landmark
Grand-Place
Opulent central square in Brussels surrounded by ornate guildhalls and the Gothic town hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3 km · about 5 min drive
Brussels Capital, Belgium · Europe
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean works well as a base: 5 minutes from Dilbeek, 15km from Hallerbos.
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean is a town located in Brussels Capital, Belgium. With a population of 97,037, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean sits in Belgium, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Brussels time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Molenbeek-Saint-Jean to your route.
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (French, pronounced [molœnbek sɛ̃ ʒɑ̃] ) or Sint-Jans-Molenbeek (Dutch, pronounced [sɪɲˈtɕɑns ˈmoːlə(m)ˌbeːk] ), often simply called Molenbeek, is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the western part of the region, it is bordered by the City ofRead more
Brussels, from which it is separated by the Brussels–Charleroi Canal, as well as by the municipalities of Anderlecht, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Dilbeek, Jette, and Koekelberg. The Molenbeek brook, from which it takes its name, flows through the municipality. Like all municipalities in Brussels, it is officially bilingual (French–Dutch).
From its origins in the Middle Ages until the 18th century, Molenbeek was a rural village on the edge of Brussels, but around the turn of the 19th century, it experienced major growth brought on by a boom in commerce and manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. Its prosperity declined after the Second World War, owing to deindustrialisation, leading to extensive investment and regeneration. Experiencing a strong movement of immigration, mainly Moroccan, from the 1950s and 1960s, Molenbeek became increasingly multicultural with a minority Muslim population. In the 2010s, it gained international attention as the base for Islamist terrorists who carried out attacks in both Paris and Brussels.
Molenbeek is a mostly residential municipality consisting of several historically and architecturally distinct districts. As of 1 January 2024, the municipality had a population of 98,365 inhabitants. The total area is 6.02 km2 (2.32 sq mi), which gives a population density of 16,352/km2 (42,350/sq mi), twice the average of Brussels. Its upper area is greener and less densely populated.
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Molenbeek-Saint-Jean offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Molenbeek-Saint-Jean is located in Brussels Capital, Belgium, Europe. The coordinates are 50.8499 latitude, 4.3125 longitude.
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean has a population of approximately 97,037 people, making it a town in Belgium.
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8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Opulent central square in Brussels surrounded by ornate guildhalls and the Gothic town hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
Small bronze fountain sculpture of a urinating boy that has become a beloved symbol of Brussels since 1619.
3 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
Futuristic building in Brussels shaped like an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, built for the 1958 World Expo.
5 km · about 10 min drive
museum
300 vehicles spanning a century of motoring displayed in the grand Cinquantenaire Palace arcade.
6 km · about 10 min drive
museum
Baron Empain's 1934 marble-and-gilt Art Deco mansion on Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, restored by the Boghossian Foundation as an East-West art centre: Brussels' most sumptuous interior after the Horta houses.
7 km · about 15 min drive
natural wonder
The 'Blue Forest' near Halle carpets itself with millions of wild bluebells under beech trees each spring.
15 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
A grass pyramid topped by a cast-iron lion marks the 1815 battlefield where Napoleon met his final defeat.
20 km · about 25 min drive
cathedral
Climb 538 steps up Mechelen's unfinished Gothic tower for a sky-walk panorama reaching as far as Antwerp and Brussels.
23 km · about 25 min drive
April to October
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