Molenbeek, Municipality in Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
Molenbeek is a municipality in the western part of Brussels-Capital Region that runs alongside the waterway connecting the capital to Charleroi. Residential blocks alternate with commercial streets, and several metro stops link the roads to the center of the capital.
The area shifted from a farming village to a center of factories and workshops during the 1800s as industries settled along the canal. The first passenger railway on the European continent left from here toward Mechelen in 1835.
Locals refer to the area by its shortened form in daily conversation, using just the first word of its official double name. Many street markets and neighborhood shops still reflect the working-class heritage that shaped the community through generations.
Several metro lines and bus connections run through the area and provide links to other parts of the capital. Visitors walking or cycling can follow paved paths along the canal promenade that make exploring straightforward.
The industrial past earned the area the nickname of Little Manchester during the late 1800s due to its many textile mills and workshops. Today some renovated factory buildings still recall that era of steam engines and mechanical looms.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
