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The “Première enceinte de Bruxelles” is French for the first walls of Brussels, wich are a series of fortifications that were built around the city and date back from the 13th Century. Along the 4 KM long walls, forty individual towers were built as defenive measures where entry within the walls was possible by seven main gates.

Location of the noticeable remains of the first walls of Brussels:

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Tour Anneessens or also called Tour d’angle

Detail of the changes made on the tower over the ages can be easily noticed

Here seen from boulevard de l’Empereur

La courtine de Villers and the tour Saint-Jacques

Here is a long remaining section of the walls on rue de Viller.

La courtine de Villers from within the walls

Long remaining section of the wall extra-muros can only be seen from a school yard  near rue des Alexiens.

Another angle view

Closer look at the tour Saint-Jacques

La tour noire or in English the black tower located right behind the St. Catherine Church is one of the few remnants of the old town wall that was demolished in the 16th Century. The tower was saved from demolition simply because it could be used as a storage facility and nowadays houses a little museum devoted to the old port of Brussels.

La tour noire