3/50.- Brussels, View from the Town Hall Tower

This picture was taken in the sixties, when the tower was still accessible to the public. It offers a view of the marketplace, which at the time was still open to traffic. There usually is a flower market in the morning, a bird market on Sundays, and plenty of opportunity to sample the famous Belgian beers in the many cafés. Once a year, the place is covered by a flower carpet made with begonia petals from Lochristi in Flanders. At other times, the Square is the scene of the Ommegang, a colourful pageant (originally a religious procession) re-enacting the festival held in 1549 for Emperor Charles V and his family.

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