Place Ste-Catherine and Vismet
ST CATHERINE'S CHURCH, FONTAINE ANSPACH, OLD TOWN

Place Ste-Catherine (St-Katelijneplein in Flemish) is a small but popular square and Vismet (Fishmarket) is a rectangular square next to it, situated just to the Northeast of the Old Town and Grand Place. Since it is not located in the immediate tourist quarters this area is more popular among locals then tourists. Here you find the neglect neo-gothic St Catherine's Church, a pond in the middle, fountains, a high sculpture and a lot of open air pubs and restaurants. Every day there are food or flower markets daytime and at occasions even a ferris wheel there.

Further down on this page you will find Place Monnaie and Place Broukere.
 

Vismet, the fish market next to Place Ste-Catherine, looking Northwards towards the pound. The square has a kind of small town feeling in the middle of the big city. This place and its nearby streets used to be water filled docks, the fish markets used to be there and the area still has many fish restaurants.

Eglise de Saint Catherine (St Catherine's Church) is a neo-gothic church at the southern edge of Vismet. This beautiful church, built in the late 19th century, is in a pretty bad condition, but somehow it adds a gothic feeling to it. There have recently been plans to turn it into a fruit and vegetable market but there were too large protests! After my visit it has been renovated.

  


St Catherine's Church


St Catherine's is a catholic church.

 
St Catherine's Church   St Catherine's Church   St Catherine's Church

 
St John the Baptist Church   Football fever at Pl. Ste-Catherine   Football fever at Pl. Ste-Catherine


La Fontaine Anspach, a monument and fountain in the Northern end of the square as a tribute to Jules Anspach 1, major of the city 1863-79.

  



La Fontaine Anspach


Tour Noire, the ancient "black tower" from the 13 century, next to the church (right) is a remaining part of the city wall, today surrounded by a modern building, Hotel Novotel.

  



La Fontaine Anspach

Place Ste-Catherine with its relaxed atmosphere.

  


The church and the square

Street between Pl. Ste-Catherine and Grand Place


The Monument to the Pigeon-Soldat monument in the Northern end of the square. It was raised in eclectic style to commemorate the role of the First World War by the Belgian pigeon fanciers and voyageurs.

  


Monument to the Pigeon-Soldat (or Monument to Colombophiles)


A pub at Place Ste-Catherine

Looking towards Brussels second tallest building (tallest if counting mast), Tour Finances (Finance Tower) from Pl Ste-Catherine.

 

 

Place de Brouckére

Place de Brouckère, a busy square near Pl. Ste-Catherine, that is considered to be the center of Brussels. It could almost be compared to Piccadilly Circus with its busy traffic and advertizement signs, though most of them are gone today. Place de Brouckère was named in honour of Charles de Brouckère.

  


Place de Brouckère (Brouckereplein) and Blvd Anspach

Place de Brouckère with the luxury Metropole Hotel to the left.
Boulevard Anspach near Place de Brouckère.

Sheraton and Dexia Tower in Brussels CBD seen Place de Brouckère.

Place de la Bourse (Beursplein)

The Brussels Stock Exchange (La Bourse or Beurs), founded by Napoleon in 1801, has elements of neo-renaissance. It is nice to sit down on the stairs of the bourse house and watch people and traffic at Place de la Bourse in front of the building.

  

Brussels Stock Exchange

Stock Exchange, looking towards Place de la Bourse

La Bourse (Stock Exchange) is now called Euronext Brussels because its corporation with stock exchanges in Paris, Amsterdam and Lisbon, making it Europe's largest.

  

Brussels Stock Exchange with its neoclassical columns

Place de la Bourse

Place de la Bourse with the Marriott Hotel.

 


Place de la Bourse (Beursplein)

Art nouveax building

 
Belgian police car passing by Place de la Bourse   Nightclub at Place de Monnaie    

 
Belgium was playing a game this evening during World Football Championship in 2014   Belgium was playing a game this evening during World Football Championship in 2014.   Muntplein seen from the opera

 

Place de Monnaie (Muntplein)

Centre Monnaie (Muntcentrum) is a huge curved office complex situated between Place de Brouckère and Place de Monnaie (Muntplein). The Opera, officially Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie (or just La Monnaie), is situated at Place de Monnaie. Unfortunately we don't have any pictures of it.

  


Centre Monnaie

Place de Brouckère