Walk at the Mont des Arts

The upper entrance to the Mont des Arts, opposite the Whirling Ear from A. Calder, consists of an esplanade between two monumental buildings, at the right the Congress Palace (1958), renamed Square, and at the left the Royal Library of Belgium (1969). In the façade of the library the 15th century chapel of the former Court of Nassau is still visible. Below is the Albertina Garden, which overlooks the Boulevard de l'Empereur - Keizerslaan via the terrace with the equestrian statue of Albert I, opposite the statue of Queen Elisabeth.

The Boulevard de l'Empereur, on top of the tunnel of the North-South rail connection (1955), dominates the Place de la Justice - Gerechtsplein, where Daniël Buren installed his flagpoles. A shopping gallery connects the square with the Rue de Ruysbroeck - Ruisbroekstraat. Remains of the first city wall mark the entrance of the gardens of the Royal Library and the National Archives. The ramps and stairs give access to the sculpture garden, which gives acces to the Rue de la Régence - Regentschapsstraat via the Royal Museums of Fine Arts (1880). Opposite the entrance to the Museums is the Court of Audit, in the former Palace of the Count of Flanders.

The Place Royale - Koningsplein is dominated by the Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg, between the Constitutional Court and the ING Culture Centre. On the other side, between the Museum of Ancient Art and the Magritte Museum, the Place du Musée - Museumplein can be found. In the middle of the square is the light shaft of the Museum of Modern Art (1984). The wing with semicircular entrance is that of the Palace of Charles of Lorraine (1756). It contains the Royal Chapel, used by the Protestant Church. The statue is that of the governor-general of the Austrian Netherlands.

The neo-Gothic façade of the former Delacre pharmacy (1900) fits perfectly with the 16th-century building, which marks the beginning of the Rue Ravenstein - Ravensteinstraat. The staircase leading to the Rue Terarken - Terarkenstraat (bottom of the former Court of Cleves-Ravenstein from the 15th century) recalls the medieval topography of this quarter. The current Rue Ravenstein runs over the former Coperbeek valley via a bridge that is now part of the Palace of Fine Arts (1929). Bozar and Cinematek (Film Museum) are located here. The Belliard staircase (1923) is located on the site of a tower of the first city walls (13th century). The Rue Royale follows the line of this wall.

The perspective of the Rue Royale - Koningsstraat is the Royal St. Mary's Church (1893) in the north and the Place Royale (1780) in the south. It lies along the Royal Park, which at the south end ends with the so-called 'bas-fonds', the remains of the valley of the Coperbeek. Here the Place des Palais - Paleizenplein and the Royal Palace (1909) can be found. The east side is bordered by the Palace of Academies (1825), to the west by the balustrade along the Errera House (1779) and the side entrance of the Palace of Fine Arts. If you enter the Place Royale: at the right you will find the former refuge house of the Abbey of Grimbergen (1778, now BIP) and at the left the former Belle-Vue Court (1777, now BELvue Museum). Here one gets a nice view of the Palace of Justice.

Beneath the Place Royale one finds the remains of the former palace and medieval remains of the city. One can walk underground between the BELvue Museum and the Rue Villa Hermosa. At the Rue Montagne de la Cour - Hofberg lies the Musical Instruments Museum (MIM), with the Art-Nouveau façade of the former Old England store. Opposite the museum is a brick house with gable, an imitation of the traditional houses of the town (1984). This site offers a view (direction Senne Valley) on the tower of the Town Hall (15th century) and the Basilica of Koekelberg (1971).