By bike - Canal grande
Urban renewal in the Canal area
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Charleroi Canal stimulated the industrialisation of the neighbouring municipalities. The departure of industry led to neglect and decay, and the Canal deteriorated into an unattractive fault line. That has changed since 2000: waterside living has proved attractive, with old industrial premises being repurposed as fashionable homes and new projects replacing old buildings.
We follow the course of the Canal for some distance between Anderlecht Lock in the south and Pont de Buda in the north. Along the way we see houseboats and high-rise buildings, the new brewery of Brussels Beer Project, the bustling Abattoir site and the Heyvaert district, where the car trade is gradually making way for housing and the circular economy. We share the cycle path with pedestrians as we take in the old Belle-Vue brewery, now full of new life, two new bridges, the Chien Vert fabric shop and the Petit-Château. Beyond Sainctelette, our route takes us past Tour & Taxis and the Tivoli district, the Au Bord de l’Eau neighbourhood project, La Halte pocket park and Brussels Park.
Connecting tips
MIMA, Museum of contemporary art
practical information
Departure: Near the Canal (to be agreed)
Finish: Idem