Belgian Quarter

The Belgian Quarter in Cologne's Neustadt-Nord was laid out during the Wilhelmine-era city expansion of the late 19th century, and its Gründerzeit tenement blocks with ornate stucco facades define the streetscape to this day. The neighborhood takes its name from its street grid: the roads surrounding Aachener Strasse are named after Belgian and Dutch cities — Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels, Liège, Maastricht, and Utrecht among them. Today it ranks among Cologne's most sought-after and expensive residential areas, drawing a creative crowd to its concept stores, vintage boutiques, design studios, and gallery spaces. The Brüsseler Platz acts as an unofficial open-air living room — on warm evenings the square fills with students and locals, making it one of the city's most spontaneous gathering spots.

Hipster quarter west of the ring road, Brüsseler Platz as the city's outdoor living room in summer.