A whistlestop tour of medieval Brussels

Mention Brussels and you'll often be met with groans or remarks about what a boring city it is... and I have to say, as excited as I was at the prospect of doing a traineeship at the European Commission, the thought of moving to Brussels didn’t exactly fill me with enthusiasm. But over the last few weeks I’ve grown quite fond of the Belgian capital, and a tour of its most important medieval landmarks convinced me that it is anything but boring.

On another beautiful, bright Sunday, around 40 stagiaires gathered at the Place Royale – the starting point for our tour. Given the glorious weather, we were reluctant to be indoors, never mind underground, but that's how our tour started – with a visit to the Coudenberg, the medieval palace buried under the streets of Brussels. The Palace of Coudenberg served as the seat of government for the monarchs of the Duchy of Brabant for almost 700 years, until it was destroyed by fire in 1731. The ruins were later torn down and the ground levelled to prepare for the construction of the new royal district. The archaeological site is certainly worth a visit, though renting an audio-guide is probably a good idea.

Next it was off to the Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule, an impressive Roman Catholic church founded in the 11th century. The patron saints of the church – Archangel St Michel and the martyr St Gudula – are also the patron saints of the city of Brussels. As well as learning about its history from our capable guide, Trips Co-ordinator Radoslav, we took advantage of the beautiful backdrop of the cathedral for some photos.

Our next stop was Grand Place – Brussels' most famous tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Almost completely destroyed by a French bombardment of Brussels in 1695, it was reconstructed by the city's guilds, resulting in the interesting combination of architectural styles we can see today.

Lunch at Place St Gery comes highly recommended – there were plenty of cafes and restaurants for us to choose from as we took a short break and basked in the sun. Coffee in Café des Halles is also a must; the venue, dominated by a giant obelisk which stood long before the building itself, is now a popular nightclub – and the setting for the next Stage Committee party!

From there it was off to see what the Senne river might have looked like today; historically the main waterway of Brussels, the Senne was heavily polluted by the second half of the 19th century and often flooded, leading to its covering – another Brussels landmark lost underground... The church of Sainte Catherine – located in a quarter renowned for its seafood – was our next port of call, followed by a visit to the Church of the Béguinage, a 17 th century church which originally served as the centre for the ‘béguines’　(lay sisters) who lived in houses clustered around it.

Back in medieval times, Brussels had two sets of fortifications – the first constructed in the early 13th century and the second in the late 14th century. We visited one of the few remaining sections, before continuing to our final destination, the Porte de Hal – a medieval city gate which, having served as a prison, a customs house and a Lutheran church, is the only surviving gateway of the second set of walls. The imposing building now houses a museum and offers panoramic views of the city. Unfortunately we were too late to visit the current exhibition, 'Marolles, terre d'accueil', which looks at the 800-year history of the Marolles neighbourhood, but I'll make sure to catch it before it closes in June.

So Brussels – like its name, which may be derived from the Dutch "Broekzele", meaning "village in the marsh" – may not seem the most exciting city at first sight, but delve deep enough and you'll discover a rich and fascinating history.


Carly Price,

EPSO