Art Deco in the heart of the city
Architecture and metropolitan ambitions between the two world wars
Although the center of Brussels is often associated with medieval and early modern architecture, the interwar period also left a clear and lasting mark here. After the First World War, the city re-established itself as a modern, international capital, where progress, elegance, and optimism went hand in hand. New ideas about living, working, and leisure took shape in architecture, urban planning, and interior design, with Art Deco as the dominant style. This walk shows how this drive for renewal became embedded in the existing urban fabric and had a lasting influence on the character of the city.
We start at the Center for Fine Arts (Bozar), where Victor Horta realized his vision of a contemporary temple of culture. From there, we walk through streets and passages that formed the backdrop to a vibrant city life in the 1920s and 1930s: places for culture, commerce, and leisure. The atmosphere of the interwar period comes to life in luxurious materials, geometric shapes, and carefully designed interiors, but also in large-scale interventions such as the North-South connection, which gave Brussels a distinctly metropolitan character.
Along the way, attention is paid to iconic facades as well as subtle details and hidden interiors, where everyday life from that era remains tangible. Cafés, shops, and public buildings still exude the elegance and confidence of the 1930s. From monumental bank buildings to intimate art deco establishments, a story unfolds about a city in the midst of transformation. This walk is not a list of monuments, but an invitation to experience the interwar period in Brussels as a time of contrasts, dreams, and urban renewal.
Good to know
This city walk takes place in an urban environment where obstacles such as cobblestones, narrow sidewalks, and level differences cannot always be avoided. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
This walk takes 1 hour and 30 minutes. Want
to see more, discover more, hear more stories? Extend your walk by an extra hour and experience what others miss!
This walk is a linear walk with a different end point. Don't want to walk back to the starting point? No problem: there is always a public transport stop nearby. At the start, you can agree on the end point with the guide.
Reservation and guide fee. We are exempt from VAT.
