TOWN HALL

It's the star of the Grand-Place. The tower's spire bears a huge ^15th-century weathervane depicting St. Michael slaying the dragon. Legend has it that "the architect, seeing that he had made a mistake in not placing the tower exactly in the center of the façade, jumped from the top of the 90-meter tower and died". In fact, Jan Van Ruysbroek died in his bed. The asymmetry is due to the fact that it was built in three stages. At the foot of the spire, the portal is not centred on the vertical axis, but is attached to the base of an earlier belfry. A closer look reveals that the town hall has been enlarged and embellished at various times. On the façade, you can't fail to admire the hundreds of statues that adorn the building. There are over 300 of them, representing the Dukes and Duchesses of Brabant, the great families of Brussels, the guilds... it would take days to list them all! However, they don't date back to the original construction in the early ^15th century, but were added between 1843 and 1903, during the extensive restoration of several buildings on the Grand-Place, as well as the interior of the Town Hall.

Behind the Gothic façade, three classical-style wings were built to form an inner courtyard. The golden-colored stone used in this section contrasts with the grey-white stone of the Gothic section. In the courtyard, which is open to all during opening hours, look for the star inlaid in the paving. It indicates the geographical center of Brussels.

Since the city services and town council moved to the Brucity behemoth, the interior can be visited. Equipped with an audioguide, you can wander through the various wings and rooms of this illustrious building, as Michel and Gudule reveal their secrets. Among the most remarkable are the gilded council chamber, where the States of the Duchy of Brabant once sat, and which is fortunate enough to have its ^13th-century decor virtually intact; the burgomaster's office and its splendid fireplace; the Belle Salle, which resembles a precious jewel case; the majestic Corridor of the Sovereigns; the antechamber, with its paintings of a Brussels where the Senne still flowed; the Salle des mariages, well known to the people of Brussels, and which alone would justify a wedding there; and the Salle Gothique, the grand reception hall with its tapestries of guilds and oaths, and its bronze statues. The tower can also be visited on weekends, at extra cost.