Saint Catherine's Square

This square is located on the filled-in Sint-Katelijne dock, where for about 300 years ships unloaded building materials and food supplies. From here, a canal departed that connected Brussels to the port of Antwerp and overseas territories via Willebroek. As ships grew larger in the 19th century and the canal was extended to Charleroi, the docks of the inner harbor gradually became redundant. Moreover, the old Sint-Katelijne church became unusable after a major flood in 1850. Therefore, a new church was built on the filled dock, designed by the renowned city architect Joseph Poelaert. However, when it turned out that the soil was not stable enough for the construction of a bell tower, it was quickly decided to retain the baroque tower (1629) of the old church (on the right). 

The Sint-Katelijne square is almost completely taken over by the terraces of the growing fast casual dining establishments around it on nice days. This dining trend combines the quick service of a fast-food restaurant with slightly better quality, attracting a younger and trendier crowd. The owners - often young Flemish entrepreneurs with a marketing background - save costs through central kitchens and young staff that only need to finish the dishes. The traditional restaurants and brown pubs in this neighborhood are struggling with our busy... 

• Walk left of the church to the large open space on your left. 

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