Hôtel de Ville

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  • Transport
    underground rail: Gare Centrale or premetro Bourse

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Lonely Planet review

The splendid Gothic-style Hôtel de Ville was the only building on Grand Place to escape the 1695 French bombardment - ironic, considering it was the target. It's a superb structure, with a creamy façade covered with stone reliefs of nobility and gargoyles, and an intricate 96m-high tower topped by a gilded statue of St Michel, the city's patron saint.

The building is not symmetrical; the left-hand side was begun in 1402 but the right wing wasn't added until 1444 and is, due to space constraints, shorter. Guided tours are available.