Economist.com Cities Guide: Brussels Briefing - August 2006

News this month

After the sun, the rain

Torrential rain caused flooding in east Brussels on July 28th, forcing motorists to abandon their cars and two metro stations to close. The floods came at the end of Belgium’s hottest-ever July, with temperatures averaging 23.2ºC (74ºF). The car park of the W (formerly Woluwe) shopping centre was flooded—shoppers gaped with horror at their cars half-submerged in water—as was a nearby tunnel. Evelyne Huytebroeck, the minister for the environment in the Brussels regional government, promised to raise the issue of flood protection and financial support for those affected when the political season resumes in September.

This was the third time in a year that the area of Woluwe St-Lambert, south of the city’s airport, has seen serious flooding. Two small rivers, the Roodebeek and the Woluwe, meet nearby, which makes the location particularly vulnerable to rises in the water level.

Waterloo underground

Wallonia's regional government has unveiled plans to modernise visitor entertainment at the battlefield of Waterloo, which lies 10km south of Brussels. The site of Napoleon's decisive 1815 defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington and Marshal von Blücher is still largely farmland. Its few tourist attractions, which include a diorama and a waxworks museum (whose models date from 1949), are deemed to be rather stale. The organisers hope to raise the number of annual visitors from 300,000 to 500,000 with a new 1,000-square-metre visitors’ centre, mostly underground, near the site’s main memorial—an artificial hill topped with a statue of a lion.

The €20m project is being led by Franco Dragone, an Italian-Belgian renowned for his work producing and directing two unique Cirque du Soleil shows in Los Angeles. The centre will boast an interactive exhibition with three-dimensional films and simulated tours of the battlefield. It is expected to open in 2009.

Bring back the cars

The Belgian Grand Prix looks set to return in 2007. Bernie Ecclestone, the boss of Formula One (F1), has promised a race next year at Spa-Francorchamps, near Liège, according to an announcement in mid-July from Elio Di Rupo, the head of the Walloon government. The circuit is one of the most celebrated in F1 racing, but fell off the calendar after the 2005 race, when its promoter went bankrupt. The Walloon government took control of the circuit, but was left with various debts. The return of the Grand Prix is important not only because many Belgians are fans of motor-racing but also because, under the terms of a 2003 agreement aimed at keeping Grand Prix racing in Belgium, the Walloon government is obliged to pay damages to Mr Ecclestone if it is unable to put on a race.

Mr Di Rupo also announced plans for a new company to organise next year’s race. It will be headed by Etienne Davignon, a former vice-president of the European Commission and former chairman of Societé Générale de Belgique, a leading holding company. Mr Davignon and his colleagues must ensure that changes demanded by Mr Ecclestone, such as making the circuit safer and improving its facilities, are ready by next summer.

Unlucky break

Belgium’s royal-watchers had a shock on August 4th when Queen Paola broke her wrist and shoulder while on a yachting holiday off the coast of Sicily. The 68-year-old queen and her husband, King Albert II, returned to Brussels immediately, where she underwent an operation. The queen left hospital on August 8th with the intention of resuming her holiday as soon as possible. This is not the first time that a royal holiday has been disrupted by broken bones. In November 2002 King Albert broke his ankle while riding his motorcycle on the grounds of his home in Châteauneuf de Grasse, in the south of France.

Five-star service

The Euroquarter of Brussels is finally getting a five-star hotel, making it easier to accommodate government leaders and their entourages when they invade the city. Sofitel Brussels Europe opens on September 8th with 137 bedrooms and 12 suites. It stands at one end of Place Jourdan, on a site that was previously an unsightly combination of advertising hoardings and a car park. Within walking distance of the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission headquarters, the hotel boasts views of Parc Léopold. Sofitel now plans improvements to its hotel in the centre of town, the Toison d’Or.

Catch if you can

August 2006

KlaraFestival 2006

September 2nd-15th 2006

After a summer of easygoing concerts, the city's classical-music season begins in earnest with this two-week festival. Organisers have crafted a programme around two themes: “Desire” and “Finland”. As part of the former, Barbara Bonney (pictured), a soprano, will sing romantic pieces by the likes of Mozart, Schubert, Liszt and both Clara and Robert Schumann (September 5th). Supporting the latter theme are appearances by two Finnish composers: Magnus Lindberg, a composer and pianist, will perform his works with Anssi Karttunen, a cellist (September 11th); and Olli Mustonen will play his own compositions on the piano, as well as those by Robert Schumann, J.S. Bach and Sergei Prokofiev (September 12th).

Other highlights include Monteverdi’s “Orfeo”, conducted by Jordi Savall, a gamba player (September 6th), and a performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Muti (September 7th). Besides concerts at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, the festival features a few at lunchtime, in the late evening and in private homes.

Palais des Beaux-Arts, 23 Rue Ravenstein, 1000 Brussels. Tel: +32 (0)2 507 8444. See the festival’s website.

More from the Brussels cultural calendar