Brussels Historic Centre Tour

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Basic Information
Price
„Pay what you wish” tours do not have a fixed price. It is up to you to evaluate your guide’s work and reward it. Some people give 10€, others 50€ depending on their satisfaction and abilities.
Meeting point
The Grand Place, in front of the Town Hall. Look for the Yellow Umbrella with the BelgoTours Logo.Go to map
This tour is provided by our partner

About

Even if Brussels was not on top of your wish list, we are sure that after the first visit you will want to come back over and over again! The heart of Europe has so much to offer, no matter what you are looking for: history, architecture, art, food and drinks! It is all part of the wonderful city of Brussels!


The settlement here was established long before the Romans came to conquer the area. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Brussels became part of the Frankish realm. Officially established in the late 10th century and set in a favourable location, on the banks of the river Senne, the city experienced rapid development and became a thriving centre of trade, especially the textile trade. Ruled by the Dukes of Brabant Brussels belonged to the Holy Roman Empire, there was even a time when kings of Spain and Holy Roman Emperors lived here! No wonder, its legacy as the heart of Europe prevails till the present day! Over time the textile industry has reached the peak of perfection: the lace produced here was worn by the aristocracy and royals all over Europe, while the tapestries made in Brussels adorned their palaces wherever they lived. The main square of old Brussels, the Grande Place, is a vivid testimony of the wealth and prosperity of the merchants living here. It is certainly one of the most stunning squares you will ever see! The way it looks, though, is a result of the most disastrous event in the history of the city – the bombardment conducted by the French king Louis XIV in 1695. The bombing and the fire it caused consumed one third of the old city! The high-speed reconstruction carried out within 5 subsequent years continues to amaze visitors to this day! 


Finally, there came a time when Belgium struck for independence. Inspired by the opera about the revolution, the people of Brussels took to the streets to fight for their freedom. It was 1830 when the city became the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium. Following the independence and industrial revolution, Brussels grew from a small town of 60 thousand people to a metropolis of 625 thousand. The development accelerated even more in the 20th century with modernization, exquisite art nouveau houses adorning the city streets and a number of international fairs and conferences marking the clear transition of Brussels into the modern capital of Europe. 


But Brussels is not only about history and architecture, it is also about the very things making us all happy and satisfied. Starting from art and comics (yes, most major European comics books artists worked and lived in Belgium!) finishing with food and drinks. If only you can forget about counting calories, visiting Brussels you will be transmitted straight to a foodie haven! Frites (traditionally double fried in animal fat), mussels, chocolate, waffles and Belgian beers (it is a whole, fascinating universum!) will make you want to stay here forever! 


So waste no time! Come and join our tour and we will introduce you to the joys and marvels of Brussels!


During this 2,5 hour tour, you will see and discover:



  • Grand Place

  • Street art  devoted to Tin Tin

  • Manneken Pis

  • Fragment of the old city walls

  • Marolles street art

  • Palace of Justice

  • Church of Our Blessed Lady of Sablon

  • Royal Square

  • Royal Palace

  • Royal Park

  • Musical Instruments Museum

  • Mont des Arts 


Meeting Point
The Grand Place, in front of the Town Hall. Look for the Yellow Umbrella with the BelgoTours Logo.

BOOKING RULES
Booking is obligatory. Our pay as you wish tours are designed for individual travellers and small groups. We don’t accept parties of more than 7 people on them. If you travel in a party of 8 or more (school groups, bigger groups of friends etc.), please choose a paid option, if it's available, or book a Private Tour. For more information on the latter, please contact us.




Too many people for 1045 tour in the morning

Rated 4.0 out of 5
4 months ago

There were too many people booked for this tour. There were over 30 people. We have done walkative tours. Most have been 12 to 15 people at most. The number of people made some parts. Difficult to understand. Overall tour guide did an excellent job. He was very knowledgeable and provided good information about Brussels and Belgium in general.

Denver hager

really nice!

Rated 5.0 out of 5
6 months ago

Francois, our guide, was very knowledgable, friendly, and approachable. He had a lot of info and factoids about Brussels. Highly recommend the English tour with him!

I

Entertaining

Rated 5.0 out of 5
11 months ago

Antonio was brilliant! Very knowledgeable, friendly and approachable. Gave us lots of tips on local places to eat/drink. We really enjoyed it.

Lisa van As

No Title

Rated 5.0 out of 5
1 year ago

We booked a tour in English and a got confirmation email. However, when we arrived at the agreed time we found out that there is no tour at such time in English. There were several groups in Spanish. Luckily there was Sara, who is a tour guide and she was free and kindly agreed to make a tour in English for us.

The tour was great, Sara showed us a lot of interesting spots, told fine stories and facts. She supported the conversation all the time. That is one of the best our walking tours with Walkative!

Even though it was Sara’s first tour in English, she did her best and the tour was fantastic!

Angelina


This tour is also available as
a Private Tour.

Private tour