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Sablon & Chocolate: free self-guided audio tour of Brussels
Sablon & Chocolate is a free self-guided audio walking tour of Brussels, Belgium: 3 stops in about 1 h 30. The Itinerarly app walks you from one stop to the next and plays a short narrated story when you arrive, in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.
| Stops | 3 |
|---|---|
| Duration | about 1 h 30, including time at each stop |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Distance | about 257 m in straight lines between the stops (a little more on foot) |
| Start | Place du Grand Sablon |
| Finish | Petit Sablon Garden |
| Price | Free (some sights charge their own entry ticket) |
| Languages | English, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese |
Place du Grand Sablon, chocolatiers and antique dealers.
The stops, in order
- Place du Grand SablonWelcome to Grand Sablon Square, Brussels' most elegant neighborhood, favored by art lovers and gourmets alike. Once a sandy swamp outside the city walls, this square became over centuries the stronghold of the Brussels aristocracy. Today, it is famous for its antiques market held every weekend under green-and-red striped tents, as well as for its renowned antique dealers and art galleries.
- Church of Our Lady of the SablonThe Church of Our Lady of the Sablon is a masterpiece of Brabantine Flamboyant Gothic, built starting in the 15th century. Its architecture is incredibly fine, especially its stained-glass windows that flood the nave with colored light. Legend has it that in 1348, a woman named Beatrice Soetkens had a vision of the Virgin asking her to steal a miraculous statue from Antwerp and bring it to Brussels by boat.
- Petit Sablon GardenThe Little Sablon Garden is a true gem of neo-Renaissance landscaping, designed in the late 19th century as a monument to Belgian history. Surrounded by a splendid wrought-iron fence adorned with 48 bronze statuettes representing old guilds and trades, this garden is a haven of peace in the city center. At its heart rises the monument to Counts Egmont and Hornes, symbols of resistance against Spanish oppression.
How to take this tour
- Install the free Itinerarly app on iPhone or Android and create a free account.
- Open Guided tours, choose Brussels, then Sablon & Chocolate.
- Start whenever you like: the app guides you to Place du Grand Sablon and the story plays when you arrive at each stop.
Other audio tours of Brussels
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Sablon & Chocolate tour in Brussels free?
- Yes. It is one of 3 free self-guided audio tours of Brussels in the Itinerarly app. Some sights charge their own entry ticket.
- How long does the Sablon & Chocolate tour take?
- About 1 h 30 for 3 stops, including time at each stop.
- Where does the Sablon & Chocolate tour start and finish?
- It starts at Place du Grand Sablon and finishes at Petit Sablon Garden.
- Which languages is the narration in?
- English, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese, with natural-sounding synthetic voices.