Coudenberg
PLACE ROYAL, PALAIS ROYALE

Coudenberg (Koudenberg in Dutch means "cold hill") is a small hill right next to the Royal Palace. The Palace of Coudenberg was the seat of government and royalties for 700 years. In 1731 the palace was destroyed by a fire. The base of the palace has for long been hidden behind the Royal Palace, but just recently excavations have opened it for public, just underneath the current Place Royal. The entrance is situated in a small building right next to the Royal Palace, where you get a code in the reception of the Bellevue Museum. The code is used to open a massive door that leads down to the vaults of the former Coudenberg Palace! It was a bit exciting when the door opened automatically to this underground world of vaults, archeological foundings, sculptures, art and mysterious passages.Click here to visit the page about the current Royal Palace and Place Royale.


Entering the vaults of Coudenberg.

 


Coudenberg


Cellars under the main building


The massive door that opens automatically after you enter the code!

 


Coudenberg, cellars under the main building

 
Photo exhibition in one of the underground rooms of Coudenberg   Coudenberg   Coudenberg

 
Coudenberg   Coudenberg   Coudenberg


Massive brick vaults of the former medieval palace

  


Walls of the former Hoogstraeten House, a private mansion that bordered Coudenberg Palace


Historic film display on one of the walls

 
A model of the Palace of Coudenberg as it was   Rue Isabelle today, covered beneath Place Royale   Rue Isabelle during the Coudenberg times, in open air
 

Rue Isabelle, a hilly avenue used to be on this site, before the ground was built over!

 
Sloping hill   A hole in the floor   Former Rue Isabelle

 
A walk bridge above archeological excavations   Archeological excavations   Archeological excavations

 
Archeological excavations   Archeological excavations   For several years there was an open hole in Place Royale during archeological excavations

 
Archeological excavations   Archeological excavations   For several years there was an open hole in Place Royale during archeological excavations
 

Stairs to the lower basement vaults.


The Gothic Gallery. Commissioned by Antoine de Lalaing in 1516-17.

  


Garden in the 10th century, now a courtyard


Exhibition of crafts found during the archeological excavations
 

The Royal Palace of Brussels is the official palace of the Royal family. But they don't live there, they live in the Royal Palace of Laeken in the outskirts. A square called Place de Palais/Paleizenplein is situated between the palace and the park. The current neoclassical facade was completed in 1934 on the initative of King Leopold II and was designed by Barnabé Guimard.

Place Royale/Konigsplein. Place Royal is situated right above the medieval ruins of Coudenberg Palace that is open for public. The former square on the site was called Baliënplein. For several years there was an open hole in Place Royale during archeological excavations of Coudenberg, just in front of the church.

  


Place Royale
Place Royale. Here you find the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Margritte Museum and BELvue Museum.

 

  
Bellevue Museum, an art museum right next to the palace and Coudenberg   Bellevue Museum is where you enter the stairs down to the Coudenberg Museum.   Stairs up to the Bellevue Museum from the Coudenberg Museum