Musée Horta

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Lonely Planet review

A superb introduction to the late-19th-century Art Nouveau movement is the Musée Horta. It occupies two adjoining houses in St Gilles that Horta designed and built between 1898 and 1901 and is where he lived until 1919.

From the outside, the most noticeable thing is usually the queue of people waiting to get in. In typical Horta style it's the inside that tells the story. There are airy rooms radiating from an iron-laced staircase, mirrored walls, glorious timber panelling, intimate stained-glass inlays and even curly door handles.Unfortunately, all this splendour dims somewhat when it's too crowded - time your visit for a weekday.

Horta's splendid style and attention to detail can be seen all over, from the fabulous furniture and spectacular stained glass skylights to the beautiful banisters, doorknobs, and light fittings. Horta's diary detailing his intricate planning and execution, step-by-step, offers a fascinating account and insight for aspiring architects and builders.