MYSTERY TOUR

"This is Cyclopean architecture, dreamed up by hands with no awareness of human scale", commented Victor Horta on this iconic Brussels building which will be revealed in our "mystery guided tour". Towering over Place Poelaert, the Brussels Palace of Justice mesmerises visitors by its gigantic dimensions. At its official opening in 1883, it was the largest building in Europe and it remains the largest Palace of Justice in Europe. The building occupies a site of 26,000 m² and stands on the huge brick foundations required to compensate for a site that slopes almost 20 metres from one side to the other. Joseph Poelaert's masterpiece is a manifesto for the Eclectic style and was inspired by Ancient Greece and Rome. The main entrance from Place Poelaert is reached through a monumental peristyle. At the foot of two huge steps are larger-than-life-sized statues of the lawgiver Lycurgus of Sparta, the orator Demosthenes, the lawyer Cicero and the jurist Ulpian, sculpted by Armand Cattier and Félix Bouré. Inside the building, the dizzying view from the marble floor of the entrance hall right up to the dome remains as impressive as ever. A compass rose with sixteen points set in the floor indicates the centre of the hall. The 17 m-diameter dome that towers over visitors has a curved metal framework. Construction of the Palace involved the demolition of part of the Marolles, the working-class district of the lower city, and gave rise to many legends. The Palace of Justice gained the protection of listed building status in 2001. During the BBEA, you will be able to explore this colossus in a guided tour that places it in its historical context, and which also explains how the justice system works in Belgium.

Practical Information

Duration : 1h30

Price: 15€ (full price) - 11,75€ (reduced price) - 1,25€ (Article 27)

Mandatory reservation: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Address : 1, Place Poelaert - 1000 Brussels

WEDNESDAY 06 OCTOBER 

SATURDAY 09 OCTOBER