The Brussels metro will celebrate its 50th anniversary this Sunday, September 20, exactly fifty years after its inauguration. To mark the occasion, the STIB has planned a week of events and, above all, an anniversary celebration that promises to put the network in the spotlight in all its forms. And here’s some good news: public transportation will be free all day!
A completely free Sunday on the transit network
September 20 also coincides with Car-Free Sunday! This means that STIB metros, trams, and buses will be free and running more frequently. In particular, metros will run every 6 minutes and 30 seconds between 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. A great reason to leave the car in the garage and enjoy the city in a different way.
However , the transit system is likely to be crowded at certain times , so it’s best to be patient if you plan to travel across Brussels by metro that day.
Events through Sunday
The anniversary week continues at the stations. On Wednesday, September 16, street art will take center stage at Rogier from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., followed by an acoustic concert by the AkoeSTIB choir at De Brouckère on Thursday, September 17, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. On the same day, a pianist will board a train on Line 5 between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
On Friday, September 18, mini “metro”speculoos cookies will be handed out at Arts-Loi from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. As for the guided tours of the underground galleries scheduled for Saturday, September 19, they’re already sold out.
30 collector’s cards to discover
The other little treasure hunt for this anniversary? It’s the 30 collector’s cards created especially for the metro’s 50th anniversary. Distributed for free at various stations throughout September, they tell the story of the network through its vehicles, stations, works of art, and various anecdotes.
And to spice things up a bit, 30 Gold cards are hidden among the cards being distributed. Finding one lets you enter the anniversary contest and try to win one of the prizes up for grabs. That’s reason enough to take a closer look the next time you pass through a station…
