Between the tram, the metro, and the buses, the STIB’s extensive network lets us get around Brussels easily. But… What if we did more than just mindlessly travel from point A to point B? To make exploring the city even more fascinating, we had some fun replacing the names of metro stations with those of cultural sites located above ground. Museums, theaters, movie theaters, but also libraries, stadiums, and gardens… From east to west—across the entire capital and its various metro and tram lines—discover the places that are inextricably linked to Brussels’ cultural heritage! Does this give you some ideas for outings?
How did we create this map of subway stations represented by their cultural landmarks?
Using online mapping tools (and our deep knowledge of Brussels’ cultural heritage), we’ve swapped the names of each metro and tram station for the names of nearby cultural landmarks. “De Brouckère” becomes “La Monnaie,” “Rogier” becomes “Théâtre National,” “Etterbeek Gare” is renamed “Kinograph,” and so on.
The choice was sometimes difficult: we would have loved to add “CENTRALE for contemporary art” alongside “BRONKS” or the Nova, Galeries, and Aventure movie theaters to “De Brouckère”… Following the example of certain stations with dual names in other capitals (for example, “Sèvres – Lecourbe” in Paris), we’ve included two place names when it seemed appropriate. Thus, “Botanique” becomes “Musée de la BD – Le Botanique.” After all, when you love something, you don’t count the cost!
Please note:
- To make the text easier to read, some place names have been abbreviated to their initials, for example: “BPL de Woluwé-St-Lambert” for “Bibliothèque Publique Locale de Woluwé-Saint-Lambert.”
- When no cultural sites were visible near a station, we chose to feature sports venues or parks and gardens that are an integral part of daily life for Brussels residents, such as “Laeken Park,” “Fallon Stadium,” and “King Baudouin Stadium.”
- The map shown above is not intended for administrative or public use. It is in no way a substitute for the official STIB network map, which you can view by clicking here.
So, what do you think of this map? What has your station been renamed?
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