Page 83 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Brussels Bruges Ghent & Antwerp

T WO GUIDED W ALKS  81

right, you will see the Tour Noire is maintained by the
(Black Tower) q. This is a rare numerous fish restaurants
remnant of the first ring of city in these streets. The Rue du
walls built to protect Brussels Peuplier leads to the Eglise
in the 13th century. Loop round St-Jean-Baptiste-au-
the eastern end of the Eglise Béguinage (see p56) e;
Ste-Catherine to the broad, this beautiful Baroque
open space lined by the Quai church once stood at the
au Bois à Brûler (firewood quay) heart of a béguinage (see
and Quai aux Briques (brick p57) that occupied much
quay) w. The area between of northwest Brussels in
them – filled with pools and medieval times.
fountains – was once a canal;
it was covered over in 1870, Place des Martyrs
and the fish market was and La Monnaie
re located here. This tradition Via the Rue de Laeken, Rue
des Hirondelles and r The entrance to the Hôtel Métropole, one of
Boulevard Émile Brussels’ oldest Art Nouveau hotels
Jacqumain, you
MAX LAAN
e will reach the of the Galeries St-Hubert
(see p51) a, a magnificent
Place de
R. D LAEKEN t PLACE DES side is the Hôtel arcade to the point, halfway
Ste-Cathérine BLVD. ADOLPHE RUE ST MICHEL R AUX CHOUX KOOLSTR. Brouckère (see p56). shopping arcade built in
St- Katelijne ST MICHIELSTRAAT i On the opposite 1847. Walk through the
u
Métropole (see p53)
MARTYRS
w LAEKENSESTRAAT y MARTELAARS r, one of the city’s along, where it is intersected
PLEIN
by the pedestri anized Rue
r
BAKSTEENKAAI
QUAI AUX BRIQUES
PL DE
the Boulevard
street”, lined with colourful
PLACE BROUCKERE RUE NEUVE NIEUW STR. grandest hotels. From des Bouchers s, the “butchers
STE-CATHERINE PLEIN Adolphe Max, turn restaurants. You are now in
0 q RUE DE BISSCHOPS RUE D’ARGENT ZILVERSTR right to walk the Îlot Sacré, a term that dates
RUE DE LA VIERGE NOIRE RUE DES HALLES MONNAIE p shopping arcade to be protected from develop-
9 De Brouckère RUE DU FOSSE AUX LOUPS WOLVENGRACHT through the Passage back to 1960 when this area
ZWARTE LIEVEVROUWSTR
was decreed a “sacred island”
du Nord t, a
o
HALLENSTR.
PLACE
DE LA
built in 1882. At
ment. Take the second left,
the Petite Rue des Bouchers
the end lies Rue
Neuve (see p53) y,
RUE ANTOINE
hand side, is an alley called
one of Brussels’ main
DANSAERT STR.
8 BOULEVARD ANSPACH ANSPACHLAAN RUE DE L’ECUYER SCHILDKNAAPSSTR one end you will find d; halfway down, on the left-
shopping streets. At
the Impasse Schuddeveld,
at the end of which is the
the Centre
Théâtre Marionettes de Toone
Bourse
KIEKEN MARKT
RUE DU MARCHE AUX POULETS
historic puppet theatre. By
other City 2 (see
Toone puppet
ARENBERGSTR
continuing along the Petite
p161). From here,
6 Beurs 5 3 R DU MIDI ZUIDSTR 2 f d s a RUE D’ARENBERG f Marionettes de Anspach, at the (see p52) f, the famous and
the Rue St-Michel leads to the
Rue des Bouchers and the Rue
7 4 1 R D MARCHE Place des Martyrs u. In the Chair et Pain, you will return
middle is a marble statue of
to the Grand Place.
R D BOUC HERS BEENHOUWER STR
B ERGSTRAAT
mausoleum for the 450 “martyrs”
GRAND AUX HERBES RUE DE LA MONTAGNE “Belga”, under which is a
GRAS-MARKT
PLACE
GROTE killed in the 1830 Revolution
MARKT that secured Belgium its
independence. The building on
the north of the square, decked
with Flemish flags, is the seat of
the Flemish government i.
Retrace your steps, then continue
to the Place de la Monnaie o,
0 metres 100 the site of the fine Neo-Classical
0 yards 100 opera house, the Théâtre Royal
de la Monnaie (see p52) p.
Key
The Îlot Sacré
Walk route By walking some 200 m (220 yd)
along the Rue de l’Écuyer, you s Restaurants with outdoor tables on the
come to the northern entrance traffic-free Rue de Bouchers
For keys to symbols see back flap
080-081_EW_Brussels.indd 81 10/01/17 11:04 am