Central Boulevards of Brussels
The Central Boulevards are a series of grand boulevards in central Brussels, Belgium. They were constructed following the covering of the river Senne (1867–1871), as part of the major urban works by the architect Léon Suys under the tenure of the city's then-mayor, Jules Anspach. They are from south to north and from west to east: the Boulevard Maurice Lemonnier/Maurice Lemonnierlaan, the Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan, the Boulevard Adolphe Max/Adolphe Maxlaan, and the Boulevard Émile Jacqmain/Émile Jacqmainlaan.
Looking upwards the Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan near the Place Fontainas/Fontainasplein
Destruction of the old neighbourhood and beginning of the vaulting in 1867
The Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan in 1880, etching by Armand Heins from L'Illustration nationale
The Place de la Bourse/Beursplein and the Boulevard Anspach in the 1920s
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region, located less than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the south. Historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels saw a language shift to French from the late 19th century. Nowadays, the Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch, although French is the majority language and lingua franca. Brussels is also increasingly becoming multilingual. English is spoken widely and many migrants and expatriates speak other languages as well.
Image: Grand Place Bruselas 2
Image: Bruxelles Manneken Pis cropped
Image: Cathedrale des Saints Michel et Gudule Bruxelles, Belgium October 31, 2010 panoramio
Image: The Atomium during civil twilight (DSCF1135)