Saint-Josse-Ten-Noode/Sint-Joost-Ten-Node: History, Music and Walking Tours

Saint-Josse-ten-Noode brings together historic traces, diverse cultural venues and walking tours: one museum is housed in a late-19th-century hôtel particulier, while the Jazz Station is in a former railway station built above the tracks. Several routes have their own focus—from an audio walk with music to painted shutters along the shops. As you plan your trip, you can consider history, music and exploring the city as different points of interest.

Transport options are also useful for getting your bearings. Bruxelles-Nord station, also known as Gare du Nord, is located in the municipalities of Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. It is served by numerous international, national, regional and local trains. You can get around Saint-Josse-ten-Noode on foot, by bicycle or by bus. These train connections and local ways of getting around offer different points of reference for planning your trip.

Historic traces and distinctive buildings

The present-day Place Saint-Josse is on the former road to Leuven. This road has played an important role in the historical development of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode since the 13th century. The square thus connects a specific place with a long urban history: Leuven is not only part of its name but also part of the historical context of the former road.

The Musée Charlier is housed in a late-19th-century hôtel particulier, or town mansion, at 16 Avenue des Arts. Victor Horta remodelled the building in 1890 to display collections. Architectural history and museum activities come together here. The Musée Charlier hosts activities throughout the year, including exhibitions and concerts in the “Matin Découverte” and “Midi Jazz” series. Alongside the exhibitions, these concert series give the venue a musical focus.

Music and theatre in different settings

The Jazz Station also combines culture with a distinctive architectural history. It is located in a former railway station built above the tracks at the level of Chaussée de Louvain. It is also one of the few railway stations in Belgium built on a bridge. The Jazz Station offers, among other things, a concert series. Architecture and music programming are therefore two distinct aspects of this venue.

The Théâtre de la Vie adds a different dimension to these cultural venues: it is a small theatre with 72 seats in the heart of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. Together, the museum, Jazz Station and theatre offer different points of interest for a stay focused on art and culture, without requiring you to choose just one.

Walking tours with different focuses

The audio walk through Saint-Josse-ten-Noode features 22 short texts accompanied by music. It starts at point 1 in front of the town hall and ends at point 22 near Place Rogier. The “Saint-Josse and the Squares” walking tour starts at the exit of Madou metro station, in front of the town hall; the station is served by lines 2 and 6. These two options have different focuses: one combines short texts with music, while the other starts at Madou metro station.

Another walking tour, “L'église de Saint-Josse,” starts and ends on the steps of the Saint-Josse church in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. If you are interested in art in public spaces, there is also a walking tour featuring 20 painted shutters. It runs along the shops on Chaussée de Louvain between Madou and the Jazz Station. You can choose between a route with a set start and end point, an audio walk and a route along painted shutters.

A culinary event in December

The municipality holds the “Parcours sur les Arts culinaires” every year in December. For travellers who would also like to include culinary culture in their plans, this is a recurring seasonal reference point. If you are staying around the time of the event, it may be helpful to check the dates when planning your trip.

Whether you are particularly interested in architectural history, concert series, theatre, walking tours or the December event, these topics offer different starting points for discovering Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. Tailor your holiday apartment search to the aspects of the area that matter most for your trip.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Anderlecht, Ganshoren, Uccle/Ukkel, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre/Sint-Pieters-Woluwe, Brussels, Watermael-Boitsfort/Watermaal-Bosvoorde, Laeken, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean.

For the main travel overview: Brussels-Capital Region.