Brussels/Molenbeek and surroundings

Molenbeek and neighbouring quarters in Brussels have a bit of a shoddy reputation, in part due to overhyped media reports and in part due to genuine issues. However, if you can look past the media brouhaha, a surprisingly vibrant, diverse and interesting part of Brussels that isn't visited much by international tourists awaits.

Understand
Molenbeek (Dutch: Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, French: Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, named for patron saint John the Baptist and the Dutch phrase for "mill creek", molen beek) is one of 19 municipalities in the Brussels capital region. In the 9th century, Molenbeek was a small rural village with a church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. From the late 1700s to the early 20th century, Molenbeek was an industrial centre in suburban Brussels; since then it has gone into steep decline. However, its dense late 19th century housing stock and its close proximity to Brussel South railway station are good preconditions for future gentrification in a similar vein as Berlin-Kreuzberg or other neighborhoods once making headlines as "places where not even police dare enter" in scaremongering media outlets.

Anderlecht dates back to 1047, and was a centre of culture in the 15th - 18th centuries. Today it is often best known for its association football team R.S.C. Anderlecht.

Forest is home to the Wiels Contemporary Art Centre, several car factories, and Forest National, one of the most popular concert halls in Belgium.

Saint-Gilles has some Art Nouveau houses, and the major railway station Gare du Midi/Zuidstation (Eurostar terminal).

Do

 * Football: RSC Anderlecht play soccer in Pro League, Belgium's top tier. Their home ground is Constant Vanden Stock or Lotto Stadium (capacity 22,500) two km west of city centre.
 * RWD Molenbeek were relegated in 2024 so they play in Challenger Pro League, the second tier. Their Edmond Machtens Stadium (capacity 12,600) is in Saint-Jean district 2 km northwest of city centre.

Stay safe
Thieves and muggers are reported to operate around the Gare du Midi/Zuidstation (Eurostar terminal) in Saint-Gilles.

Molenbeek and its surroundings are relatively unsafe, compared with various other parts of Brussels. Going here alone can be risky, and it is advisable to avoid the area entirely after dark. The rate of armed robberies in Molenbeek is higher than that of several other neighborhoods in Brussels, and tourists are often targeted because they are assumed to carry valuables. That said, the crime rate is still far below that of many U.S. cities - including some that don't have a reputation for crime.

While the community has gained notoriety internationally as the hideout of the terrorists responsible for the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris (Jan 2015) and the bombing of the Brussels metro and airport (Mar 2016), of greater concern to the traveller is the relatively high incidence of theft, robbery and other low-level street crime.

While the terrorist attacks seem to have acted as a wake up call of sorts (policing has been increased, with a corresponding marked decrease in the crime rate) it will likely be a long time before anything approaching gentrification sets in here. Nonetheless, it would appear the worst of the worst has passed.