Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (Mima)
Little by little, without making much noise, Molenbeek stomps closer and. Bordered by the canal and dotted with museums (of yesterday and today), restaurants (of old and not so always) and secrets (well kept and open), Molenbeek is a piece of Brussels yet to be discovered.
Molenbeek's newest tourist attraction is a museum, but one that won't remind you of any other. The Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art, or MiMA, celebrates modern art at its most literal. Graffiti, graphic design, tattoos, comics and plastic arts meet in this former beer distillery that recognizes the contemporary city as the ultimate canvas.
Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art, or MiMA
On the other side of the scale is the fonderie , the home of Museum of Industry and Labor in Brussels . Its permanent exhibition explores the political and economic changes that took Belgium from an agrarian to an industrial society, including a graphic library that highlights the role that Molenbeek played in the transition.
But Molenbeek lives not only in museums, and cultured tourists who wander through its streets for a while will have several very pleasant encounters. The church of San Juan Bautista , for example, is a very particular example of architecture art deco, of the famous Belgian architect Joseph Diongre.
Work in the basement of the MIMA
He is a short walk away karreveld castle . Half hidden by the undergrowth of the park of the same name, this castle maintains its structure almost intact – although not its purpose. After World War II it became a farm. These days, it receives tourists in droves and serves as the setting for events ranging from weddings to neighborhood Christmas market.
Between the two, let yourself be tempted by the streets. Molenbeek lends itself to wandering , and hides a surprise in every corner. In a street, like the one next to San Juan Bautista, you can run into murals or mosaic tiles ; in another, you will find the statue of the “canal rascal,” or By vaartkapoen , which gave rise to the traditional nickname for the residents of Molenbeek.
'The canal scoundrel'
Keep walking, and you will reach Scheutbos , which claims a tenth of the Molenbeek neighborhood . More than 50 hectares, more than 100 species of birds and 20 of butterflies , you could easily spend an entire day on it.
Scheutbos
A day in Molenbeek can be long (or even last several), but now that we are closing the day, we are going to close it well. And that in Brussels (and Belgium in general) means a beer, a plate of stoemp , or both at the same time.
Stoemp, the essential dish if you visit Brussels
For the first part, ** Brasserie de la Senne **, one of the most famous breweries in the neighborhood, welcomes you as usual: with a warm welcome and a cold beer. It takes care of the solid part Les Trappistes , a neighborhood classic that boasts Art Deco architecture (so Brussels) on the outside, and a classic Belgian menu on the inside.
In the mood for something more international? You have come to the right neighborhood. Molenbeek is a hodgepodge of cultures ; from an Egyptian tea room you can easily move on to Turkish halal food or Moroccan-style couscous with vegetables without leaving the street. A recommendation: Pythagoras , which based on breaded feta cheese and moussaka brings a piece of the Mediterranean to Brussels.
And to end the night, go to Rue Cafe . This bar/concert hall, an institution in the neighborhood, welcomes you with a drink, a concert and, above all, a lot of art.
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An institution in Molenbeek