14. Interiors of the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

Designed in 1837 by Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar, the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert were opened ten years later by King Leopold I. Once nicknamed the ‘Brussels Umbrella’, this monumental covered arcade remains the finest testament to the city’s commercial boom before the advent of department stores. The galleries became a popular meeting place for the people of Brussels, intellectuals and political refugees, including Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and Charles Baudelaire. Listed in 1986, they consist of three shopping arcades: the Queen’s Gallery, the King’s Gallery and the Princes’ Gallery. Today, the Galeries Royales are home to numerous shops and entertainment venues, as well as co-working spaces, hotel rooms and a large number of flats on the upper floors. Behind these familiar façades, the following will be open to the public on an exceptional basis: an upstairs flat, the headquarters of the Société des Galeries, and the structure of the glass roof, accessible from the top floor.

The meeting point is at the junction of the Galeries du Roi, the Galeries de la Reine and Rue des Bouchers.