Katharina Schlup-Emch, Basle
Our guided tour began on the Grand Place with Philippe Dubois, a gifted tour guide. He brought the history of Brussels to life for us with cleverly chosen examples and, through his enthusiastic descriptions, made the historical figures come alive. As if in a film, he described the various stages of construction of this beautiful square and the people who lived there at the time. His passion for geography and history, as well as his teaching talent, were unmistakable. He pointed out fascinating architectural features on the façades of the guild houses and explained the symbols. We hadn’t realised before that the impressively tall tower of the Town Hall (96 metres) isn’t situated exactly in the centre of the building, but this realisation is said to have led to the architect’s suicide at the time.
On our tour of the old town, we also passed the Manneken Pis. More interesting, however, were the Old Stock Exchange (now a beer museum) and the Galerie Royale. After a detour to the Church of Notre Dame de Bon Secours, we were able to enjoy the view of the city from the Brucity rooftop terrace (Administrative Centre) thanks to Philipe. The lift to the 8th floor, which is open to the public, is a real hidden gem. We made another stop at the 200-metre-long Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert: a regal stroll amongst luxury boutiques and traditional shops beneath a magnificent glass roof. Our tour ended at the statue of Baudouin in front of St Michel’s Cathedral.
