City guide

A big part of the Mont des Arts district is perched on the Coudenberg hill, which used to be a lot steeper.

A large part of the neighborhood is raised, sometimes by about 10 meters/33 ft, on a terrain which used to be a lot steeper.

Two important events will lead to the leveling out of the Mont des Arts: first, during the 18th century, the building of the nowadays Place Royale in neoclassical style. This style, all about balance and symmetry, required a horizontal base.

Then, during the 19th century, the birth of the modern city, with its transports ill-adapted to steep grades. Régence Street and Ravenstein Street were leveled out on top of old vales.

But the original difference in ground level – now not as strong – structured the life of the neighborhood for a long time. A high-place of power, the Mont des Arts leveraged its terrain: the Dukes Palace was perched at the top, while the great families and various levels of power dwelt below.

“This is why the Mont des Arts topography is always difficult to explain. So, the first thing I make people discover are the places where you can see the original differences in ground level.

If, for example, you go down the stairway right next to the red brick building, you end up in the small Sols Street, at the bottom of the Ravenstein’s House facade, the last building from the 15th century. On one side, the street ran all the way to the Royal Palace’s Gardens, and on the other, it goes below the “new” Ravenstein Street.

[Interview with an historian, guide at the Mont des Arts]

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