As I mentioned on Instagram, our time here is shrinking and before we leave Brussels, we are still trying to enjoy our weekends in neighborhoods we both like. Lately, we had a walk through the beautiful quarter of Saint-Gilles when I realized that there is not much about it on my blog yet. You know it. You live here, you have time enough, right, but then one day you wake up and see the clock ticking…
And so today, I am taking you for a virtual walk through Saint-Gilles, which is a village on its own in this city of Brussels. I had never really enjoyed it fully until I met Steven who used to live here. The pretty quarter if not so touristic yet it is full of life where the locals mingle with many other cultures, beautiful architecture and green spaces. There is no lack of hills neither which is quite rare in Belgium.
There is a high concentration of Art Nouveau and Art Deco houses, so for the lovers of this architecture, Saint Gilles is a paradise. You can start in rue Américain by visiting the Horta Museum. Further to your interest should be the Maison Hoquet, Horta premetro station, but also find hidden pearls in the rue Vandershrick or rue Antoine Bréart and their surroundings.
If you are here on Monday afternoon, don´t miss the local market right on the square in front of the Municipal house where you can also have a glass of wine or eat something. Expats mingle easily with locals here which brings a welcoming atmosphere. And if you are here on another day in the week, remember places like Café Maison du Peuple, La Belladone (where we had our first drink with Steven), La Porteuse d´Eau nebo Bar du Matin.
During our walk, we also noticed some interesting street art or boutiques selling fashion, books or Colombian specialties. We passed the Brussels´ prison that looks like a little château rather than a place for criminals and chilled in a park. before passing to another quarter called Forest to check out the Avenue des Villas, another one of the most beautiful streets in Brussels.
