Gallerie Reali Saint-Hubert
بروكسل
The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries are 19th-century covered passages in the centre of Brussels. They are home to shops, cafés, theatres and a cinema.
A new idea
Around 1837 a young architect imagined a covered passage in a poor, unhealthy neighbourhood. He wanted to bring together homes, shops, theatres and places to stroll. Work began in 1846 and the galleries opened the following year, with a big celebration.
The see-through roof
The roof rests on a series of iron arches, high above the ground. The panels overlap like scales, to let the air circulate. The galleries were once lit by gas lamps; today modern lights even allow light shows.
Theatres and cinema
The galleries hold two theatres and a cinema that opened in 1939. The ceiling of one of the theatres was painted by a great Belgian artist.
The home of the filled chocolate
In a shop in the Galerie de la Reine, medicines were once coated in chocolate. In 1912 the filled chocolate was born there. Today Brussels is famous worldwide for its chocolate. The shop windows in the galleries are among the sweetest in the city.
