Brussels Exciting History: 1/2 day walk

We'll travel through ten turbulent centuries in 4 hours! Along the former docks it's very easy to relive the port history; the medieval gabled brick houses are now seafood taverns and beer pubs. Here we'll even see the only part of the river Zenne that was not covered in century XIX. The splendid Gothic cathedral of Saint Michael was (and is) also an important place for royalty, like Charles V, Napoléon and the Belgian monarchs. The Coudenberg hill hosts the Royal Palace, its park and the archaeological site of the now disappeared 12th century palace. At the Grand- and the Petit Sablon you'll enjoy the cosy luxury of the 5 past centuries. The 15th century Grand-Place with its gold plated houses shows the wealth of the Brussels bourgeoisie. It was here that the allies of William of Orange were beheaded by the Spanish (1568). Kings Leopold I & II embellished the city with beautiful Belle Epoque buildings and statues, soon followed by the rich 19th century merchants and peers with their Art Nouveau houses.