Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert — Attraction in Brussels

The Royal Galleries Saint Hubert, built in 1847 by the young architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer, inspired by the Italian Renaissance and using modern iron and glass technology. modern iron and glass technology. He created a covered street with the appearance of a "glass palace" that blends perfectly into the urban landscape. The complex is actually made up of three galleries: the Queen's Gallery, the King's Gallery and the Princes' Gallery. They are the world's first commercial galleries of monumental character and their design revolutionized the architectural style of this type of passageway that had begun in Paris but now reached a new dimension. They were followed by European galleries such as the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and The Passage in St. Petersburg.

The name of the galleries comes from the previous small medieval artery, known as Saint-Hubert Street, on whose axis the grandiose project was based and which today is also known as "the umbrella of Brussels". Its realization caused the demolition of 49 houses and allowed the renovation and modernization of the center of Brussels. It also allowed the connection of the upper and lower parts of the city, the revitalization of trade and the creation of a luxurious commercial and leisure area.

Taverne du Passage, located at number 30 of the Galerie de la Reine, was an important meeting place for painters and writers of the time Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas or Edgar Quinet met in the place known until 1892 as Café des Arts. Surrealist painters such as the famous Magritte, to whom we owe the ceiling of the Théâtre Royal des Galeries, and the artists of the Cobra group, were also regular customers. In the galleries you can have one of the best waffles in Brussels in Dandoy, see the first Neuhaus store, buy chocolates in Mary, taste the coffees of Aksum and visit the beautiful Tropismes bookstore.

And one more fact. The Tour de France passed through these galleries in 2019 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the victory of Eddie Merckx, the most important Belgian cyclist in history, in the...

Galerie de la Reine is one of those places that instantly makes you feel like you’ve stepped into another era — elegant, peaceful, and absolutely beautiful. Located in the heart of Brussels, just steps away from Grand Place, this historic shopping arcade is part of the larger Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, and it’s easily one of the city’s architectural gems.

From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted by a stunning glass-vaulted ceiling, intricate façades, and beautifully maintained shopfronts. The natural light that floods through during the day adds a romantic, old-world charm. It’s the kind of place where you want to slow down and take your time, just to appreciate the details — from the ironwork to the marble flooring.

Inside, you’ll find a mix of luxury boutiques, chocolatiers, bookstores, and cafés. It’s not necessarily a spot for everyday shopping, but rather for enjoying a refined experience. We stopped by Neuhaus and Pierre Marcolini — both world-renowned Belgian chocolatiers — and had a coffee at one of the small cafés while people-watching under the glass dome. Everything about the visit felt elegant but relaxed.

While the gallery itself isn’t large, it offers an atmosphere that’s hard to find elsewhere — timeless and quietly luxurious. It’s also a great escape from the weather, whether you’re avoiding rain or just taking a break from the summer sun.

If you’re in Brussels, whether it’s your first visit or your tenth, Galerie de la Reine is a must-see. It’s more than just a shopping arcade — it’s a piece of living history that captures the soul of the city in the most...

A Very nice Galleria with shops, restaurants and cafes, but most important, full with chocolateries!!!! It is a beautiful place to take a walk. Regarding shopping it's expensive!! But you can enter all the chocolate places, see the beautiful chocolate displays, you can try chocolate (in the most of them they offer you a chocolate piece to try!!!!) And of course you can buy!!

We tried macarons from the Belgium Chocolate Factory, super tasty and beautiful and also not pricey. It was 1,70 Euro per piece for a really big macaron (it was bigger than all the other places which had macarons inside the gallery) and i say not so pricey because i remember in Paris one time we got macarons for 2,10 euro per piece.

Another place you can get different kind of chocolates to try (you help yourself and create your own combination of chocolates) again in fair price is the Belgique Gourmande. Again i say fair prices thinking that the most of them had 7-8 euro per 100 grams, here it was 5 euro.

Last but not least of course is Leonidas!! Everywhere in Europe I've been and there is a Leonidas shop, it is always like super expensive. In Belgium i had heard that Leonidas was cheaper than other places because this shop has originally started in Belgium, it was the first one which had got a steam machine to separate chocolate from butter. And it was indeed the cheapest in the gallery: 3,10 Euro per 100 grams. And the chocolates... Amazing!!!!

So don't be afraid to enter shops, end especially chocolate shops, insode the gallery. Come and...