Le Pigeon (The Pigeon) / La Chaloupe d'Or (The Golden Boat), Brussels
The Pigeon鈥攐ne of the many fancy guild houses overlooking Brussels鈥� star-studded main square鈥� might not be the flashiest of the bunch. It's got no gold-drenched unicorns or ships for balconies, but it鈥檚 got charm. And brains. And a bit of literary spice.
Originally the clubhouse for the city鈥檚 painters, the building took its name from a modest little sign featuring鈥攜ou guessed it鈥攁 pigeon. But don鈥檛 let the bird fool you. This place once hosted none other than Victor Hugo himself. Yes, that very same Victor Hugo who wrote Les Mis茅rables and probably made a lot of French teenagers cry in literature class.
In 1852, while exiled from France for not exactly being besties with Napoleon III, Hugo moved in upstairs here. From that very perch, he admired the Grand Square and called it 鈥渢he most beautiful square in the world.鈥� Honestly, hard to disagree鈥攅specially with that kind of view and no rent to pay.
But Hugo wasn鈥檛 just swooning over Baroque rooftops. Between gazing lovingly at the architecture, he found time to absolutely roast Belgian politics鈥攃alling the monarchy a 鈥渇arce鈥� and the government 鈥渁bsurd.鈥� All this while sipping coffee and writing from a room above a bird sign. Exile鈥檚 never looked so cozy...
Today, you can鈥檛 go inside The Pigeon鈥攊t鈥檚 not a museum鈥攂ut you can ogle its elegant Baroque fa莽ade, sculpted details, and glittering touches, all rebuilt after the French bombed Brussels in 1695. (Awkward, considering Hugo鈥檚 later residence.)
Standing outside, keep your eyes peeled for the sculpted pigeon perched above the door鈥攁n architectural Easter egg if there ever was one鈥攁nd a plaque honoring Hugo鈥檚 poetic crash pad.
Now glide on over to The Golden Boat鈥攚hich, despite the name, is more baroque than buoyant. Once the headquarters of the tailors鈥� guild, this post-bombardment rebuild from 1697 was stitched back together and topped with Saint Homobonus, the patron saint of tailors, looking very pleased with the real estate.
And the best part? You can pop in for a beer and a bite downstairs鈥攂ecause this golden ship now sails as a Belgian caf茅-restaurant. Saintly skyline, savory snacks. It's like eating history, with extra sauce...
Tip:
Swing by after dark. The whole square lights up like a scene from a romantic period drama, and these two are worth a lingering look as a gilded footnote in a very stylish chapter of European history.
Originally the clubhouse for the city鈥檚 painters, the building took its name from a modest little sign featuring鈥攜ou guessed it鈥攁 pigeon. But don鈥檛 let the bird fool you. This place once hosted none other than Victor Hugo himself. Yes, that very same Victor Hugo who wrote Les Mis茅rables and probably made a lot of French teenagers cry in literature class.
In 1852, while exiled from France for not exactly being besties with Napoleon III, Hugo moved in upstairs here. From that very perch, he admired the Grand Square and called it 鈥渢he most beautiful square in the world.鈥� Honestly, hard to disagree鈥攅specially with that kind of view and no rent to pay.
But Hugo wasn鈥檛 just swooning over Baroque rooftops. Between gazing lovingly at the architecture, he found time to absolutely roast Belgian politics鈥攃alling the monarchy a 鈥渇arce鈥� and the government 鈥渁bsurd.鈥� All this while sipping coffee and writing from a room above a bird sign. Exile鈥檚 never looked so cozy...
Today, you can鈥檛 go inside The Pigeon鈥攊t鈥檚 not a museum鈥攂ut you can ogle its elegant Baroque fa莽ade, sculpted details, and glittering touches, all rebuilt after the French bombed Brussels in 1695. (Awkward, considering Hugo鈥檚 later residence.)
Standing outside, keep your eyes peeled for the sculpted pigeon perched above the door鈥攁n architectural Easter egg if there ever was one鈥攁nd a plaque honoring Hugo鈥檚 poetic crash pad.
Now glide on over to The Golden Boat鈥攚hich, despite the name, is more baroque than buoyant. Once the headquarters of the tailors鈥� guild, this post-bombardment rebuild from 1697 was stitched back together and topped with Saint Homobonus, the patron saint of tailors, looking very pleased with the real estate.
And the best part? You can pop in for a beer and a bite downstairs鈥攂ecause this golden ship now sails as a Belgian caf茅-restaurant. Saintly skyline, savory snacks. It's like eating history, with extra sauce...
Tip:
Swing by after dark. The whole square lights up like a scene from a romantic period drama, and these two are worth a lingering look as a gilded footnote in a very stylish chapter of European history.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Brussels. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Le Pigeon (The Pigeon) / La Chaloupe d'Or (The Golden Boat) on Map
Sight Name: Le Pigeon (The Pigeon) / La Chaloupe d'Or (The Golden Boat)
Sight Location: Brussels, Belgium (See walking tours in Brussels)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Brussels, Belgium (See walking tours in Brussels)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Brussels, Belgium
Create Your Own Walk in Brussels
Creating your own self-guided walk in Brussels is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
The European Quarter Walking Tour
Along with Luxembourg and Strasbourg, Brussels is one of the European Union鈥檚 de facto capitals. The office blocks of the European Quarter are mainly concentrated along and between two wide boulevards 鈥� rue de la Loi and rue Belliard 鈥� which L茅opold II built to connect his Parc du Cinquantenaire with the city center.
Begin your exploration with the EU鈥檚 most symbolic construction, the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles
Begin your exploration with the EU鈥檚 most symbolic construction, the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles
Chocolate Tour in Brussels
Belgium is considered one of, if not the, best producer of chocolate in the world. The country's capital, Brussels abounds in opportunities to taste more than 2,000 different varieties of this delectable treat. There is a plethora of chocolate shops in the city which offer chocolates of all imaginable shapes, sizes and colors.
Plan猫te Chocolat鈥檚 chocolate-making demonstration make a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
Plan猫te Chocolat鈥檚 chocolate-making demonstration make a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
Grand Place Walking Tour
The Grand Square in Brussels鈥攕teeped in history and overflowing with architectural charm鈥攊s the city鈥檚 star attraction. Here, the buildings are dressed fancier than most people at a wedding, and every cobblestone whispers, 鈥淚鈥檝e seen some stuff.鈥�
Hard to believe, but back in the 11th century, this was just a humble wheat market. Eventually, the area evolved into a civic and... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.3 Km or 0.2 Miles
Hard to believe, but back in the 11th century, this was just a humble wheat market. Eventually, the area evolved into a civic and... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.3 Km or 0.2 Miles
Brussels Introduction Walking Tour
Nowadays a major center for international politics, the capital of Belgium, Brussels, is often referred to as the "Crossroads of Europe". Indeed, nestled at the heart of the continent, this city has a history closely linked to that of Western Europe. Repeatedly changing hands between various duchies, empires, republics, and kingdoms, it has evolved from a small rural settlement to an... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Brussels Historical Churches Walking Tour
As well as being Belgium鈥檚 political and cultural capital, Brussels is the spiritual home of its most significant churches. Historically, the city has been predominantly Roman Catholic, especially since the expulsion of Protestants in the 16th century. The pre-eminent Catholic temple here, located just a couple of minutes from the Grand-Place, is the Brabantine Gothic Cathedral of St. Michael... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Brussels Beer Tour
Belgians are not very prone to boasting, except with things such as chocolate, fries and, evidently, beer. They treat beer the way the French treat wine: for the makers, it's a prized art; for the drinkers, it is something to be savored and discussed. They say that, on average, Belgians drink 150 liters of beer per year per person, and one would often see them sipping it from early in the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
What to Buy in Brussels: 14 Ideas for Travelers
It's no secret that Brussels is not all about JCVD muscles and EU headquarters. Small country as such, Belgium abounds in signature items, such as beer, chocolates and... the peeing boy. All of these have made prime Belgian souvenirs for years. Now you can explore the Brussels gift scene in...
Belgian Beer Tour of Brussels
Belgium is world-renowned for its beers and Brussels is the best city to sample the huge variety of flavors. We'll show you the best places to buy them and to drink them. We'll even show you a family brewery where the liquid gold is produced right in front of your eyes! This tour is meant...