About our rating systemBursting with Gothic façades, the Grand'Place is one of Europe's largest and lovliest city squares. This is the historic heart of Brussels, with free concerts, cafés and a regular flower market. Although all the buildings have a medieval allure, the Town Hall is the only edifice that actually dates from this era. In 1695 the troops of the famously warmongering French King Louis XIV destroyed large parts of the rest of the Grand'Place and the other structures on the square all had to be rebuilt. The grand Maison du Roi (King's House) that stands opposite the Town Hall houses the Brussels Museum, which includes a display on the outfits of the Manneken-Pis, the naughty little statue of a peeing boy, near the square, who receives the undying devotion of locals and tourists alike. It is not unusual to see him wearing a little hat, or even an entire outfit - an outward sign of Belgium folks' great sense of humour.
To read our detailed tour of the buildings of the Grand'Place, click here.
