Place Royale
Place Royale is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Brussels audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~30 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Brussels Brussels guide
About Place Royale
Brussels' elegant neoclassical central square, dominated by an equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon, the first Crusader ruler of Jerusalem, built on the site of the medieval Coudenberg Palace.
The Place Royale is the neoclassical heart of historic Brussels, a perfectly proportioned square designed by French architects Barnabé Guimard and Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré in 1775 for the Habsburg governor of the Austrian Netherlands, Prince Charles of Lorraine. The square replaced the ruins of the medieval Coudenberg Palace, which had been the seat of the Dukes of Brabant and later the Habsburg emperors.
The centrepiece of the square is the dramatic equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon (Godefroid de Bouillon), the Duke of Lower Lorraine who led the First Crusade to Jerusalem in 1096–1099 and became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The surrounding buildings are harmonious neoclassical facades. Beneath the square, the remarkable Coudenberg archaeological site preserves the remains of the medieval palace where Charles V abdicated in 1555. The square is flanked by the Royal Museums of Fine Arts and the BELvue Museum.
Did you know? Beneath Place Royale lies the Coudenberg archaeological site, the underground ruins of the medieval palace where Holy Roman Emperor Charles V abdicated in 1555.
How long should you spend at Place Royale?
Plan about ~30 min at Place Royale. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Place Royale worth visiting?
Place Royale is one of the 22 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Brussels, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Brussels
Hear the story of Place Royale
Preview the Brussels tour free in the Gingerguide app.