Putterij

Brussels Central Station (French: Gare de Bruxelles-Central, Dutch: Station Brussel-Centraal), officially Brussels Central (French: Bruxelles-Central, Dutch: Brussel-Centraal), is a railway and metro station in central Brussels, Belgium. It is the second busiest railway station in Belgium and one of three principal railway stations in Brussels, together with Brussels-South and Brussels-North. First completed in 1952 after protracted delays caused by economic difficulties and World War II, it is the newest of Brussels' main rail hubs. Brussels Central is connected to the Gare Centrale/Centraal Station station on lines 1 and 5 of the Brussels Metro system, and serves as an important node of the Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (STIB/MIVB).

Gare Centrale (French) or Centraal Station (Dutch) is a Brussels Metro station on lines 1 and 5. It is located five minutes' walk from Brussels-Central railway station, under the Marché au Bois/Houtmarkt, in the City of Brussels, Belgium, and can be accessed through a pedestrian tunnel. The station opened on 17 December 1969 as a premetro (underground tram) station on the tram line between De Brouckère and Schuman. This station was upgraded to full metro status on 20 September 1976, serving former east–west line 1 (further split in 1982 into former lines 1A and 1B). Then, following the reorganisation of the Brussels Metro on 4 April 2009, it now lies on the joint section of east–west lines 1 and 5.

On 20 June 2017, a terrorist bomb caused a small explosion at Brussels Central Station in Brussels, Belgium; there were no casualties. Soldiers patrolling the station subsequently killed the suspect with three to four shots, according to eyewitnesses. The perpetrator was Oussama Zariouh, a 36-year-old Moroccan national who lived in the Molenbeek district of Brussels and who had assembled a defective explosive device.

Central Gate also known as the Shell Building is a large office and retail complex in central Brussels, Belgium, designed in the New Objectivity style by Alexis Dumont and completed in 1934 with the collaboration of Marcel Van Goethem. Commissioned by Shell Immeubles Belges, it originally served as the Belgian headquarters of Shell and incorporated shops, offices, and a rental car park, reflecting modern functional and commercial design of the interwar period. Located at 39–55 Cantersteen/Kantersteen, at the star-shaped junction of the Marché au Bois/Houtmarkt, the building stands near Brussels-Central railway station and within walking distance of the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg.

The Granvelle Palace (French: Palais Granvelle, Dutch: Granvellepaleis) was a 16th-century Renaissance palace in Brussels, Belgium. It was originally built for Cardinal Archbishop Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle and was located in the former Putterie/Putterij district, between the Rue des Sols/Stuiversstraat and the Rue de l'Impératrice/Keizerinstraat, near today's Brussels Central Station. The deeply redesigned Granvelle Palace served as the main seat of the Free University of Brussels between 1842 and 1928. It was demolished in 1931 to make way for the North–South connection, a major railway link through central Brussels. The Ravenstein Gallery was built on its site.

The Royal Library of Belgium (French: Bibliothèque royale de Belgique, Dutch: Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België, abbreviated KBR and sometimes nicknamed Albertine in French or Albertina in Dutch) is the national library of Belgium. The library has a history that goes back to the age of the Dukes of Burgundy. In the second half of the 20th century, a new building was constructed on the Mont des Arts in central Brussels, near the Central Station. The library owns several collections of historical importance, like the famous Fétis archives, and is the depository for all books ever published in Belgium or abroad by Belgian authors. There are four million bound volumes in the Royal Library, including a rare book collection numbering 45,000 works. The library has more than 700,000 engravings and drawings, 150,000 maps and plans, and more than 250,000 objects, from coins to scales to monetary weights. This coin collection holds one of the most valuable coins in the field of numismatics, a fifth-century Sicilian tetradrachm. The library also houses the Center for American Studies, a rich American Studies collection of 30,000 books in open stacks, as well as U.S. newspapers and databases.The Royal Library is open for reference only. Patrons must be at least eighteen years of age and must pay an annual membership fee.

Square – Brussels Convention Centre (previously Square – Brussels Meeting Centre) is the name of a convention centre in Brussels, Belgium. It is run by the GL Events group and situated in cultural and historic district of Brussels near the national and international institutions, overlooking the city from the hillside of the Mont des Arts.

The North–South connection (French: Jonction Nord-Midi, Dutch: Noord-Zuidverbinding) is a railway link of national and international importance through the centre of Brussels, Belgium, that connects the major railway stations in the city. It is line 0 (zero) of the Belgian rail network. With 1200 trains a day, it is the busiest railway line in Belgium and the busiest railway tunnel in the world. It has six tracks and is used for passenger trains, or rarely for a maintenance train when work is to be done on the railway infrastructure inside the North-South connection itself, but not for freight trains. It is partially underground (around Brussels Central Station) and partially raised above street level.

The Equestrian Statue of Albert I (French: Statue équestre d'Albert I, Dutch: Ruiterstandbeeld van Albert I) is a bronze equestrian statue erected in Brussels, Belgium, in memory of King Albert I, third King of the Belgians. It was created by the sculptor Alfred Courtens in 1951.The statue stands on the Place de l'Albertine/Albertinaplein, at the point where the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg joins the Boulevard de l'Empereur/Keizerslaan, and a few tens of metres from the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR). This area is served by Brussels Central Station.

Brussels Pride is an annual event celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community in Brussels. It takes place each year around 17 May, coinciding with the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). The event brings together associations, institutions, and thousands of participants to promote the values of openness, diversity, and inclusion. The celebration consists of several main components. The Pride March is a festive parade through the streets of Brussels featuring floats, music, and participants dressed in colourful costumes and accessories. The Pride Village gathers public and private organisations that provide information and raise awareness about LGBTQIA+ rights and issues, while the Pride Stage, located on the Mont des Arts, hosts performances by Belgian and Brussels-based artists, many from the LGBTQIA+ community. The Rainbow Village, situated in the historic St James Quarter, unites local associations and LGBTQIA+ venues that organise numerous events in the days leading up to and during the Pride. In addition to the main parade, Pride Week offers ten days of activities across Brussels, including workshops, debates, concerts, performances, and community gatherings. These are organised by artists, activists, and collectives, with projects selected by a cultural council. Over the years, Brussels Pride has become a major cultural and activist event in Belgium, open to both members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies celebrating equality and diversity.

The Mont des Arts (French, pronounced [mɔ̃dɛzaʁ]) or Kunstberg (Dutch, pronounced [ˈkʏnzdbɛr(ə)x] (listen)), meaning "Hill/Mount of the Arts", is an urban complex and historic site in central Brussels, Belgium, including the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), the National Archives of Belgium, the Square – Brussels Meeting Centre, and a public garden. This site is located between the Rue Montagne de la Cour/Hofbergstraat and the Place Royale/Koningsplein in its "upper" part, and the Boulevard de l'Empereur/Keizerslaan and the Place de l'Albertine/Albertinaplein in its "lower" part. It is served by Brussels Central Station.

The Hôtel Ravenstein (French: Hôtel Ravenstein; Dutch: Hotel Ravenstein), formerly known as the Hôtel of Cleves-Ravenstein (French: Hôtel de Clèves-Ravenstein; Dutch: Hotel van Cleve-Ravenstein), is a late 15th-century former aristocratic mansion in Brussels, Belgium. It was originally built for Adolph and Philip of Cleves, lords of Ravenstein, and is the city's only remaining Burgundian-era mansion. The building is located at 3, rue Ravenstein/Ravensteinstraat in the Royal Quarter (eastern part of Brussels' city centre), next to the Centre for Fine Arts, and across the street from Square – Brussels Convention Centre. This site is served by Brussels-Central railway station and Parc/Park metro station on lines 1 and 5 of the Brussels Metro.