Catholic University of Brussels

Simonis and Elisabeth are two interconnected stations on the Brussels Metro serving line 2 and line 6 on two different levels. Additionally Simonis is a railway station operated by NMBS/SNCB and a tram stop. The station complex is situated at the end of Boulevard Léopold II and is close to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Simonis was named after Place Eugène Simonis/Eugène Simonisplein, which in turn is named after the Belgian sculptor Eugène Simonis; while the nearby Elisabeth Park, named after Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium, gives Elisabeth its name. Simonis metro station opened on 6 October 1982 and is a through station in north–south direction situated in a cutting next to a railway line. It is served as a through station on line 6 and is a terminus of line 2. Elisabeth metro station is orthogonal to and one level below Simonis and is a terminal station located at the end of Boulevard Léopold II in east–west direction. It opened on 2 October 1988 and is the terminus for lines 2 and 6. Between its opening in 1988 and 2013, Elisabeth was also known as Simonis. Until 2009, Simonis was a simple interchange station between metro lines 1A and 2. When the Brussels metro loop opened in 2009, the north-western part of metro line 1A was connected to the other end of metro line 2, making line 2 an imperfect circle line (since a true circular train service is not possible, as the tracks at Simonis/Elisabeth are not connected). This resulted in the current situation, whereby the station complex is served twice by lines 2 and 6.To differentiate between the two station parts, the north–south through platforms were given the name Simonis (Leopold II), while the east–west terminating platforms were known as Simonis (Elisabeth). However, this did not improve the clarity of passenger information and thus, on 3 November 2013, Simonis (Leopold II) was reverted to simply Simonis, while Simonis (Elisabeth) became Elisabeth. The adjacent bus, tram and railway stops have not been renamed, and are all still known as Simonis. To the west of the stations, trams 9 and 19 call at underground platforms opened on 23 June 1986 (line 19) and 1 September 2018 (line 9), respectively. To the east of and parallel to Simonis metro station, the National Railway Company of Belgium operates a local commuter station Simonis since December 2009. It is served by the Brussels Regional Express Network service S10 between Dendermonde, Brussels, Denderleeuw and Aalst.

The Leopold II Tunnel (named after the Belgian king Leopold II) is a highway tunnel in Brussels under the Leopold II-avenue, situated west of the city centre. It connects the Rogier Tunnel and the Small Ring around Brussels (R20) with the Basiliek Tunnel and the A10 (part of the E40). The tunnel is of great importance for the traffic entering and leaving the capital. The structure is 2534 m long, making it the longest tunnel in Belgium. A renovation of the tunnel between 2014 and 2018 was planned in 2012 by the Brussels Capital Region, with a cost of 105 million €. In 2016, the tunnel has been closed several times, when debris struck a car in January due to poor maintenance. The tunnel is planned to be renamed the Annie Cordy Tunnel after the Belgian actress.

Osseghem (French) or Ossegem (Dutch) is a Brussels metro station on lines 2 and 6. It opened on 6 October 1982 and is named after the Osseghem neighbourhood in the municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (Belgium). The name is of Germanic origin and is composed of Odso + -inga + gem, meaning "residence of the people of Odso".

The Boulevard Léopold II (French) or Leopold II-laan (Dutch) is a major thoroughfare in Brussels, Belgium, running through the municipalities of Koekelberg and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. It is named in honour of King Leopold II, the second King of the Belgians.

Bruneau is a restaurant in Brussels, Belgium which has garnered a Michelin star, as well as an 18/20 rating from Gault-Millau. The chef was Jean-Pierre Bruneau, 74 years old in 2017. The restaurant was taken over by a former sous-chef Maxime Maziers and reopened in June 2018. It was renamed Bruneau by Maxime Maziers. Jean-Pierre Bruneau left his restaurant in Brussels on 22 January 2018. For the last service he prepared the famous Soupe VGE for his customers. The restaurant opened in March 1975, and was awarded a Michelin star in 1977. It retained the star till 1982, when the restaurant was awarded a second star. In 1988 the rating went up to three Michelin stars. It retained the three stars for sixteen years, until 2004, when it went back to two stars. In 2010 it lost its second star, leaving it with just one star.Daniel Rose is a former Bruneau apprentice.

Jette (French: [ˈʒɛt], Dutch: [ˈjɛtə] (listen)) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Ganshoren, Koekelberg, and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, as well as the Flemish municipalities of Asse and Wemmel. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch).

Koekelberg (French: [kukəlbɛʁ(g)], Dutch: [ˈkukəlˌbɛr(ə)x] (listen)) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-western part of the region, it is bordered by Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Ganshoren, Jette and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch). On 1 January 2006, the municipality had a total population of 18,157. The total area is 1.17 km², which gives a population density of 15,486/km2 (40,110/sq mi). The municipality—the smallest in the Brussels region by population—is dominated by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (or Koekelberg Basilica), one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in the world.

Étangs Noirs (French) or Zwarte Vijvers (Dutch) is a Brussels metro station. It is located at the border between Brussels' Koekelberg and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean municipalities, in the western part of Brussels (Belgium). It opened on 8 May 1981 as part of the Sainte-Catherine/Sint-Katelijne–Beekkant extension of former line 1. Following the reorganisation of the Brussels metro on 4 April 2009, it is served by lines 1 and 5, which cross Brussels from east to west. Its name translates into English as the "Black Ponds".

Beekkant is a Brussels metro station located in the municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, in the western part of Brussels (Belgium). It opened on 8 May 1981 as part of the Sainte-Catherine/Sint-Katelijne–Beekkant extension of former line 1, and was for a year, until 6 October 1982, the western terminus of the metro. Following the reorganisation of the Brussels metro on 4 April 2009, it is served by lines 1, 2, 5 and 6. The metro station runs parallel to a railway used for freight trains, and from 2010 again, as a suburban railway line of the future Brussels Regional Express Network (RER/GEN).

Belgica is a Brussels metro station on line 6. It is located in the municipality of Jette, in the northwest of Brussels (Belgium). It opened on 6 October 1982 and is named in honour of RV Belgica; the ship which carried the first Belgian polar expedition to the Antarctic in 1897.

The National Basilica of the Sacred Heart (French: Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur, Dutch: Nationale Basiliek van het Heilig-Hart) is a Roman Catholic Minor Basilica and parish church in Brussels, Belgium. The church is dedicated to the Sacred Heart, inspired by the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur in Paris. Symbolically, King Leopold II laid the first stone of the basilica in 1905 during the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Belgian Independence. The construction was halted by the two World Wars and finished only in 1969. Belonging to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels, it is one of the largest churches by area in the world. Located in the Parc Elisabeth atop the Koekelberg hill at the border between Brussels' Koekelberg and Ganshoren municipalities, the church is popularly known as the Koekelberg Basilica (French: Basilique de Koekelberg, Dutch: Basiliek van Koekelberg). The massive brick and reinforced concrete church features two thin towers and a green copper dome that rises 89 metres (292 ft) above ground, dominating Brussels' north-western skyline. It is served by Simonis metro station on lines 2 and 6 of the Brussels Metro.

Ganshoren (French: [ɡansɔʁən, -ʁɛn], Dutch: [ˈɣɑnsˌɦoːrə(n)] (listen)) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-western part of the region, it is bordered by Jette, Koekelberg, and Sint-Agatha-Berchem, as well as the Flemish municipality of Asse. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch). On 1 January 2006, the municipality had a total population of 20,970. The total area is 2.46 km2 (0.95 sq mi) which gives a population density of 8,541/km2 (22,120/sq mi). In 2018, Pierre Kompany was elected mayor of Ganshoren. He is the first black mayor in Belgium, and the father of footballer Vincent Kompany.