Brussels’ Noble Beginnings: An Upper Town Walking Tour

(19 reviews)

Brussels audio tour: Brussels’ Noble Beginnings: An Upper Town Walking Tour

This is a 2.3mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

Brussels

Belgium

$9.99

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About the Tour

Once upon a time, Brussels’ Upper Town was home to a majestic medieval castle on a hill that overlooked the city. As it expanded and Belgium came into its own, the Upper Town was redesigned to resemble other imperial capitals, like Paris and Vienna. On this walking tour, you’ll find out about the city’s metamorphosis, and hear about the pivotal characters and moments that define its history.

Our tour starts outside Brussels’ parliament complex, the Palace of Nations, where you’ll hear how it took shape under Emperor Joseph II in the 1700s, and about its continual struggle with bureaucratic obstacles. You’ll saunter through the Parc de Bruxelles, once the hunting grounds of nobility and now expansive parks and gardens for the public to enjoy. Once you’ve traced the Royal Palace’s outline, your walk continues amongst the Square of Petit Sablon’s pretty flowers. At Egmont Park, you’ll hear epic tales of royal turmoil and religious conflict within the grounds that witnessed the reigns of Charles V and the Iron Duke, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo. The tour ends with city views fit for a king at the Palace of Justice.

On this Brussels walking tour, you’ll have a chance to:

Learn what happened to the old Royal Palace and how the surrounding neighborhood came to be
Hear how a missing statue led to the founding of the Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon
Discover the many faces of Egmont Palace and how its occupants were responsible for modern Belgium
Find out about “the ring,” the city’s historically dense core that was divided into two parts
Explore the different buildings around the Parc de Bruxelles, such as the Parliament, Royal Park Theatre, and the Vaux Hall of Brussels, another theatre
Promenade through the historic district of Sablon, known for its charming cobblestone streets and sophisticated wine bars
Get the layout of the museum district, including some of Brussels’ best like the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, the Musical Instruments Museum, and the Magritte Museum, an art museum
Stroll through a secret garden at Egmont Park and enjoy a drink at one of the best beer gardens in town

During this tour through Brussels’ historic core, you’ll gain a new appreciation for the capital, while you discover both its secrets and finest sights along the way.

Tour Producer

Shawn Basey

5 tours

I left the middle of flat farmland in the US to spend my time conducting a rigid search of Europe. I have thus spent the last couple of decades exploring the globe and the last five years professionally guiding travelers through the complex, layered histories of Brussels, Prague, and now, the vibrant city of Tbilisi. My journey has taken me across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, but my true passion lies in the deep-dive research that truly gives someone a sense of place.

As an author and historian at heart, I don’t just walk you through the streets; I invite you into the living chapters of a city’s history. I am constantly hunting for the deep historical insights and weird, local anecdotes that escape the standard guidebooks—Hussites flinging poop in a siege anyone?—the kind of secrets only the residents share behind closed doors.

In our time together, we won’t just hit the major landmarks. We will explore the winding alleys of the Old Town and the German and art nouveau gems of Chugureti, connecting the dots between the ancient past and the modern present. Join me for an immersive walking tour where history isn't just a list of dates—it’s a narrative we experience together. Let's discover the stories that make these streets truly come alive.

Preview Location

Location 29

Church of Our Lady of Victories of Sablon

The entrance to the church is around the other end, let's continue over there.

We have finally left the neo-classical uniformity of the government district and entered Sablon, which is a much grander mix of modes and is considered the poshest and fanciest district in Brusse... The entrance to the church is around the other end, let's continue over there.

We have finally left the neo-classical uniformity of the government district and entered Sablon, which is a much grander mix of modes and is considered the poshest and fanciest district in Brussels. People drink with their pinkies up over here. The neighborhood is crowned with this masterpiece of a church, Our Lady of the Sablon. The church is a 15th century, Brabantine Gothic beauty, both inside and out – and unlike other prominent cathedrals in Europe of its prestige, it’s free! Though do drop some coins somewhere to help with its upkeep.

Since it’s free, let’s just take a peek inside while I’m chatting on about it. Feel free to sit down in a pew, or to wander around if there's no service going on.

Remember how I mentioned the crossbow museum back at the Place Royal? In the 14th century, the crossbowmen’s guild was given land right here, which was just outside of the city walls (imagine here some walls dividing the palace and the outside, as well as the city proper lower on the hill. The crossbowmen built a small wooden chapel devoted to the Virgin Mary, that is, Our Lady, Notre Dame.

Legend has it that some peasant named Beatrijs Soetkens had a vision of the Lady, who told her to steal a statue of her in Antwerp – as holy apparitions do – and bring it to Brussels since the people in Antwerp weren't keep it very well. She nabbed it and sailed up the river to Brussels, without any wind to aid her, just by some magic power. A lot of stretches of the imagination here – visions, windless sailing, and a river in Brussels.

The crossbowmen’s guild were happy to receive it and promised to parade it around the streets once a year. This occasion became known as the annual Ommegang, and soon the royalty would even join the procession (which still happens today in the summer on Pentecost, the 50th day after Easter). Ommegang, by the way, just means “walking around” in Dutch. The walkaround is accompanied by a huge medieval festival throughout the center, and also features an actual royal procession from the Palace to this church here.

The church began construction in 1400 and was finished a century later. The Calvinists sacked the church in the late 15th century and smashed up the Beatrijs’s stolen virgin statue, so what you see is not the original. The Calvinists were and still are very anti-statue, so smashing up anything was something they loved to do. They argue that people tend to worship statues, while the Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans and others argue that statues and paintings can be used to tell stories and parables and so on. The next wave of anti-Catholicism, which was the French Revolution, spared the church as the parish priest was quick to align himself with the republicans – not related to today's American Republicans.

For those of you unfamiliar with medieval churches, I’ll take a moment here to point out the pulpit, the massive wood thing that’s kind of in the center. Since back then there were no microphones, the priest had to be somewhere where he could give a sermon that people could hear. So typically they’d have these massive artful pieces near the center of the audience, who would be standing, as there were no seats in churches back then. This pulpit was designed in 1697 and has the usual pomp and fanciness of the Baroque era. And that big organ in the rear over the entrance is from the mid-1700s.

Churches were also something like a medieval Patreon or GoFundMe page. Rich people would donate wads of cash the Church, and as a way of showing their appreciation, the money would get them a chapel or emblem inside their church of choice, just like how you might get your name or company's symbol on a Patreon page. So here you'd get rich people, or even organizations like guilds, putting money in a church and getting a very similar reward. For one amount of money, you get to hang your coat of arms somewhere – it's easy to spot a few, see if you can find the crossbowmen's guild – and with bigger donations, you can get statues and whole wings where you can have your own family ceremonies held. And because you have all your regalia there, people know that you're the "best Christian" in town.

Okay, let's make our way outside and turn to the right, where you'll see a tree-covered square. Let's not wander too far, as we're actually going to go back to Rue de la Regence and cross the street. But just a few words about one of Brussels's prettier squares.

This is the Place du Grand Sablon. Lots of cafes and restaurants here, and a small antique market, which was started in 1958 as a deal between an antique vendor and the parish priest. The market used to be a big deal back in the day, but it’s not much now. But still, maybe you’ll find something cute.

We're about to head to the Place du Petit Sablon. And the whole neighborhood means Sablon, which comes from the Dutch for "sand". This was an open area in the early days of Brussels, used to quarry sand, and where a hermit settled. From the hermit it passed to the Guild of the Brothers and Sisters of Saint John, that is, the Hospitallers, who founded a hospital here for pilgrims, and they passed it on to the Crossbowmen's Guild. And you know the story from here. Now let's get back to Rue de la Regence. Across the street, you'll see a small park, that's where we're headed. There are some zebra's on your right to cross there safely.

I'll meet you in the centre of the park. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Parc de Bruxelles
Chamber of Representatives
Cercle Royal Gaulois Artistique & Littéraire
Royal Park Theatre
Vaux Hall
Palais du Coudenberg
Royal Palace of Brussels
Academy Palace
Monument Léopold II
Place Royale Bruxelles - Statue de Godefroy de Bouillon
Musée Magritte Museum
Palace Of The Count Of Flanders
Monument de Paul Claudel
Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon
Grand Sablon
Square of Petit Sablon
Egmont Palace
Egmont Park
Place Poelaert
Palace of Justice

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Total distance

4km
Final location
Pl. Poelaert 1, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Distance back to start location

1km

Directions to Starting Point

Begin directly in front of the "Parc" metro station, with the entrance to your back. Stand within the enclosed area for the introduction, and move towards the crosswalk directly in front.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

The Royal Museums includes the Magritte Museum, a must-see in Brussels. The Musical Instrument Museum is also highly recommended for music lovers. For beergardens, stop at the Woodpecker in the Parc if it's good weather. La Fabrique in the Egmont is also an excellent spot for a drink or meal, though they often require reservations as they can get quite crowded.

Best time of day

Since there are many museums listed on this tour, daylight hours are the best. One park in the tour is also restricted for daylight hours only.

Precautions

Sablon and the Upper Town are the safest districts in the city center. The Parc Royale though can get a bit shady at night since it has many hidden areas and is not well-lit. As it's Brussels, you should always pack an umbrella, even for days that the forecast claims will have sunshine.

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