, 1000 sculptures, 2500 drawings from the 19th and 20th centuries and a major collection of posters. Works by Permeke, Ensor, Magritte, Delvaux, Zadkine, De Braekeleer, Meunier are exhibited here, along with works by the French painters David, Delacroix, Sisley, Seurat, Courbet, Gauguin...

Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles - Grand-Place
Devoted to the history and artistic life of Brussels, this museum is housed in the Maison du Roi. It contains sculptural and decorative arts from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, the history of the City from the Early Middle Ages to the 20th century and the history of the Brussels population, including the outfits and decorations used for the Manneken Pis.

Musée du Théâtre Royal de Toone - Fondation Toone VII - Impasse Schuddeveld 6 - www.toone.be
Located in the wings of the theatre, this museum contains a significant collection of typical Brussels folk dolls as well as posters, manuscripts and paintings of traditional ways of life.

Centre Belge de la Bande dessinée - 20 rue des Sables - www.brusselsbdtour.com/cbbd.htm
The Belgian centre for comic strip art exhibits the famous Belgian comic strips in a former Art Nouveau storehouse designed by Victor Horta.

- Royal Windsor Hotel Grand’Place
5, rue Duquesnoy – 1000 Bruxelles
Tel : +32 (0)2 505 55 55
Fax: +32 (0)2 505 55 00
E-mail: sales.royalwindsor@warwickhotels.com
Website : www.royalwindsorbrussels.com

The Royal Windsor Hotel Grand’Place offers a 5-star home away from home right next to the Grand’Place, and within walking distance of the business district, the museums and the central railway station with connections to the airport and Thalys/Eurostar. The 266 elegantly appointed bedrooms & suites provide a quiet resting place in the animated centre.

- Hôtel Carrefour de l’Europe
Rue du Marché eux Herbes, 110 - 1000 Brussels
Tel : +32 (0)2 504 94 00
Fax : +32 (0)2 504 95 00
Email : info@carrefoureurope.net
Website : www.carrefoureurope.net

This Hotel is located in the charming old city of the capital of Europe, only a few steps away from the Palais des Beaux-Arts and the Théâtre de la Monnaie.
63 stylish and exclusive rooms,
of which 10 executive rooms and 5 suites
Restaurant – Bar, Public Parking.

Hôtel Métropole
Place de Brouckère 31 - 1000 Bruxelles
Tel : +32 (0)2 217 23 00
Fax. + 32-(0)2 218 02 20
Email : info@metropolehotel.be
Site web : www.metropolehotel.com

Built in 1895 the Metropole Hotel (only remaining hotel of the 19th century in Brussels) is noticeable by the quality of its service and its internal decoration. In fact, the main entrance has been decorated in French renaissance style, the reception hall in Empire style, some rooms in Art Deco style. The Metropole Hotel is marvellously well located right in the historical centre of the European capital, just a few steps away from the “Grand-Place”, the “Bourse” and the “Theatre de la Monnaie” and close to the city’s most exciting shopping thoroughfare of Brussel.

- Great Chefs

Trente rue de la Paille
30, Rue de la Paille – Tel : 2 512 07 15
Specialities: lobster mousse on a bed of whipped cream with watercress or large dish of land-sea-river food. Served accompanied by classical music in an early nineteenth-century house in the Sablon district.

Claude Dupont
46, Avenue Vital Riethuisen – Tel : 2 426 00 00
Worth tasting: cushion of brill in scallop shells, accompanied by a mousseline of baby vegetables. Classical interior.

Comme chez Soi
Place Rouppe, 23 – Tél : 2 512 29 21
Specialities: Fillets of sole, mousseline with Riesling and shrimps, thin slices of warm spiny lobster with mushrooms, snails…1900 interior

- Belgian Specialities

Taverne du passage
Galerie de la Reine 30 - Tel : 2 512 37 31
Art Deco interior. Has been awarded the Prize for the Best Wine selection. Covered terrace in the gallery.

Chez Patrick
Rue des Chapeliers 6 - Tel 2 511 98 15
An authentic Brussels restaurant.

Cave du Roy
Grand Place 14 - Tel 2 502 14 11
Traditional food in a 17th century cellar. Terrace on the Grand Place.