How many times have you walked past Central Station, the Namur Gate, or Sainte-Catherine Square without imagining what used to be there? On Instagram, a Belgian creator with a passion for urban history uses artificial intelligence to reveal the hidden layers of Brussels’ past (and other cities) and offer a true journey through time.
Through short videos that are as captivating as they are addictive, he transforms old photographs into seamless transitions between past and present. The result? A fascinating journey into a city that even the most curious Brussels residents sometimes struggle to recognize.
When Brussels Reveals Its Past Lives
The power of these videos lies in their simplicity. An old photo appears on the screen, then the scene gradually transforms until it reveals the current landscape. In just a few seconds, several centuries of history unfold before our eyes.
This exercise is particularly spectacular in Brussels, where certain neighborhoods have undergone radical transformations. La Putterie, for example, was once a maze of narrow streets, shops, and houses nestled between the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula and what is now Brussels Central Station. To make way for the construction of the North-South Junction, a large part of the neighborhood was razed during the 20th century, wiping out more than a thousand buildings and displacing thousands of residents. Today, few travelers suspect that an entire neighborhood lies dormant beneath their feet.
Forgotten ports, villages, and monuments
Other videos reveal just how much certain iconic places have changed. In Sainte-Catherine, where terraces are now packed with people as soon as the first rays of sunlight appear, there once stood a bustling harbor basin. Boats used to unload fish, wood, or grain right in the heart of the city.
There’s a similar surprise in store in the Flagey neighborhood. Before the arrival of the famous Art Deco building that once housed the national radio station in the 1930s, the square looked more like the center of a small village than one of Ixelles’ busiest intersections. Small houses, neighborhood cafés, and local shops made up the scene back then. In just a few decades, the urban landscape has completely transformed into the one we know today.
A new way of telling history
What appeals so much to viewers is that these videos do more than just list dates. They tell the story of Brussels through its streets, its buildings, and its transformations. Here, artificial intelligence serves as a narrative tool to connect archives—some dating back a century—to contemporary landscapes.
Success is guaranteed: the posts have racked up millions of views and attracted an audience far beyond Belgium. But for Brussels residents, the appeal is even more immediate. After watching just a few videos, it’s hard to walk through the capital the same way again. Behind every modern facade, every metro station, and every bustling square, another city now seems to be hiding, ready to resurface for a few seconds on our screens.
