Brussels in Bloom: Floral trail in city centre until 15 August

Serving as an appetiser to the celebrated Flower Carpet that will adorn the Grand Place from 12 to 15 August, the city of Brussels has inaugurated a floral parcours, Brussels in Bloom.

Designed to brighten up the historic city centre, the signposted discovery trail runs until 15 August, reports RTBF.

Floral works by Belgian designers have been decorating shopping streets in downtown Brussels since Monday. The 25-minute pedestrian tour starts in the Grand Place and takes visitors through neighbouring streets. They include 12 emblematic places, such as Rue des Brasseurs and Rue du Marché aux Fromages, which are embellished with brightly coloured ‘Floral Balls’ by Max Hurtaud.

The trail acts as a prelude to the famous flower carpet that traditionally draws crowds of more than 200,000.

"We want to provide visitors with a harmonious experience with Brussels in Bloom, so as not to limit their enjoyment to a sole visit to the cobblestones of the Grand Place. This visit will take them through the alleys of our capital, to discovery some of our quality brands. It’s a real initiative that supports our retail and food and drink businesses and all those who make Brussels shine through their services," said Brussels business alderman Fabian Maingain.

Photo: © Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck