Halle Gate — Attraction in Brussels

Porte de Hal is a must-visit for history lovers and architecture enthusiasts! The tour takes about an hour to 90 minutes, giving you plenty of time to soak in the medieval charm of this historic city gate. Unfortunately, the last floor is closed for renovations until the end of 2027, but there’s still so much to explore.

The staff here are incredibly friendly and helpful, making the experience even more enjoyable. They even provide lockers so you can store your belongings while touring. The grand spiral staircase is a masterpiece in itself—definitely one of the highlights of the visit! For the best experience, I’d recommend starting the tour from the top floor and working your way down. Don’t forget to grab the complimentary audio guide; it adds so much depth to the visit.

Originally built in 1381 as part of Brussels’ second city walls, Porte de Hal is the only remaining medieval gate in the city. Over the centuries, it has served various purposes—a defensive fortification, a prison, a customs house, and even an archive. Its fairytale-like Gothic architecture, complete with turrets and thick stone walls, transports you straight back to the Middle Ages. Today, it houses an engaging museum showcasing medieval weaponry, armor, and the history of Brussels’ fortifications.

If you love history and breathtaking architecture, this place is well...

What today is a pentagon-shaped ring road surrounding Brussels city centre, was once a defensive wall complete with moat and seven gates into the city. One of these gates was the Porte de Hal. The wall was demolished in the early part of the 19th century. Only the Porte de Hal was left standing, as it served as a prison at the time. Later it became a museum. Around 1870, the building received a complete make-over by the Belgian architect Henri Beyaert. He added an extra storey with a new roof and a tower housing a majestic, stone staircase. The Porte de Hal is still a museum, where nowadays you can learn about the old city fortifications or the once very powerful Brussels guilds. While these are interesting themes, you get a more comprehensive history of Brussels (and better value for money!) in the Musée de la Ville at the Grand-Place. On the top floor you have access out onto a walkway around the roof but, due to the location and nearby high buildings, the view over the city is rather limited and not at all panoramic. Signage, information panels etc. in French and Dutch only. Audioguide available. There is a lift in...

It kept seeing this place while taking the metro, so decided to stop by one day. It's a medieval museum, they have temporary exhibitions on top, currently an interesting one on old dollhouses. Was pleasantly surprised. An audio guide is included in your entrance fee (avaliable in English), all you need to do is leave one form of ID at reception. Highly recommend you to take it. Thankfully it's not too dull as they can be. A winding staircase takes you through this fortification and it'll take you just about an hour to see it with an audio guide, probably less than half an hour without it. You don't have many additional information in English if you don't take the before mentioned audio guide. The place is included in your Brussels Card. On top you get a nice panoramic view if it's not too foggy. By it is a little park, just across the street a restaurant Le Bistro. Try it if you're hungry, staff is...