De Brouckere Metro Station

Belgium’s first underground public transport route debuted on December 17, 1969- not as a metro, but as a “premetro,” a tramway running beneath the streets from De Brouckère to Schuman. For seven years, trams rattled through tunnels built for something bigger, waiting for their promotion. In 1976, the premetro got its upgrade to full metro status, transforming Brussels transit from quaint to cosmopolitan.

The station honors Charles de Brouckère, who became burgomaster- the Flemish term for mayor- in 1848 and held the post until his death in 1860, a tenure marked by major urban renewal including the city’s first water mains and boulevards. Today, the station is notorious for having one of the widest gaps between train and platform, its curved alignment demanding flashing lights to warn passengers of the chasm.