Saint-Gilles, Brussels, Belgium
EN
Located in south-central Brussels, Saint-Gilles is a commune spread over 2.5 square kilometres with two very different faces. The well-to-do, elegant neighbourhoods in the upper reaches of the commune are home to majestic private houses in every architectural style fashionable at the beginning of the last century, especially art nouveau. The home of Victor Horta is now a museum that welcomes over 25,000 visitors a year.
The presence of Brussels-Midi train station in the lower part of the commune has resulted in massive redevelopment, especially since the arrival of the high-speed rail link.
Half-way between these two parts is the square in front of Saint-Gilles church, which hosts a daily market in a colourful, picturesque setting.
Close to the Forest Park, the creation of public spaces has produced a green corridor extending from Paulus Park to Rue de l'Hôtel des Monnaies.
Over the past fifteen years its public space has been redeveloped through a determined communal and regional policy. Together with the renovation of many buildings throughout the area, new pavements, lighting and trees have helped improve the image of the neighbourhoods.
FR
Located in the heart of the European capital, we often call Saint-Gilles a "village in the city." It is true that Saint-Gilles is astounding ... again and again... It is first and foremost one of the few municipalities in Brussels to have preserved a historic building rich in different architectural styles but it is also, above all, a village where no fewer than 130 different nationalities meet. This multicultural brewing where no community will override others, but on the contrary, a priceless wealth for the town.
A small town with dense buildings, Saint-Gilles lives through its neighborhoods that each have their own. For example, the neighborhood of Van Meenen Square, dominated by the imposing Hôtel de Ville and where buildings, dating for the most part from the beginning of the last century, stand out from each other by their unique ornate facade. The parvis, of course, the historic heart of the commune that lives to the rhythm of the daily markets and the typical Brussels cafes that line it. The district of Le Parvis is also home to hotspots of Saint-Gillois cultural life, including the Jacques Frank cultural center and the Maison du People, symbols of a commune considered at all times as a land of welcome for artists of all hair. It is also in the neighborhoods adjacent to the Parvis that you can travel around the world of flavors as there are many restaurants representative of the cosmopolitan character of Saint-Gilles.
