Palace of Justice: the largest courthouse in the world

Het Justitiepaleis was in the 19th century the largest building constructed in Europe. More than 140 years later, the dome still dominates the skyline of Brussels. The man behind it, Joseph Poelaert (1817-1879), was a stubborn jack-of-all-trades who refused any fixed style. His boundless dedication drove him to exhaustion, and he did not finish his gigantic design himself. De Brusselaars significantly called him the Schieven architek – and that was no compliment. Het Justitiepaleis is a neoclassical monument with striking Assyrian-Babylonian features. Poelaert saw architecture as a moral and almost metaphysical task: proportions, dimensions, and motifs had to make order, justice, and the separation of powers visible. That layered symbolism, fueled by ancient cultures and religious traditions, makes a visit special. You discover at the same time Poelaert’s life, his vision, and the place of the building in the city and the judiciary. During this guided tour, our guides bring this colossal monument back to life with their stories. And those scaffolds? There are few people who have seen the Paleis van Justitie without scaffolds. But there is hope! Today, the Regie der Gebouwen has completed the restoration of the facade and by 2030 the entire Palace of Justice will be scaffold-free. Perfect in time to give the 200th anniversary of Belgium extra luster!