Brazil
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
French Guiana
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Germany
Austria
Croatia
Denmark
Spain
Finland
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
Portugal
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
the United States
Mexico
the Dominican Republic
South Africa
Australia
Fiji
Shopping arcade · Bruxelas, Bruxelas
Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
Passages covered by a glass roof, opened in 1847 next to the Grand-Place, with chocolatiers, bookstores, cafés, a theatre and a cinema.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert are among the first covered shopping arcades in Europe. They were designed by the architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar and opened in 1847 by King Leopold I and his children.
The complex is about 213 metres long and is divided into three sections: the Galerie du Roi, the Galerie de la Reine and the Galerie des Princes, which branches off to the side. The glass roof on an iron structure and the Italian Renaissance-style façades give the arcade natural daylight even when it rains.
Inside there are traditional chocolatiers, such as the house Neuhaus, linked to the origin of the Belgian praline, as well as bookshops, glove and hat shops, cafés with tables in the arcade, the Théâtre Royal des Galeries and the Cinéma Galeries.
The gallery connects the Grand-Place area to the upper part of the centre, near the Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule. Crossing it is a practical route on rainy days.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
Twenty minutes to walk through. An hour if you stop at the chocolate shops and at a café.
Best time
On rainy or cold days, when the glass roof shelters the walk. At night, with the shop windows lit, the arcade becomes calmer.
How to get there
One of the entrances is on Rue du Marché aux Herbes, less than two blocks from the Grand-Place. The other end opens near Rue d'Arenberg. Bruxelles-Central is about a five-minute walk away.
Tip
Notice the Latin inscription high on the façade and the mosaic floor. Rue des Bouchers, full of restaurants, crosses the gallery in the middle.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
When were the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert built?
They were built between 1846 and 1847 by architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar, and inaugurated in 1847.
Do you have to pay to enter the galleries?
No. It is a public passage open to pedestrians; you only pay for what you consume in the shops, cafés, the theater, or the cinema.