Point of interest
Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
in Brussels, Belgium
This elegant glass-roofed arcade from 1847 is one of Europe's oldest shopping galleries, lined with boutiques, cafés and chocolate shops.
Where it is
In the historic centre near the Grand-Place, running between the Rue du Marché aux Herbes and the Rue de l'Écuyer.
Address: Impasse de la Fidélité - Getrouwheidsgang, 1000 Brussels
What it is
Beneath its elegant glass roof line up chocolatiers, bookshops, boutiques, cafés and a cinema. The light-filled architecture makes it an atmospheric passage worth walking even without shopping, right in the old town.
History
Opened in 1847 to designs by Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar, it is one of Europe's oldest covered shopping arcades. It is divided into three glass-roofed sections - the King's Gallery, the Queen's Gallery and the Princes' Gallery.