Place du Grand Sablon
Place du Grand Sablon
4.2
About
Begin the weekend strolling the weekly antique markets on the Place du Grand Sablon.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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- Naamsepoort • 8 min walk
- Louiza • 8 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.2
1,331 reviews
Excellent
512
Very good
585
Average
203
Poor
25
Terrible
6
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NorwichCarrow
Sandgate, UK405 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
A lovely square (actually it’s triangle) in the Upper Town. Close to the Royal Palace and the Royal Museums of Fine Art and the Magritte Museum. Every Saturday and Sunday a great antique market with some wonderful china and silverware stalls. The square is lined with high end chocateliers, boutiques, restaurants and Witammer, a superb bakery with the Belgian royal warrant. An easy walk downhill to the area around the Grand Place and a bracing return up Rue Lebeau!
Written 6 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carla M
2 contributions
Nov 2024 • Solo
I spent 5 days in Brussels but 3 would have been plenty. Weather was brisk and a bit rainy most days. The city is very walkable with excellent public transit options. I visited a couple of the vintage markets and saw all the major sights. Loved the Magritte Museum! The Grand Sablon was amazing! Great beer too!
Written 4 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YB1972
Geneva, Switzerland29,419 contributions
Apr 2023 • Solo
This place is quite pretty and clean. The businesses that make it up are mostly aimed at wealthy people. The restaurants are upscale. On weekends, an antique market takes place. A site to visit in the southern part of the city.
Written 31 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
macedonboy
Glasgow, UK1,86,085 contributions
Sept 2019
The Place du Grand Sablon is a nice area to visit especially at the weekends when there’s an antiques market and there was maybe 50+ stalls selling some interesting things. Situated between the royal palace and the palace of justice, Sablon has always been an upper class district. Nowadays there’s less aristocratic undertones and more chic and trendy. So there’s lots of nice cafes and restaurants in the plaza as well as several upmarket chocolatiers such as Neuhaus and Pierre Marcolini.
The Church of Notre Dame du Sablon is also on the square, and worth combining into one visit.
The Church of Notre Dame du Sablon is also on the square, and worth combining into one visit.
Written 8 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad
Hong Kong, China1,82,774 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
Place du Grand Sablon is a nice square in the upper town. Here you find art galleries, high-end chocolate shops, restaurants as well as sightseeing. We recently stayed a few nights here during out visit Brussels and enjoyed being in this area of the city.
Historically, Grand Sablon saw an upper class neighbourhood built up in more recent centuries around the historic Blessed Lady of the Sablon. The church is considered one of the finest examples of Brabatine Gothic architecture in Belgium and is a nice place to visit.
Other quality sightseeing includes the small fountain of Minerva which was built on the square in 1751. There is also the very nice Petit Sablon garden just south of the church. Further area sightseeing includes the Royal Arts Museum complex just a few minutes away and the Grand Palace just a bit further. Further, the Grand Place (Grote Markt) and lower town are a mere 10 minutes away by foot.
During our time at Place du Grand Sablon, we enjoyed visiting a handful of the chocolate shops such as Patrick Roger, Pierre Marcolini and the small Passion Chocolat and found the restaurant scene to be quite good. We enjoyed meals at La Pizza E Bella, Hispania Brasserie, Sablon Pop-up, L'Entree des Artistes and La Rabassier during our visit.
In the end, we enjoyed our time spent on Place du Grand Sablon. This is an area of the city that we'd be happy to stay or at least spend some time during future trips to Brussels.
Historically, Grand Sablon saw an upper class neighbourhood built up in more recent centuries around the historic Blessed Lady of the Sablon. The church is considered one of the finest examples of Brabatine Gothic architecture in Belgium and is a nice place to visit.
Other quality sightseeing includes the small fountain of Minerva which was built on the square in 1751. There is also the very nice Petit Sablon garden just south of the church. Further area sightseeing includes the Royal Arts Museum complex just a few minutes away and the Grand Palace just a bit further. Further, the Grand Place (Grote Markt) and lower town are a mere 10 minutes away by foot.
During our time at Place du Grand Sablon, we enjoyed visiting a handful of the chocolate shops such as Patrick Roger, Pierre Marcolini and the small Passion Chocolat and found the restaurant scene to be quite good. We enjoyed meals at La Pizza E Bella, Hispania Brasserie, Sablon Pop-up, L'Entree des Artistes and La Rabassier during our visit.
In the end, we enjoyed our time spent on Place du Grand Sablon. This is an area of the city that we'd be happy to stay or at least spend some time during future trips to Brussels.
Written 16 December 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack C
Sheffield, UK53 contributions
Dec 2013 • Friends
Went during a christmas market and it was one of my favourite days of our trip to Brussels - there were four tents in the square, one for each of the Michelin starred restaurants in the city and then a champagne bar in the centre.
The idea being that you could try some food from each of the restaurants (for a price - although as you can imagine the food was very impressive!) and then wash it all down with some champagne in the middle of a very pretty square.
After we took a stroll around the many antiques shops which line the edge of the square and then found ourselves in the nice little wine bar at the southern tip of the square.
I would definitely go back if there was another themed event on here during my next visit.
The idea being that you could try some food from each of the restaurants (for a price - although as you can imagine the food was very impressive!) and then wash it all down with some champagne in the middle of a very pretty square.
After we took a stroll around the many antiques shops which line the edge of the square and then found ourselves in the nice little wine bar at the southern tip of the square.
I would definitely go back if there was another themed event on here during my next visit.
Written 27 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Drina555
London, UK4 contributions
Jun 2011
I went to lots of art galleries in the area and if you enjoy Brussels and Flemish tapestries as well as other European like Gobelin tapestries and oriental carpets, this is a gallery not to miss.
I visited them during the Brussels Oriental and Art Fair in early June. Great event by the way.
I highly recommend this place.
Plus the area is great to buy chocolates as all the famous Belgian chocolate shops are located in the Sablon... mmmmmmm chocolicious time :)
I visited them during the Brussels Oriental and Art Fair in early June. Great event by the way.
I highly recommend this place.
Plus the area is great to buy chocolates as all the famous Belgian chocolate shops are located in the Sablon... mmmmmmm chocolicious time :)
Written 1 August 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kalsar
Cyprus184 contributions
Sept 2015 • Couples
One of the good reasons why you should visit Brussels. Famous for the antique stores, designer shops, trendy boutiques and chocolate shops.
Written 6 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philip S
Columbia, MD870 contributions
Sept 2014 • Solo
This authentic square is often overlooked by tourists, yet it is in many ways more charming than the Grande Place. The church at the top of the square\ is a wonder and the shopping, dining, and chocolate buying possibilities are quite good as well.
Written 8 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave
Regina, Canada65 contributions
Nov 2014 • Couples
I really don't get the reviews that say this was anything other than spectacular. Coming from Canada, we don't have a lot of the older history that exists in Europe, so perhaps we're more easily 'wowed'.
Anyway, we took a day trip to Brussels while staying in London. When I stepped into the square, my jaw literally dropped at how beautiful the architecture was. I can only say this about 2 places on Earth that I have been that stunned. The other one was inside Westminster Abbey.
If you find it convenient to go to Brussels, I'd recommend seeing this square at least once in your life. We went back 3 times during the day to view it in different lighting!
Anyway, we took a day trip to Brussels while staying in London. When I stepped into the square, my jaw literally dropped at how beautiful the architecture was. I can only say this about 2 places on Earth that I have been that stunned. The other one was inside Westminster Abbey.
If you find it convenient to go to Brussels, I'd recommend seeing this square at least once in your life. We went back 3 times during the day to view it in different lighting!
Written 5 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
le marcher du sablon est ouvert aussi le samedi ! de 6h00 à 18h00
à savoir
Written 29 December 2017
Where exactly can I find the clock in a shape of the sun? Could anyone give me the address?
Written 13 December 2017
Where exactly can I find the clock in a shape of the sun? Could anyone give me the address?
Written 13 December 2017
Quisiera saber los restaurantes más recomendables en la gran place de Bruselas, gracias
Written 15 September 2015
Do you know when the Christmas Market begins? I'll be visiting Brussels around late November (19-21st)
Written 21 August 2015
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