The Grand Place has been the heart of Brussels since the 11th century, when a market square first formed at the site. Its current Baroque appearance dates to a dramatic rebuilding after Louis XIV’s army bombarded the city for 36 hours in August 1695, destroying most of the medieval square; the trade guilds rebuilt within five years in the unified ornate style seen today.
The square is ringed by elaborately decorated guild houses, each facade carved with symbols of the trade it once represented, from the boatmen’s Le Cornet with its galleon-stern rooftop to the butchers’ guildhall La Cygne. The Gothic Town Hall and the King’s House, now the City Museum, complete the ensemble.
The square itself is free and open around the clock, and a walk-through visit takes about an hour; pairing it with the City Museum or a Town Hall tour extends a visit to three or four hours.
