Every main city of the world has a river, or a harbor. Brussels, at first sight looks like a city without water.

But that’s not true.

Once upon a time, the river Zenne crossed the city. By the end of the 19th century it was decided to build boulevards on top of the river, and the Brussellers forgot about it.

Many Brusselers will only know the Zenne from the signs on the highway. However, right in the city center, there’s a small hidden corner where you can catch a glimpse of it. What you can see there is just the (reconstructed) original bedding, not the Zenne itself. 

This river was never very clean, but in the last few years efforts have been made to clean it and now its waters are clear and big fish swim in it.

I like to enter this small courtyard to get away from the bustling noise of the center, of course before heading to the nearby Place St. Gery for a drink.

Enter through the iron gate and go to the left. Be quiet and respectful; this is a private area which is open to visitors during the day to give us this nice chance to discover a bit more about Brussels.