UNDER-GROUND: The revealed palace

During the night between 3 and 4 February 1731, a fire destroyed the Coudenberg Palace in Brussels. For 40 years it remained in ruins and was later hidden under the new royal quarter. The now subterranean remains lived on in people's memories and gave rise to urban legends. Mysterious corridors? Secret passages? Testimonies fed the myth of a hidden city until archaeologists uncovered them.

Come and experience the rediscovery of the Coudenberg Palace, from the vanished palace to the underground trail under the Royal Square.  

The urban planning upheavals in Brussels of the early 20th century led to a kind of nostalgia for times gone by. A « Comité d’études du Vieux-Bruxelles » (Study Committee of Old Brussels) was set up and the architecture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance rediscovered, while Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings sprang up. Driven by Belgian archivist and historian Alphonse Wauters, archive documents were studied and the first reconstructions of vanished buildings appeared. Brussels began investigating its past as well as the corridors and cellars that presumably belonged to an underground palace.

With the emergence of urban archaeology in the 1980s, excavations were undertaken and the reality of the findings in the field were compared with what was on record. Surprised by the extent of the remains of this former palace, Brussels residents rediscovered their city and the international importance of its history.

The UNDER-GROUND route through the Coudenberg Palace takes you on a rediscovery tour, uncovered by urban archaeology and modern reconstruction techniques. Route included in the admission price. Bring your own smartphone and headphones for a more comfortable visit. Free WIFI available.   

Buy your ticket in the BELvue webshop

Thank you to our partners: urban.brussels, La Ville de Bruxelles, Visit Brussels, Beliris, Sonuma and the asbl Mont des Arts.