Coudenberg

Tour of Coudenberg

The tour of Coudenberg showcases the complexity of the neighborhood’s history and geography:

it starts on the Place Royale, through a stairway which leads the visitor down, deep into the heart of the medieval city. The tour then follows a near horizontal path and, on Villa Hermosa Street, the visitor leaves the hill of Coudenberg.

The outside building, Villa Hermosa Street

This neighborhood’s architecture incorporates layers of all the eras of Brussels, and the study of its buildings gives a fascinating historical insight.

An example? Look at this section of the building, on Villa Hermosa Street, when you exit Coudenberg. It was added in the 18th century, when the Place Royale was built: the roof above the first floor windows was removed and two extra floors were added to reach the level of the Place Royale’s buildings.

This type of modification was applied to all the buildings on the Coudenberg slope: either the building was wrapped inside a larger building, or floors were added… In the inner courtyards, you can also see similar examples.

Under our feet, Isabelle Street

Entire parts of the city still remain under the Place Royale. Between the old palace and the old aristocratic hotel, there used to be a street… and it’s still there, in an amazing state of conservation.

This medieval street was redesigned at the time of the Archduchess Isabelle, at the beginning of the 17th century, to allow the Archduchess an easier access to the collegiate church, which today has become the Saints-Michel-et-Gudule Cathedral.

The street is under our feet, in a virtually perfect condition.

[Interview with an historian from the museum]

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