Hotel Van Belle

Chaussée de Mons (a chaussée means a paved road) was one of the medieval roads into Brussels. It finished a little further on at the Porte d’Anderlecht, one of the seven city gates in the second wall around Brussels. The Zavelzinneke also flowed here, a 16th-century artificial tributary of the Senne along which the first factories in Cureghem were built in the 19th century. Nearby, a few remaining vestiges of workers’ tenements bear witness to the poor living conditions of that time. Even today, the quality of housing in Cureghem is still very poor. The cheap snack bars and shops along Chaussée de Mons all serve the cash-strapped local residents.

The classic Hotel Van Belle (1905), with rooms for parish celebrations, was an important fixture in the life of the local community at one time. The family business survived the subsequent waves of migration. To the right of the hotel you will see a path leading through to the Parc de la Rosée, following the former route of the Zavelzinneke. The plain leafy surroundings lead walkers deeper into the park, and give the hotel a peaceful ambiance.

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