Brussels

I travelled to Brussels after Amsterdam. The architecture here was quite a contrast to Amsterdam I found. Through Amsterdam there are endless beautiful simple houses all thread around the canals. Brussels showed much grander buildings, this specifically shown in the Grand Place, shown further down this post. 

 These Pictures first two images are of the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, finished in 1847, a beautiful arcade filled with chocolatiers (of course for Belgian Chocolates) and restaurants, as well as other retail shops. The Galerie is split in two, each section spanning longer than 100m, a very impressive piece of architecture.

The building that houses the Brussels Stock Exchange,  finished in 1873.

 The Grand Place, possible one of the most beautiful squares i have ever been too. Every direction you look is an elaborate building. One of the most striking aspects of the Place is the combination of Gothic, Baroque and Louis XIV styles, all clashing together in one square, to make quite an astounding sensation. 

 The majority of the Place is surrounded by these Guildhalls.

 What i enjoy most about the Guildhalls, is the miss-match of the window alinement, I think this is something that really gives each building it's own individuality, rather than viewing the buildings as a whole row. If one was to compare this to British London townhouses, where the building can be seen as a whole as there is nothing to distinguish one another except a front door and porch.

 The Maison du Roi, a classic example of Gothic architecture placed alongside Baroque. Which I believe makes this particular building quite striking.

 The famous town hall of Brussels, opposite the Maison du Roi.

The Cathedral St. Michael and St. Gudula, was constructed between 1226 and 1276. Placed away from the main city centre, this building particularly reminded me of Notre-Dame, even though that was not build until the 1800's, the front facade's show similar features.