Situated in Brussels which lies in the capital region of Belgium, Saint Gilles is a commune with a varied population and a number of art nouveau buildings that are worth visiting. Some consider Saint Gilles as the centre of artist’s lives.

The rich private houses in some of its areas are just unbelievable. Houses of all sorts of architecture are found here. Masterpieces of renowned architects and designers like Horta, Struyvens, and Hankar litter the town’s upper area.

The Horta museum or Musée Horta, which is actually the houses that Horta designed for himself, has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Hotel Hannon is another art nouveau building which has been converted into a museum called the Contretype Museum of Photography.

Saint Gilles doesn’t just feature buildings and museums which can only be appreciated by architects and artists. It also features a range of interesting shops and restaurants. A very famous tea shop is one with an archaic atmosphere. You will find all kinds of vintage stuff there. Not only this funky furniture made from old parts of cars, motors etc is also sold at a shop.

Brussels is a posh area full of sophisticated nobles and uptight formal people. But Saint Gilles is not so clean. So you have to be careful as to the area in which you decide to venture. But again, Saint Gilles is also more interesting then Brussels. So if you ever come to Belgium and come to Brussels, you simply must take the tram that leads to you to the small municipality of Saint Gilles.

The beguinages are the homes of beguinages which were actually small communities of women that emerged as early as the 13th Century in countries like Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. These ladies, known as Beguines, led a sacred life in a quiet seclusion, without taking religious vows. Belgium has the remnants of the beguinages in 20 cities, of which 13 have been inscribed on UNESCO’S World Heritage List and the Anderlecht Beguinage in Brussels is one of them.

The Anderlecht Beguinage is composed of four simple houses which are arranged around a central garden close to the church. It was actually the tiniest beguinage of Belgium with only eight residents and was built by the funding of one of the canons, William Doyen of the Chapter of Anderlecht.

In 1930, the structure was turned into a museum open to public. The museum is made up of two houses and there is a narrow path leading to the entrance. They are located around a lovely inner courtyard, offering a splendid view of the nearby Collegial Church of St Peter and St Guido. The inner garden has a covered well and is flanked by two rows of maisonettes.

For the history lovers, the museum contains a local history collection documenting a thousand years of Anderlecht past. The museum shares a common administrative office with the Erasmus House, the former home of the great Renaissance scholar Erasmus of Rotterdam.

The city of Brussels abounds in greenery with a host of parks and gardens, each one unique in its own history, organization, sculptures, architecture, trees, and so on. Some of the famous parks and gardens in Brussels are:

The Colonial Garden:
Standing next to the royal park of Laeken, this garden was created in 1905 by king Leopold II so that he could bring his collections of exotic plants from Belgian Congo there. At the entrance of the garden, Léopold II built a ‘cottage’ in Norman style according to the plans of the architect Haneau. The garden happens to be a part of a green walk which connects the Heysel with the Wood of Laerbeek.

Park of Laeken:
Opne all the year round, the park has an open view on Brussels on one of its sides and a great view on the royal palace at its other side. The park takes pride in its collection of trees like chestnut-trees, rowan trees, purple beeches, and so on. Some of them are more than 100 years old.

Osseghem Park:
Standing in a quiet place within the pulsating urban habitation, this park is situated not far from the Atomium. From 1 April till 30 September, it is open from 6 am till 10 pm and from 1 October till 31 March, it is open from 7 am till 9 pm.

The Leopold Park:
The pond of this park is the last vestige of the Maelbeek valley. It is open from 1 April to 30 September from 6 am to 10 pm and from 1 October to 31 March from 7 am to 9 pm. Visitors can discover the medieval Eggevoort Tower, which dates from the 15th century. On the spot of the former greenhouse Victoria Regia stands the bust of Jean Linden, botanist and traveler (1817-1898) who introduced a variety of more than 650 plants in Europe.