66 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp262–3 and pp284–6
Brussels’s famous Wittamer pâtisserie at Place du Grand Sablon
Place du
Petit Sablon gRue de la Regence, 1000 BRU.
City Map 2 D4. @ 27, 29, 38, 63,
65, 66. q Gare Centrale, Louise,
Parc. v 92, 94, 97.These pretty, formal gardens
were laid out in 1890 and
form a charming spot. On top
of the railings that enclose the
gardens are 48 bronze statu-
ettes by Art Nouveau designer
Paul Hankar (1859–1901).
Each of the figures represents
a dif ferent medieval city guild.
Located at the back of the
gardens is a fountain built
to commemorate the counts
Egmont and Hornes, who
pleaded against the intro duc-
tion of the Spanish Inquisition
by King Philip II, and were
beheaded in 1568. On eitherNotre-Dame
du Sablon fRue de la Regence 38, 1000 BRU.
City Map 2 D4. Tel (02) 5115741.
@ 27, 29, 38, 63, 65, 66.
q Gare Centrale, Louise, Parc.
v 92, 94, 97. # 8am–6pm daily.
8 on request. 7Along with the
Cathédrale Sts-
Michel-et-Gudule
(see p63), this
lovely church is
one of the finest
surviving examples
of Brabant-Gothic
architecture in
Belgium today.
A church was
first erected here
when the guild of
crossbowmen was
granted permission
to build a chapel to Our Lady
on this sandy hill. Legend has
it that a young girl in Antwerp
had a vision of the Virgin
Mary, who instructed the girl
to take her statue to Brussels.
The girl carried the statue by
boat down the River Senne
and gave it to the crossbow-
men’s chapel in the city. The
chapel rapidly became a place
of pilgrimage. The statue was
was destroyed in 1565 and allMusées Royaux
des Beaux-Arts de
Belgique s
See pp68–73.
Place du
Grand Sablon d
Rue des Sablons, 1000 BRU.
City Map 2 D4. @ 27, 29, 38, 63,
65, 66. q Gare Centrale, Louise,
Parc. v 92, 94, 97. ( Sat and Sun.
Situated on the slope of the
escarpment that divides Brus-
sels in two, the Place du Grand
Sablon is like a stepping stone
between the upper and lower
halves of the city. The square’s
name derives from the French
sable (sand), as this old route
to the city centre once passed
through some sandy marshes.
Today, the picture is very
different. This area, roughly
triangular in shape, stretches
uphill from a 1751 fountain at
its base to the Gothic church
of Notre-Dame du Sablon. The
fountain was a gift from Lord
Bruce, an Englishman, in grat-
itude for the hospitality shown
to him while he was exiled
here between 1696 and 1741.
The square is surrounded by
town houses, with some Art
Nouveau façades. This is a
chic, wealthy and busy part of
Brussels, with upmarket
antique dealers, fashionable
restaurants and trendy bars,
which really come into their
own in warm weather when
people stay drinking outside
until the early hours of the
that remains of the incident
are two carvings of the original
pilgrim age tale, showing the
young girl in a boat.
The first attempts to enlarge
this church took place around
1400 but, due to lack of funds,
the work was not completed
until 1550. The interior is
simple and beautifully propor-
tioned, with interconnecting
side chapels and an impres-
sive pulpit dating from 1697.
Of particular interest are the
11 magnificent stained-glass
windows, each 14-m (45-ft)
high, which dominate the
inside of the church. When
the building is lit, the win-
dows shine into the night
like welcoming beacons.
Also of interest is the
Tour et Taxis Family
Chapel, built for a
German family that
once lived near
the Place du Petit
Sablon. In 1517, the
family commissoned
a series of tapestries
to com memorate
the church’s legend.
Most of them were
stolen in the 1790s
by the French
Revolutionary Army,
but some of the remaining
examples now hang in the
Musées Royaux d’Art et
d’Histoire in the Parc du
Cinquantenaire (see pp76–7).morning. It is a good place in
which to soak up the city’s
atmo sphere. Wittamer, the
well-known chocolate shop
and pâtisserie is at No. 12 and
has a tearoom on the first floor.
The area near the church hosts
a lively, if expensive, antiques
market every weekend.Rich stained glass at
Notre-Dame du Sablon