58 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp262–3 and pp284–6
Luxurious furnishings in the Wedding Room at the Hôtel de Ville
Musée du Costume
et de la Dentelle 1
Rue de la Violette 12, 1000 BRU.
City Map 2 D3. Tel (02) 2134450.
@ 27, 29, 38, 46, 48, 63, 86, 95.
q Bourse, Gare Centrale. v 3, 4,
31, 32, 33. # 10am–12:30pm and
1:30–5pm Mon–Fri, 2–5pm Sat and
Sun. & 7 8 on request, call (02)
2794355.
Located within two gabled
18th-century houses is a
museum focusing on one
of Brussels’s most successful
exports – lace. The intricate
skill employed by Belgian
lacemakers has played a vital
economic role in the city
since the 17th century, and
the collection explains the
history of this delicate craft.
The second floor houses a
small, carefully stored
collection of antique lace,
demonstrating the various
schools of lacemaking from
France, Flanders and Italy.
The museum also displays
temporary exhibitions
on contemporary textiles
and fashion.
Intricate carving on the towering spire and façade of the Maison du RoiHôtel de Ville 2
Grand Place, 1000 BRU. City Map 2
D3. Tel (02) 2794371. @ 27, 29, 38,
46, 48, 63, 86, 95. Q Bourse, De
Brouckère, Gare Centrale. v 3, 4,
31, 32, 33, 55, 81. ¢ election days.
& 8 Apr–Sep: 3:15pm Tue and
Wed, 10:45am and 12:15pm Sun;
Oct–Mar: 3:15pm Tue and Wed
(English); also offered in French and
Dutch. 7
With its delicate spire soaring
to a gilded statue of St Michael
at a height of 96 m (315 ft),
Brussels’ town hall is a city
landmark, and one of the gems
of the Grand Place. It was built
between 1402 and 1455, with
the spire designed by Jan van
Ruysbroeck. During the
French bombardment of 1695
(see p42), most of the building
was demolished, but the spire
survived, in spite of being the
target of French cannons. The
town hall was rebuilt along
Neo-Classical lines and the
grand public rooms are a
mixture of the 18th-century
palatial and 19th-century Neo-
Gothic styles. The exterior,
with its ranks of statues, dates
mainly from the 19th century.
The building is still used as
a town hall and for civic func-
tions. Highlights include the
fine 18th-century tapestries
of the Alderman’s Room, the
elaborate Council Chamber
and the Neo-Gothic Wedding
Room. Paintings show the
River Senne flowing sluggishly
through the city, before it was
covered over in the interests
of public health in the 1860s.Maison du Roi 3
Grand Place, 1000 BRU. City
Map 2 D3. Tel (02) 2794350.
@ 29, 38, 46, 47, 48, 60, 63, 65,
66, 71, 95, 96. Q Bourse, De
Brouckère, Gare Centrale. v 3, 52,
55, 56, 81. # 10am–5pm Tue–Sun.
& = http://www.brusselsmuseums.beStanding on the Grand Place
opposite the Hôtel de Ville,
the Maison du Roi (literally,
King’s House, as the site was
once the residence of the
Spanish monarchs) is another
successful venture in the
19th-century Neo-Gothic style.
Built in the 1870s, it was
based on etchings of a 16th-
century predecessor that had
served as the Royal Court of
Assizes. It now houses the
Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles
(Museum of the City of
Brussels), which includes a
fine collection of the historic
crafts made in the city such
as tapestry, retables (intri cately
carved and decorated altar-
pieces), silverware and
porcelain, as well as paintings
and sculptures. There is also
a good section on the history
and development of Brussels,
brought alive by scale
mod els, paintings and artifacts.
However, this museum’s most
famous attraction is the splen-
did collection of outfits
made for the Manneken-Pis
(see p60). On view is a large
selection of the 815 carefully
tailored costumes – national,
histori cal, military, trades-
men’s clothing and even a