The Place du Jeu de Balle is a cobblestone square defined by the steel frame of an open-air pavilion and the daily clutter of a flea market. It sits on the site of a former ballroom, burned down in eighteen seventy-three to make way for…
Marolles Flea Market Walk
Wander through the gritty, historic working-class Marolles neighborhood, starting at its famous daily flea market and exploring antique-filled alleyways. You'll experience the authentic, rebellious spirit of old Brussels and see how locals have lived and bartered for centuries.
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1. Vieux Marché place du Jeu de Balle
2. La Clef d'Or
The building at the corner of Rue Haute and Rue du Temple carries the name La Clef d'Or in weathered iron lettering above its door. This structure served as an inn and tavern for travelers entering Brussels through the nearby city gates.…
3. Cité Hellemans
The Cité Hellemans consists of a dense block of red brick apartment buildings arranged around a central, leafy courtyard. Built between nineteen oh five and nineteen fifteen, it replaced some of the most cramped and dilapidated slums in…
4. Passage 125 Blaes
The narrow, brick facade at number one hundred twenty-five Rue Blaes is squeezed between much older storefronts. It wears a distinct, bright blue painted storefront that sets it apart from the gray stone of the neighborhood. This building…
5. Bruegelhuis
The Bruegelhuis features a prominent stepped gable that rises above the surrounding buildings on the Rue des Sablons. This house served as the residence and studio of Pieter Bruegel the Elder during the final years of his life in the…
6. Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrouwe Ter Kapelle
The Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrouwe Ter Kapelle stands out in the Marolles for its mismatched profile, where a heavy, rounded Romanesque tower meets a slender, pointed Gothic spire. Built in the thirteenth century for pilgrims who could not…
7. Ascenseur des Marolles
The Ascenseur des Marolles is a glass elevator shaft set directly into the steep limestone cliff face connecting the Rue Haute to the Place Poelaert. It opened in two thousand and two to bridge the gap between the working-class Marolles…