Marolles: view, flea market and old cafes: a walk in Brussels

From the Palace of Justice terrace down the free lift into Brussels' old working-class quarter, its daily flea market and Bruegel's church.

Best time: Weekend morning, when the flea market is busiest

The route, stop by stop

1
Palace of Justice
Panorama from Place Poelaert; 10 min.
A 19th-century courthouse bigger than St Peter's in Rome, built on the hill where Brussels hanged criminals; the terrace looks over the Marolles to Koekelberg and the Atomium.
2
Marolles panoramic lift
Free glass lift down to Rue des Minimes; 5 min.
A free glass lift linking the Palace of Justice terrace to the Marolles below, with one of the best free views across the city to Koekelberg and the Atomium.
3
Place du Jeu de Balle flea market
Flea market; 45 min of browsing and haggling.
The daily flea market in the heart of the working-class Marolles, where Brussels residents dig through crates of junk, vinyl and old furniture before a coffee on the square.
4
Le Wine Bar des Marolles
Rue Haute bistro for later; note the address.
Candlelit bistro and wine bar in a 17th-century Marolles house with a seasonal French menu and a serious wine list.
5
Liu Lin
Cheap vegan snack at the top of Rue Haute; 20 min.
Small vegan street-food spot at the top of Rue Haute, handy for a cheap plant-based lunch on the way to the Marolles.
6
Notre-Dame de la Chapelle
Bruegel's burial church; 15 min.
Romanesque-Gothic church at the edge of the Marolles where Pieter Bruegel the Elder was married and is buried.
7
Pois Chiche
Falafel lunch on Place de la Chapelle; 30 min.
Middle Eastern vegetarian food - falafel, hummus, mezze plates - on the edge of the Marolles.
8
La Fleur en Papier Dore
Surrealists' cafe for a beer; 30 min.
An old cafe where Magritte and the Belgian surrealists met, its walls still covered with their doodles, poems and paintings.

Walking directions

Marolles: view, flea market and old cafes

The route, stop by stop

More walks in Brussels