Brussels Town Hall (Hotel de Ville), Brussels: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Brussels Town Hall dominates the south side of the Grand-Place, a Gothic structure whose construction began in 1402 with a 96-meter belfry completed in 1455, topped by a gilded Saint Michael slaying a dragon. The facade is asymmetrical—the left wing has one more window bay than the right—because the tower was built into an earlier structure. Interior council chambers feature 16th-century tapestries and Brabantine paintings. The UNESCO-listed Grand-Place surrounds the Town Hall with gilded guild houses rebuilt after French bombardment in 1695. is just one of many options in Brussels. Major attractions worth considering include Atomium, Cantillon Brewery, and Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (Serres Royales de Laeken).