Brussels: area by area: The Lower Town – Place St. Catherine

The Place St. Catherine is named after the 19th century Gothic church that serves as its anchor. Designed in 1854 by Joseph Poelart, who also designed the Palais de Justice, the church was almost converted into the stock market.

It stayed a church, however, and is most famous for the Black Madonna and child statue, fished out of the River Senne by Catholics in 1744 after Protestants angrily dumped it there. The church today is in a pretty sorry state, but perhaps the organ concerts held the first Saturday of every month give it some life.
Nearby, the so-called Black Tower is part of the old city wall dating back to the 13th century.From there it’s a short walk to the Square des Blindes, where one of Brussels’ loveliest statues stands guard: a monument to the carrier pigeons and soldiers who gave their lives in World War I.