Page 49 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Brussels Bruges Ghent & Antwerp

THE L OWER T OWN  47

Le Pigeon was home to Victor Hugo, the
exiled French novelist who chose the RUE AU BEURRE RUE DU
PAIN VLEES
house as his Belgian residence in 1852. BOTERSTRAAT R CHAIR ET HERBES GRASMARKT
MARCHE AUX
Some of the most complimentary EN BROODSTR
comments about Brussels emerged later
HARINGSTR
from his pen. R DES HARENGS
GRAND PLACE
GROTE MARKT
RUE C. BULS STRAAT

R DES BRASSEURS
BROUWERSTR
Locator Map
See Brussels Street Finder map 2
La Maison des Ducs de Brabant is a
group of six guildhouses. Designed by
the Controller of Public Works, Stone busts of the ducal line
Guillaume de Bruyn, the group looks along the façade gave this
like an Italian Baroque palazzo. group of houses their name.

3 Le Pigeon 4 La Maison Des Ducs De Brabant
La Maison des
Le Renard was built in Boulangers, also
1699 as the guild house of known as “Le Roi
the haber dashers. Façade d’Esp agne”, was a
details show St Nicolas, showpiece built
patron saint of mer chants, by the wealthy and
and cherubs playing with powerful guild of
haber dashery ribbons. bakers. The 1697
octag onal copper
dome is topped
by a golden figure
blowing a trumpet.
Le Cornet displays Italianate
Flemish style. This Boatmen’s
Guildhouse (1697) is most
notable for its gable, which is Le Roi d’Espagne
constructed in the form of a now houses the
17th-century frigate’s bow. Grand Place’s finest
bar with a view of the
bustling square and
its splendours above
ground level. The gilt
bust over the
entrance represents
Saint Aubert, patron
saint of bakers. There
is a vast bust of
Charles II of Spain on
the second floor.
7 Le Renard, Le Cornet and Le Roi D’Espagne
For keys to symbols see back flap

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