A Brief History Of The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

Right in the heart of Brussels is the magnificent Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, one of first shopping arcades built in Europe. In this solid two hundred meter long complex, amazing shop window displays lure visitors into high-end specialized boutiques or chocolate shops, and also a variety of cultural organizations. It was built in 1847, and after almost 150 years still remains a center of grandeur in Brussels — grandeur that can be admired by everyone in the spirit of its motto ‘omnibus omnia‘ (everything to everybody), which can be seen on its overarching facade.

Building a dream

The idea for the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert came from the young architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer, who had a talent for business too. In 1836, Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer decided to turn the bare streets of the area into a covered shopping complex. Cluysenaer also found a partner — a banker named Jean-André Demot, but the journey from a dream to its realization was not easy. It took the business partners nine years to deal with all the property rights; (apparently, bureaucracy in Belgium is deeply rooted).
The actual construction project itself required much less time. The papers were all set in February 1845, and the construction started in May of the same year; the inauguration was only 18 months after. The passage was inaugurated by King Leopold I and his sons.
Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer studied in the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts where he was mesmerized by the Italian Renaissance, and used this as the inspiration for the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert. The complex has three sections — two 100 meter long galleries called King’s Gallery and Queen’s Gallery, and a small side Gallery of the Princess. Between King’s and Queen’s Gallery, there is a colonnade; it is the place where Rue des Bouchers crosses the arcade. The common name for all three sections — Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert — was created in 1965.

History under a glass roof

Interestingly, Brussels was also the first city that the Lumières brothers (the founders of cinematography) visited after debuting their first films in the Grand Café in Paris. These ten short movies — called moving pictures at the time — were screened in the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in March 1st, 1896. These movies were very short, with just a few seconds each, combined to be seven minutes and 24 seconds in total. The cinephile scene continues to this day, as the arcade now hosts the prominent Cinéma GALERIES, a popular spot screening art-house films.
Perhaps another notable distinction is that the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert contains several letters and manuscripts by renowned scientists, artists and cultural figures. The Museum of Letters and Manuscripts houses an extensive collection showcasing the correspondence and personal thoughts of some of the world’s most historic figures in the arts and sciences including Einstein, Van Gogh and Brussels’ own Jacques Brel.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.