Brussels Mysteries & Legends Free Tour

Behind the gold leaf of the Grand-Place sits a much darker city: this is where the Counts of Egmont and Hoorn were publicly beheaded in 1568 for opposing Spanish rule, a killing that helped light the fuse of the Dutch Revolt, and where guilds once rose up against the aristocracy that ran the city. Your guide walks the same cobblestones while unpacking the plagues, uprisings and forgotten rebels that rarely make it into the postcard version of Brussels' history.

You'll also collect the folklore that locals grew up with — the several competing legends about why a small boy urinating became the city's mascot, the luck-bringing statue everyone still rubs on their way past, and the odd corners of the elegant Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert where the stories get stranger the further back you dig. It's the same old town as the classic tour, seen through its shadows instead of its showpieces.