Grand Place. Brussels, Belgium

I just arrive from Brussels this morning. So, I still have fresh in my memory the grey raining day I left behind. But Brussels is a bit more. To honor that, I decide to post a photo from the “Grote Markt” in Dutch or “Grand Place” in French - the central market square of Brussels. It is surrounded by guild houses, the city's Town Hall and the Bread House. The square is the most important tourist destination, one of the most memorable landmarks in Brussels and, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful squares in the world. A bit of history: The Town Hall was constructed between 1402 and 1455. The original architect was probably Jacob van Thienen. At the top of the 97 meter (318 feet) tower stands a statue of St. Michael, the patron of Brussels. In the 13th century the predecessor of the Bread House was a wooden building where bakers sold their bread in a covered market. Its Dutch name Broodhuis recalls this function. It was replaced in the 15th century by a stone building for the administration of the duke of Brabant. When the duchy fell to the Habsburgs, the Maison du Duc (Duke's house) became the Maison du Roi (King's house), the latter being the current French name of the building. Charles V rebuilt the building in a late Gothic style during his reign in the 16th century, similar to its appearance today. In 1873, the city entrusted architect Victor Jamaer to restore the battered structure in neo-gothic style. The Grand Place was first laid out after the construction of the town hall, at the centre of the city's commercial district. Neighboring streets still reflect the area's origins, named after the sellers of butter, cheese, herring, and coal and so on. The original Grand Place was a medley of buildings constructed between the 15th and 17th centuries in a variety of styles. Then we had some wars, some fires, and today, we still have this wonderful place. The Grand Place was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998, and it definitely a place to see. The funny thing is that, the square has two types of visitors during the day! In the morning, the Benelux type: following the umbrella guide, groups of tourist (from all over the world) enter in the Square for a quick look and a fast explanation. After buying a small box of Belgium chocolate, they cross the square to see the Manekin Pis and they run in to their buses, and leave to the Atomiun, also for a quick look, since they have to move to the Netherlands and also Luxembourg, everything in five days. Then, we have the other kind! After seven o’clock in the afternoon, with all the meetings done, and all the EU institutions closed, the “national delegations” come for a beer at “Roy de Belge”. In a more relaxed way, they enjoy the square at the night light before leave to their “capitals”. This brief moment make the difference once they leave home without the impression that Belgium is only the EU meeting rooms at Rue de la Loi.