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Brussels · Mysteries & legends

Brussels in the shadows: gallows, miracles and a gunshot

As evening falls, Brussels descends from the judges’ hill into the maze around the Grand-Place. At each stop we tell you what the records say and what tradition has added over time, without ever mixing the two. The route ends a stone’s throw from the taverns of the Îlot Sacré, just in time for dinner.

  • 5 stops
  • 1.7 km
  • 1 h 30 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Gothic portal of the church of Notre-Dame du Sablon

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 The Palace of Justice and the “crooked architect”A building bigger than St Peter’s in Rome, raised on the old gallows hill and cursed by an entire neighbourhood.
  2. 2 Notre-Dame du Sablon and the Virgin who came by boatA woman from Antwerp, a vision and a boat that, legend has it, rowed itself all the way to Brussels.
  3. 3 Notre-Dame de la Chapelle and Bruegel’s drawingsPieter Bruegel the Elder married here and is buried here: the painter who, on his deathbed, asked for some of his drawings to be burned.
  4. 4 The Manneken Pis, the boy of a thousand legendsHalf a metre of bronze, over a thousand costumes, several thefts and no reliable explanation of why a little boy is peeing on a street corner.
  5. 5 The Amigo and Verlaine’s gunshotA prison named “friend” through a misunderstanding and, just around the corner, the room where Verlaine shot Rimbaud.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Brussels in the shadows: gallows, miracles and a gunshot

Legends with an address

Every story has a façade, a corner or a plaque you can see for yourself.

Record and tradition

From the nickname of the architect Poelaert to the origins of the Manneken Pis, we separate what is proven from what is told.

All downhill

A short walk descending from Place Poelaert to the Grand-Place through the Sablon and the Marolles.

Keep exploring

More routes in Brussels

Back to Brussels
HistoryFrom the ashes of 1695 to a king’s oath MixedBrussels highlights: from the Bourse to the Sablon

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Brussels?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Brussels in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Brussels in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Brussels in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary