Grote Markt (Brussels)
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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Grand Place, with the Brussels Town Hall on the left
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| Location | Brussels, Belgium |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iv |
| Reference | 857 |
| Inscription | 1998 (22nd Session) |
| Area | 1.48 ha |
| Buffer zone | 20.93 ha |
| Coordinates | 50°50′48″N 4°21′9″E / 50.84667°N 4.35250°E |
 Location of the Grand Place
 Grand Place (Belgium)
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The Grand Place (French, pronounced [ɡʁɑ̃ plas]; "Grand Square"; also used in English) or Grote Markt (Dutch, pronounced [ˌɣroːtə ˈmɑrkt] (
listen); "Grand Market") is the central square of Brussels. It is surrounded by opulent guildhalls and two larger edifices, the city's Town Hall, and the King's House or Breadhouse (French: Maison du Roi, Dutch: Broodhuis) building containing the Museum of the City of Brussels. The square measures 68 by 110 metres (223 by 361 ft).
The square is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels. It is also considered as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
In the 10th century, Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine constructed a fort on Saint-Géry Island, the furthest inland point at which the Senne river was still navigable. This was the seed of what would become Brussels. By the end of the 11th century, an open-air marketplace was set up on a dried-up marsh near the fort that was surrounded by sandbanks. The market was called the Nedermerckt, or Lower Market.
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