Belle Époque in Brussels

In the late 19th century, Brussels experienced an unprecedented period of prosperity, and the city center became the bustling backdrop to this new era. The central avenues, laid out after the Senne was covered over, became the proud calling card of a modern capital. The bourgeoisie strolled around the imposing Stock Exchange building, while carriages and later trams set the pace of the city. People gathered here to see and be seen, to exchange ideas and to enjoy urban life, which was becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Boulevards, cafés, and urban ambition
Along the new avenues, laid out according to the ideas of Haussmann from Paris, elegant cafés, theaters, and hotels opened their doors. These places were the scene of a new social life, where artists, industrialists, and politicians met. Architecture played a key role in this: monumental facades, eclectic styles, and refined details were intended to radiate the grandeur and optimism of the Belle Époque. The center of Brussels thus became a living backdrop in which progress, luxury, and culture went hand in hand.

During this tour, the Belle Époque comes back to life. Discover how technical progress, new materials, and progressive art forms radically changed the cityscape and how architecture and applied art permeated cafés, arcades, and public buildings. The walk through the city center reveals not only stones and facades, but also the ambitions, dreams, and lifestyle of a city that reinvented itself on the eve of the modern era.