Quays district

You get the strange feeling here of standing on a quay even if there isn’t any river in sight. The basins and the alignment of façades are a clear reminder that not so long ago, the port of Brussels reached all the way to this square. The port activity made the Sainte-Catherine Basin a major hub for the distribution of goods until the early 20th century. The basins were eventually filled in, but a quick glance at the street names in the Quays district, as well as its surrounding restaurants, is enough to recall the bustling energy of the port and its once-thriving fish market.