Page 84 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Brussels Bruges Ghent & Antwerp

82  BRUSSELS AREA B Y AREA

A 90-Minute Walk in the Sablons
and Coudenberg

Brussels was historically divided into an Upper and Lower Quartier Marolles (see p50). If
Town. The Upper Town, on the Coudenberg (“Cold Hill”), you walk along Rue Haute to
was the royal quarter, the site of a palace destroyed by fire the north you reach the Tour
in 1731. This walk climbs gently from the Grand Place in d’Angle (or Tour d’Anneessens)
the Lower Town, past remnants of the old city walls and the 8, another remnant of the
old city walls.
working-class Marolles district, before entering the chic area
of Sablon. On the Coudenberg, the route passes the elegant The Sablon
18th-century palace of Charles de Lorraine before descending Walk up the picturesque Rue de
to Brussels’ cathedral and returning to the Grand Place. Rollebeek 9. At the top, take a
look down Rue Joseph Stevens to
where the Maison du Peuple 0
once stood on the Place E. BLVD. DE
Vandervelde. Built for the Société ARENBERGSTR BERLAIMONT LAAN PLACE SAINTE-GUDULE
SINTER-GUDULEPLEIN
Coopérative, it was one of Victor
RUE D’ARENBERG
R UE DE LA MONTAGNE LOKSUMSTRAAT
Horta’s great Art Nouveau AUX HERBES BEENHOU WER STR. j
masterpieces, but it was GRAS-MARKT
RUE DES BOUCHERS
BERGSTRAAT
R D U MARCHE
KOLONIENSTRAAT
GRAND PLACE k BD DE L’IMPERATRICE RUE DES COLONIES
RUE DU MIDI ZUIDSTRAAT 3 RUE DES CHAPS
GROTE MARKT
RUE DE LOXUM
R DU CARD. MERCIER
Cafés and restaurants in the Grand Place, or Grote Markt 1 2 KEIZERINLAAN KARD. MERCIERSTR
PUTTERIJ
R DES PUTTERIE
SPOORMAKERSSTR
R D MAR D FROM
Manneken Pis and the street, the Rue de la Violette, RUE DE LA MADELEINE Gare Centrale
4
Marolles contains the lace museum, the RUE DE LOMBARD STRAAT R DES EPERONNIERS MAGDALENASTEENWEG Centraal Station
Leave the Grand Place via the Musée du Costume et de la R DE L’ETUVE STOOF STR.
5
RAVENSTEINSTRAAT
Rue Charles Buls, named after Dentelle (see p48) 3. Continue
a Burgomaster of the 1890s along Rue de l’Étuve 4, the PLACE ST JEAN RUE ST JEAN g h STUIVERSSTRAAT
ST JANSPLEIN
who did much to preserve the site of a public bathhouse in ST JANSSTR. RUE RAVENSTEIN
RUE DES SOLS
historic face of Brussels. At the Middle Ages. At the GASTHUISSTR. MONT DES ARTS
R DE L’HOPITAL
the first crossroad is the Hôtel corner with the Rue du RUE DE CHENE E L KS TRAAT RUE DE L’ESCALIER KUNSTBERG d
Amigo 1, on the site of a Chêne is the famous statue of TRAPSTRAAT BLVD. DE L’EMPEREUR a
6
prison named the Amigo by the Manneken Pis (see pp48–9) CELLEBROERSSTR. KEIZERSLAAN f s
the 16th-century rulers of the 5. Take the Rue du Chêne, p
RUE DES ALEXIENS
Spanish Netherlands. Opposite, then the Rue de Villers to
on the wall of Rue des Brasseurs reach the Tour de Villers 6, RUE LEBEAU STR. PLACE
1, is a plaque 2 marking the the remains of a tower 8 KONINGS
ROYALE
hotel where, in 1873, the French and section of the 9 PLEIN
poet Paul Verlaine shot fellow 12th-century city walls. Musee du Costume et i o
7
poet Arthur Rimbaud at the Across Boulevard de de la Dentelle 3 PL DE LA e
end of their affair. The next l’Empereur is the church Chapelle CHAPELLE RUE STEVENS STR. q
KAPELLE
0
of Notre-Dame de la Chapelle Kapelle MARKT R BODENBR OECK STR.
(see p50) 7, with its black bell w RUE DE LA REGENCE
Tips for Walkers tower. Rue Blaes and Rue Haute r REGENTSCHAPSSTRAAT
Starting point: Grand Place lead off to the south into the ZAVEL STRAAT t
Length: 3.4 km (2.1 miles)
Getting there: The nearest Metro
R DES SABLONS
stop is Bourse; numerous buses
also go to the Bourse, and to De u
Brouckère/Place de la Monnaie a y
short walk away.
Stopping off points: The Place
du Grand Sablon has many fine
restaurants, a branch of Le Pain
Quotidien (No.14 in this walk),
and the cafés of Wittamer (No.13).
Near the Place Royale, Du Mim,
within the Musée Instrumental,
is recommended.
e High-quality patisseries at renowned chocolatiers Wittamer
082-083_EW_Brussels.indd 82 10/01/17 10:54 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm