La Grand Place in Brussels. Grand Place in Brussels (Grand place, Grote Markt). Rue des Sablons square

Grand Place - Grand Place (Grote Markt). Square in the center Brussels, a major tourist attraction, one of the most beautiful squares in the world. The area has a length of 110 meters and a width of 68 meters. It is surrounded by houses built in the 17th century - Guild houses. The ensemble of the market square as a whole was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. Grand Place was named the most beautiful square in Europe in 2010. Moscow Red Square then took second place. Here are located city ​​hall building (Town Hall) And Bread House (King's House, Broodhuis, Maison du Roi). Every two years (in even years) the square is decorated with the famous Flower Carpet from living begonias, which attracts tourists from all over the world.

In the city center in general, and on the Grand Place in particular, the architecture is dominated by medieval houses in the Flemish style, in particular, in the style of the Flemish Baroque and Brabant Gothic. The architectural ensemble of the Brussels Grand Place took shape in the 16th-18th centuries. The market square itself (just an open trading platform) arose at the end of the 11th century on the site of dried-up swamps, near the fortress on the Seine River, from which Brussels began. At first it was called Nedermerckt (lower market). At the beginning of the 13th century, it ceased to be just an open area - the first "pavilions" appeared, so to speak ... Soon, as the city grew, other buildings surrounded it. Built in the 13th century Bread House(used to store bread), later the building became known as King's house. Between 1402 and 1455 the building was erected town halls, which has been preserved to this day. However, many buildings around the square were destroyed at one time. On August 13, 1695, the bombardment of Brussels by a French army of 70,000 began for several days. As a result, the entire city center was destroyed. On the market square stood only town hall and (partly) Bread House. After the end of the war, the square was rebuilt in four years by wealthy guilds (it's something like medieval trade unions). The Guild Houses are built in the Baroque and Louis XIV styles. Their facades are decorated with carvings, garlands, figurines and columns. Each has its own name and once belonged to a particular guild. Narrow - three or four windows - the facades of these buildings are easy to recognize today. For example, the House "Rozhok" belonged to the shipbuilders' workshop and its facade in the upper part looks like the stern of a ship. A House "Swan" was the office of butchers and is decorated accordingly with a sculpture of a swan. In 1845, during the stay of Marx and Engels in Brussels, they often visited a cafe located in this house (this is house number 9), they presented their "Communist Manifesto" to interested parties here. Standing next door house "Star" famous for high relief Everard Circlas(No. 8). Another house, "She-Wolf" was occupied by the guild of archers, the house "Cart" was built in 1697 by the guild of oil and fat producers. There is also "Oak", "Little Fox", one of the houses was built by the brewers' guild (No. 1) - and there now Beer Museum. In the 18th century, the revolutionary masses defaced the Grand Place, destroyed the statues of noble people and even the symbols of Christianity. The buildings were in a terrible state, the facades were mutilated, repainted and not restored. But the new mayor at the end of the 19th century brought order here - and the square shone in its former splendor. Until November 19, 1959, the square remained really a market place - there was trade here ... And the famous Flower Carpet appeared here in 1971. This action turned out to be popular - and therefore, since 1986, every two years, on an ongoing basis, from August 15, a huge carpet of multi-colored begonias measuring 24 by 77 meters and with a total area of ​​1,800 sq.m. is created on the Grand Place for several days. The event attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world. In other years, they decorate with flowers City Hall. Details of promotions - at www.flowercarpet.be.

Immediately after, which I called the most uninteresting attraction in Brussels, I decided to move in my stories to the Grand Place - a place that has become my favorite in the capital of Belgium, yes, what is Belgium, perhaps, this is one of the most beautiful squares in all of Europe. I often noted in the reports of other tourists a condescending and sometimes critical attitude towards Brussels, but in my opinion even one Grand Place justifies visiting this city.

We owe the emergence of the Grand Place in its modern form to the Sun King. One of the episodes of the Nine Years' War was the siege of Brussels. During the bombardment of the city by the French in 1695, hundreds of buildings were destroyed, including the Grand Place, which was almost completely destroyed, only the Town Hall building survived. But just a few years later, the area was restored. More precisely, it was built up according to a new unified plan, all the guild buildings were erected in the then popular Flemish Baroque style.

I am a well-known cartographer, without a map at the beginning of the story I feel like the Leaning Tower of Pisa without a foundation. Therefore, I will lay out the layout of buildings on the square and then I will use the numbering from this map of the Grand Place.

I'll start with the most impressive building on the Grand Place - town halls. The Gothic Town Hall was built in the 15th century. This is the only building on the Grand Place that has survived from that time. I was very happy when I found out that the building of the Town Hall is real (well, almost), and not an imitation of Gothic built in the 19th century, as, say, in or Vienna.

This photo shows that the building is not symmetrical. According to legend, the architect, who discovered the asymmetry after the construction was completed, jumped from the tower onto the pavement in desperation. Not really. Initially, only the left side (10 windows) was built, then a shorter (7 windows) right wing of the building was added to it.

The rich sculptural decoration of the Town Hall facade dates back to the 19th century. Here you can find images of many saints, the Dukes of Brabant, horsemen, gargoyles, heroes of various legends. On the spire of the tower stands a statue of the patron saint of Brussels, the Archangel Michael, who defeats a hundred dragons.

According to legend, Saint Michael the Archangel saved the son of Lambert II Count of Leuven from death. True, I don’t know which Heinrich and Renier, according to Vicki, Lambert had two sons. In my brief retelling, the story goes like this. The earl's heir fell in love with a girl. The girl was undoubtedly worthy, but she was not fit to marry the son of the count because of her lower origin. In addition, the young man himself did not like her. Then he came up with a brilliant idea - to kidnap the girl. But his plan failed and the heir was put in jail and was about to be executed soon. Here a change took place in the woman's heart, the girl changed her mind about the admirer who had suffered because of her and went to visit him in prison. After the meeting, she began to pray to God to save the count's son and, as it turned out, quite successfully. God was touched by the prayers and sent Archangel Michael to arrange for the young man to escape from prison. Then the young lovers, I hope, got married, as it should be in the legends. And in gratitude for the miraculous salvation, the count declared the Archangel Michael the patron saint of the city.

I can’t tell you what events are displayed on this console. But if you are in the square, then try to find the legend of Judge Herkenbald on one of the consoles above the Lion's Porch. The judge stabbed his own nephew for raping a certain girl. Both the scene of the murder and the scene of the loss of honor are colorfully, if I may say so about the sculpture, depicted in stone.

I borrowed the picture. By the way, a very interesting magazine about Brussels, I recommend it. And the console itself is located at this lion in the picture below, under which two girls are sitting smoking a joint for two (yes, on the main square, this is Amsterdam Brussels).

You can get to the Town Hall only with a guided tour, they do not take place so often, I think you can find the schedule on the Internet. I personally decided to skip this event. That's it, one more photo of the Lion's Porch of the Town Hall and I'll end here.

Moving on to the next building on the Grand Place House of the Dukes of Brabant(13-17). No dukes lived here, but the facade is decorated with their busts, as many as 19 pieces - hence the name. In fact, this is not one house, but as many as seven, united under one roof. Above each door is a symbol of the guild that owned the house. The names of the houses come from these images. I'm not a fan of shooting details, so when you are on the square you can find images yourself (from the right edge): Glory (13), Legacy (14), Good Luck (15), Mill (16), Pot (17), Hill ( 18) and Exchanges (19).

Every even year in August, the Grand Place is covered with a carpet of flowers. Look in my friend's journal:
http://platpaul.livejournal.com/310394.html
We missed this spectacle, because. were 2015, i.e. odd. But still, a few flowers were found on the square. Selling off last year's carpet?

We pass to the next side of the square, perhaps the most picturesque. Let's start from the right side. The widest building belonged to the Bakers' Guild. It's called King of Spain(1), on the façade between the second and third floors there is a bust of Charles II, King of Spain. The roof of the house of the Spanish king is crowned with a weather vane with Mercury. On the ground floor is the most famous cafe of the Grand Place, also called the "King of Spain", at least I recommend to go in and have a beer.

The next building with a funny name" Cart"(2) belonged to the guild of an oil merchant (or fat? Translator from French from me is so-so).

building" Bag"(3) the guild of carpet weavers owned.

"She-wolf"(4) belonged to the guild of archers. The pediment (triangular garbage under the roof) is decorated with a bas-relief of Apollo piercing with arrows (the guild of archers after all) a python. a snake, but a real dragon.Python guarded the entrance to the Delphic soothsayer, and he himself could prophesy, the soothsayers Pythia went on his behalf (I think everyone watched the Matrix).Under Python and Apollo are four medallions with Roman emperors: Trajan, Tiberius , Augustus and Julius Caesar. Let's go down to the floor below and see four statues - allegories of Truth, Falsehood, Peace and Troubles. Above the door - the image of the Capitoline she-wolf, which gave the name to the house. The roof is crowned with a statue of the Phoenix - a symbol of the revival of the Grand Place and Brussels after the wars and destruction.

"Horn"(5) the only house by the appearance of which you can determine which guild it belonged to. Look at the last floor. Guessed? That's right, this is the stern of the ship! This means that the guild of boatmen settled here. One floor below from the stern, the facade is decorated with statues of tritons and marine horses.A postal horn is depicted above the entrance to the building.

And, completes the side of the guild houses" fox"(6). Here was the center of the haberdashers' guild. As you already understood, a gilded figurine of a fox is installed above the door. Just don't ask what the fox has to do with haberdashery. However, this also applies to other guilds. The first floor is supported by the Atlanteans. On the second the facade is decorated with statues representing the four continents: Europe, Asia, Africa and America, in the center - the statue of Justice, the third is supported by caryatids, and on the roof there is a statue of St. Nicholas, the patron of these merchants (now under restoration).

You will be surprised, but when I walk around the city, the last thing I care about is how I will later describe my walk in a magazine. If I were a normal blogger, of course, I would have photographed every detail of the guild houses that I wrote about above to make the story better illustrated. But this time, I did capture something. I hope, in this form, the details of the magnificent decor can be seen a little better. In the picture below, the houses are "Bag" (with caryatids, i.e. semi-columns in the form of aunts) and "Cart".

Statues of the continents on the "Fox" facade. In the center is Justice with a giant sword. Atlantes supporting the balcony are also good.

Allegorical statues on the facade of the She-Wolf. On the right with sagging boobs - Trouble, then with a scroll (why?) - Mir, False, aims at tourists with some kind of stone, and the far left Pravda holds a book (but does not read it clearly), while Pravda is wearing the least clothes of all honest four.

At night, the Grand Place is chicly illuminated, I came here almost every evening in Brussels, since the Grand Place is located on the road from our hotel to the famous Dellirium.

Incredible beauty, I think.

I was in Brussels for four evenings (returning from trips around the area) and one full day, and each time I stopped at the Grand Place, so don't be surprised at the number of identical photos at different times of the day.

The next side is five more houses. On right " Star"(8) - one of the narrowest houses of the Grand Place. Its roof is decorated with a golden six-pointed star. On the ground floor there is a gallery in which the lying (then probably laid) monument to Everard t "Serclaes is installed. I'll write more about it below.

"Swan"(9) - the tallest building on this side. Quite a contrasting building, the first floors are very strict, then the higher, the more the architect's fantasy roamed. In fact, the house was built in several stages, in the 18th century it was bought by a rich guild of butchers and apparently decided to tweak the building to her meaty taste.In "The Swan" Karl Marx, who lived in Brussels for five years, celebrated the new year 1848. In some reports about the Grand Place, I met the statement that he lived here and even wrote here his "Capital", but it is not.

"golden tree"(10) - the most magnificent and useful house of the five. Why is it useful? Yes, because it is the house of the Brewers' Guild! The roof is decorated with a statue of Charles Alexander of Lorraine, the governor of the Netherlands. As a governor, he earned a good reputation for his wise and gentle rule. As a person he was strict, but He was not angry and quick-tempered, a lover of life and a subtle connoisseur and lover of art, patronized well-known musicians, which, apparently, earned him a golden statue.

"Rose" (11) and " Mount Tabor"(12) nothing special stands out, but also pleasant.

Let's take a closer look at the roofs of the Swan and the Golden Tree. Three angels are installed on the roof of the "Swan", under the central one there is an inscription "This house was built by wool". Frankly, I didn’t quite figure out where the butchers, whose guild belonged to the Swan, got the wool, it seems, like waste products.

It was getting dark and the lights began to light up in the windows of the houses. And, despite some pomposity, the buildings began to look cozy and warm.

Gallery of the house "Star". See the Japanese taking pictures on the left? And a little behind them in a niche is Monument Everard t "Serclaes. This resident of Brussels in the 14th century led the liberation of the city from the Flemings who occupied it. The monument is located on the site where the house stood, in which Everard died of his wounds. The statue of the dying knight is made in the style of the Italian Renaissance, which at one time angered some critics, allegedly this is an anachronism, because the hero of Brussels lived in Gothic times, so the monument had to be made Gothic.

The monument also depicts three scenes from the history of Brussels. It's funny that in at least three places the author of the monument played on the nickname of the people of Brussels, like " chicken eaters"(well, the inhabitants of the city used to love to use this bird in finished form): a woman drags a cart with poultry, a cook holds a chicken, a prankster has a mug with the inscription "chicken eaters" in his hands.

Tradition requires tourists to rub their hand, knee or dog at the feet of a knight, while making a wish that must be fulfilled. Allegedly, this custom originated during the occupation of Brussels by the Germans during the First World War, as the inhabitants of the city demonstrated their patriotism (hmm).

Grand Place is one of the main avenues of the Belgian capital, located in the heart of the metropolis and proud of its unique sights. From this famous place it is worth starting excursions around the city, because according to legend, it was this site that laid the foundation for the emergence and development. In addition, it is not only the current, but also the historical center of the capital.

Grand Place in Brussels: the history of creation

The history of the famous old square began in the 12th century, when numerous swamps were dried up on its future territory. Over the next few centuries, the infrastructure of the structure was built:
— In XIII, the famous Bread House appeared or, as it is also called the "King's House"
— In the 15th century, the left side of the City Hall was built.
The end of the 17th century was disastrous for the Grand Place, since during the attack of the French from the well-groomed modern site there were solid ruins, only the Town Hall managed to survive almost in its original form, which lost only the sculptures on the facade and the monument of St. Michael on top of the tower.
After the end of hostilities, the area was quickly reconstructed thanks to the participation of wealthy guilds. Most of the buildings were reminiscent of the style of Louis XIV, and were also made in the architectural style of the Baroque. The appearance of the square of those times is predominantly preserved to this day.
In 1998, the architectural ensemble of the central square was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Modern Grand Place in Brussels is a unique architectural monument, which is very popular among tourists and residents of the capital. It impresses with its unusual architecture, as well as historical buildings erected during the Middle Ages located on its expanses:
1) The Brussels City Hall is the most beautiful building in the capital, built in the 15th century and intended for the work of the city administration. Over time, the administration of the capital was moved to another building, but the mayor of the metropolis continues to work in a historical building. Despite the fact that the mayor continues to sit in the town hall, you can appreciate the luxury of its interiors during group tours, which are held for just a few hours, two days a week.
The interior decoration of the building resembles the royal chambers, since expensive materials, gilded decor elements, as well as chic tapestries were used in its modeling. No less amazing can be considered the facade of the building, which has an asymmetric shape and is decorated with numerous statues of rulers and sculptures of saints.

2) The Bread House (or the House of the King) is an old building, which, despite its second name, has not been used for a single day for the work of monarchs. It is often called the champion among structures that have repeatedly changed their appearance and purpose. So, in the history of construction, its following functions are known:
– in the XIII century the building was used as a warehouse for bakery products
- a few years later it was converted into a place for the detention of criminals
- then it was bought by the Duke of Brabant and played the role of his personal tax office, and then became the family estate of the ruler.
- after the conquest of Brussels by the French, the House of the Duke began to be called the House of the People, which, due to the granting of royal privileges to foreign governors, was renamed the House of the King.
Today, the historic building houses the city museum, the exposition of which is the work of Belgian craftsmen who worked in various historical eras. Among the exhibits of the cultural institution, you can find stunning tapestries, interesting paintings, and even modern reconstructions of the historic city center.
In addition, on the Grand Place for about 30 years in a row, from August 15, for several days, you can watch the parade of flowers that cover the avenue like a fluffy multi-colored carpet.

Grand Place: how to get there?

The Grand Place is located in the very center of the Belgian capital, so you can get to it by several modes of transport:
– trams
Routes No. 3, 4, 31, 32 follow to the main avenue of the city, which stop at the Bourse stop.
— by buses going to the Parlement Bruxellois stop (No. 48 and 95)
Also not far from the Great Square is the metro station De Brouckere.

The magnificent Grand Place in the center of Brussels is majestic and elegant at the same time. Once on this square, you understand that all other sights of Belgium simply pale in front of this masterpiece of real Gothic art.

through the pages of history

The history of this city square is rooted in the centuries-old thickness of ancient times. All the significant events of this city took place here, the Grand Place saw many rulers and statesmen, great people and celebrities. Each stage of its history is a capture of the pages of urban history:

• XII century - the city Market Square was built on the site of dried marshes;
• XIII century - the Bread House was erected, where bread was stored: hardly anyone at that time could have known that this building would soon turn into the King's House, the main decoration of the square;
• 1402-1455 - the Gothic building of the town hall was built;
• 1695 - the square was destroyed as a result of the shelling of the city by the French army that lasted several days; many sights of Brussels died this year;
• beginning of the 17th century - the Grand Place was rebuilt by rich guilds; now you can see the luxurious guild houses of that time, built in the Baroque or Louis XIV style.

Each building on this square is a real masterpiece of world Gothic art. Nearby are hotels in Brussels, where you can relax after all the excursions.

Grand Place: architectural appearance

The beauty of the square is the buildings that are located on it. For example, the 15th century town hall is unique in its architecture:

• the original town hall tower is 91 meters high;
• its spire is crowned with a weather vane in the form of a 5-meter copper figure of the Archangel Michael;
• the facade of the building is decorated with hundreds of statues;
• the interior of the Town Hall is richly decorated with paintings and carpets;
• in the courtyard you can see two picturesque fountains.

The King's House, which now houses the Belgian City Museum, is a fine example of neo-Gothic style in architecture. You can also visit the beautiful museum complex Royal Museums of Fine Arts.

One of the great traditions of the Grand Place is the creation of a huge carpet of flowers every two years. An incredible sight is a drawing of millions of multi-colored begonias. Its size is 24 x 77 meters, and the total area is 1,800 square meters. meters.

Once in the very center of Brussels - on the Grand Place - you can not pass by this Gothic splendor. Here you want to walk endlessly, seeing the sights of Brussels, decorating this square with their Gothic lace.

Working hours: a large market is open daily from 9:00 to 20:00.

The historic Grand Place is of great importance for the Belgian capital. The most significant sights of the city are located on the square. In addition, the Grand Place has a rich past, which tourists from all over the world enjoy looking at today.

Grand Place: echoes of history

The market square in the Belgian capital was rebuilt in the 13th century. On the site of dried marshes, counters were set up and the first Bread House was built. Bread was stored in this building for a long time. Then the people began to call this place the House of the King.

In the 15th century, a Gothic-style town hall was erected on the main square. In 1695, Brussels came under fire, all buildings and structures on the market square were almost completely destroyed. Only the town hall and the Bread House survived.

After the end of the war, the Belgian rich restored the square by building houses of their guilds there. Thus, the Grand Place acquired its current appearance, which is so pleasing and impressive to all those who see it for the first time.

Brussels Square today

The Grand Place can rightly be called the "square of flowers". Since 1971, florists have been creating a flower carpet on the square. The action begins in mid-August. The flowers are fragrant and bloom all the time, as long as it is warm enough outside.

Begonias are used to decorate the Grand Place. Flower ornament covers an area of ​​1800 square meters.

The King's house on the square is today given over to a museum. There are exhibitions of fine arts.

There are 33 buildings of various guilds along the perimeter of the square. They are made in pseudo-Gothic style. There are also buildings in the Baroque style.

Every morning, flower and bird markets open on the Grand Place. In addition, the square itself is included in the world list of the UNESCO organization.

Not far from the famous square is the iconic Belgian statue of Manneken Pis.

Hotels and restaurants successfully operate in the historic buildings of the Grand Place. There are many shops on the territory of the square, which do not spoil its appearance at all, but hide behind the old facades of houses of interest.

In the evening, the buildings are illuminated on the Grand Place, and the old square begins to resemble a picture from a fairy tale. During the winter holidays, the main Christmas tree of the capital is set up on the Grand Place. All festivities and Christmas markets of the Belgians take place there.

How to get to the Grand Place?

Almost all urban transport in Brussels stops at stops near the square. Only 400 meters separate the Grand Place from the city's train station. Therefore, from there it is possible to reach the square on foot.

The following metro stations are located near the square:

• De Brouckere;
• Gare Centrale.

The bus stop at the square is called Parlement Bruxellois. The tram stop is marked Beurs. The most significant sights of the capital are located within walking distance from the Grand Place.