Brussels - Town Hall Hôtel de Ville (Stadhuis)

Must-see attractions nearby: Grand Place / Grote Markt Atomium Town Hall Manneken Pis Belgian Royal Museum of Fine Arts Art Nouveau Saint-Michel / Sint-Michiel

Although the French bombardment of 1695 left only the walls and tower standing, rebuilding started almost at once. Both wings are embellished with very fine Gothic sculptures beneath which, under the arcades on the right, are the signs of inns previously demolished to make way for the town hall.

Inside are several magnificent rooms. Among the most impressive are the Maximilian Chamber hung with Brussels tapestries (historical scenes from the life of Clovis), the large Council Chamber with a superb ceiling by Victor Janssens and tapestries to his designs, the great banqueting hall and the Marriage Chamber, both beautifully panelled, and the Escalier d'Honneur with murals by Lalaing (1893) illustrating the history of Brussels.