Wiels

Nice to visit

In 1862 Lambert Wielemans set up what would, for over a century, be one of Belgium’s leading breweries. In 1879 it moved from Nieuwlandstraat/rue Terre-Neuve in the centre of Brussels to a new site in Vorst/Forest, near the Zuid/Midi railway station. Its success in the new location led to the building in 1931 of a new, modernist brewing hall, designed by the architect Adrien Blomme. The fact that we can have a beer in that brewing hall today is down to La Fonderie in Molenbeek, which prevented the destruction of its splendid copper vats in 1990 by talking to the workers on the site and promising them a day’s pay if they stopped the demolition. Four vats in the imposing tiled hall with its large windows were saved; behind them, these days, you can find the cafe (and bookshop) of the Wiels contemporary art centre, which is now based in the building. Beers are supplied by Moortgat Breweries now (Duvel!).

wo>za 12.00>19.00, vr 12>22.00, zo 11>17.00