14/50.- Brussels, Mont des Arts

The Mont des Arts is built on the rise linking the downtown centre of Brussels with the wealthier uptown quarters. The hill used to be a park with fountains and statues, which was razed in the 1950’s and replaced by a spacious square with austere rectangular buildings, accommodating congress facilities and the National Library. Many people regret the hill’s former beauty. The equestrian statue represents King Albert I. Beyond the Mont des Arts, the terrain keeps rising, and is continued by what is called the Coudenberg (“Cold Hill”), much frequented by visitors and tourists interested in music and the arts.

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