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
EuropeBelgiumBrussels Capital
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
Brussels Capital, Belgium · Europe
About Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean works well as a base: 5 minutes from Dilbeek, 16km from Hallerbos.
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean is in Brussels Capital, Belgium, with about 97,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Dilbeek, about 4 km away.
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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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Molenbeek-Saint-Jean?
Within an hour or so of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean: Grand-Place (3 km), Manneken Pis (3 km), Atomium (5 km), Autoworld Brussels (6 km).
Are there any good drives near Molenbeek-Saint-Jean?
The nearest famous roads are Chimay Street Circuit, Koninklijke Baan Coast Road and Brouwersdam.
Where is Molenbeek-Saint-Jean?
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean is in Brussels Capital, Belgium, about 4 km from Dilbeek.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 97,037
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Belgium
- Region
- Brussels Capital
- Timezone
- Europe/Brussels
- Coordinates
- 50.8499, 4.3125
Tags
Worth the detour from Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Manneken Pis
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
Atomium
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
Autoworld Brussels
300 vehicles spanning a century of motoring displayed in the grand Cinquantenaire Palace arcade.
6 km · about 10 min drive
museum
Villa Empain
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
Hallerbos
The 'Blue Forest' near Halle carpets itself with millions of wild bluebells under beech trees each spring.
16 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Lion's Mound Waterloo
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
St. Rumbold's Tower
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
Driving roads near Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
4 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- 68 kmWestern Scheldt TunnelAt 6.6 km the longest road tunnel in the Netherlands, diving under the busy Western Scheldt shipping lane to link Zeeland with Zeelandic Flanders since 2003.
- 68 kmWesterscheldetunnelTolled 6.6-kilometre road tunnel under the Western Scheldt linking Zeelandic Flanders to Zuid-Beveland, replacing two ferries.
Driving in Belgium
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.74/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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