Understand Brussels to better defend it!
Since 1977, ARAU has been a pioneer of urban tourism in Brussels and has offered unconventional guided tours that raise awareness of urban democracy and the role of residents in the development of their city. Over the decades, ARAU has also developed an expert knowledge of the city’s architectural and planning history, which it has passed on through its programme of guided tours that continue to play an essential role in the defence of the heritage buildings of Brussels. To learn more about the city’s best features, while at the same time developing a critical view of past and planned developments, join us! Our programme of guided tours is divided into four main themes: “Must-sees”, “Architecture”, “The districts of Brussels”, “The city in transformation”, “Brussels, city of trams”, “Social Brussels”, “Mobilities and urban fabric” and “On the fringes of the city”.
On request, ARAU can tailor all of its guided tours to the particular requirements of your group, throughout the year.
Season of guided tours
Victor Horta and Paul Hankar : two visions of Art Nouveau
This guided tour makes a comparative analysis of the personalities and work of these two Art Nouveau stars and the effect of their buildings on posterity.
Brussels : Capital of Art Nouveau
From Victor Horta’s Tassel House, a veritable manifesto for the style, to the more geometric designs of Paul Hankar, this visit explores the context of the style’s creation in Brussels.
Gems of the squares district
The district became a veritable laboratory of late nineteenth-century architecture, with facades in a wide variety of styles, from unfettered Eclecticism to Art Nouveau, then at its zenith.
The most beautiful Neo-Classical groups of buildings of the historic centre
In the eighteenth century, the urban fabric of Brussels inherited from the Middle Ages was profoundly changed by the construction of three major Neo-Classical groups of buildings
Living in the Logis-Floréal
The original concept of the garden suburb was to offer a form of nourishment to its residents...
Art Nouveau in Saint-Gilles
Some of the most significant Art Nouveau buildings in the city are located in Saint-Gilles!
A different way to visit Brussels!
Would you like to visit Brussels in a different way, with your family, friends, or as part of a team building or a school outing? Do you visit Brussels for the first time or you know very well Brussels and you want to discover less known sites and get off the beaten track?
Let us know what you want to discover and we will organize the visit adapted to your group!
ARAU is looking for new guides !
For 45 years, ARAU has been organizing guided tours on urbansim and heritage in Brussels.
ARAU is seeking for new profiles to develop its guide’s team : urbansits, (art) historians, geographers, or simply passionate about Brussels, don’t hesitate !
Application open to all profiles : send your motivation letter as well as tour resume to info@arau.org
Urban action
The objective of ARAU is to make sure that Brussels remains a pleasant place to live for everyone, by improving the environment and strengthening the participation of residents in the urban planning process. ARAU’s main areas of action are urban planning and mobility and involve two main work areas: publications (analyses, studies, press releases) and activities (seminar cycles and residents’ workshops).