The Lower
town:
the ancient heart of the city and home to its most famous area, the Grand Place
Grand Place – the market
place is in the centre of the old town, and dominated by the town hall, and is
surrounded by ancient guild houses
L’ Etoile – is one of the
oldest houses in the square, under its arch may be seen the statue of Everard’t
Serclaes, the hero if the struggle between the guilds and the patricians in the
17th century. The stature remains gold at one level from all the
hand prints of tourists.
Hotel de
Ville - The Town Hall of
the City of
Brussels
is a Gothic building
from the Middle Ages. It is located on the famous Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium. A 96 meter
(310 ft) high tower in Brabantine Gothic style
emerges from the roof of the Town Hall, the square tower body narrows to a
lavishly pinnacled octagonal
openwork. Atop the spire stands a 5-metre-high gilt metal statue of the archangel
Michael,
patron saint of Brussels, slaying a dragon or devil.
The Maison du Roi – was
first built in 1536 but redesigned in 1873. Once the residence of ruling
Spanish monarchs, it is now home to the Musee de la Ville, which includes 16th
century paintings, tapestries, and the 650 tiny outfits of Manneken Pis.
Manneken Pis – an
unlikely attraction, this tiny statue of a young boy barely 30 cm high
relieving himself into a small pool is much a part of Brussels as Trafalgar
square lions are to London. In 1698 governor Maximillian Emmanuel donated a
suit of clothing with which to dress the statue. It was the beginning of a
tradition that continues to date.
Rest stop for ice-cream:
The Galleries Saint-Hubert –
constitute a large passage 212 meters long, 8 meters wide and 18 meters high,
it has the distinction of being the first shopping arcade in Europe , and one
of the most elegant.
On the first night out Dan and I got a
lot of attention, this may have been due to our tattoos:
The town square at night, lit up is
good for a drink but not cheap on the pocket:
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