Eugène Flagey Square

Get your bearings

Eugène Flagey Square—usually simply Flagey—lies in Ixelles, south-east of central Brussels, at the head of the Ixelles Ponds. Several streets meet here, so the square functions as both a neighbourhood meeting point and a useful transit hub.

Its broad, open layout is relatively new. Part of the square once formed part of the Grand Étang, one of the Maelbeek valley ponds; drainage and urban development reshaped the site in the 19th century. The square was named for Eugène Flagey, mayor of Ixelles from 1936 to 1956.

Read the architecture

The essential landmark occupies the south-west edge: the Flagey Building, also called the Radio House. Built as the national broadcasting headquarters, its long, low Streamline Moderne form, yellow brickwork and horizontal window bands give the square its strongest identity.

It is now a cultural venue for concerts, film and other events. The building’s main entrance is on adjacent Place Sainte-Croix, rather than directly on the square. Look across the open space to notice how the surrounding post-war blocks echo its low, horizontal character with shopfronts at street level.

Market, ponds and food

The square works best when you use it as a junction rather than a destination to rush through.

• Market: food and other stalls operate Saturday and Sunday, 08:00–14:30. A weekday plant and flower market runs Tuesday to Friday, 07:00–14:30.
• Ponds: take the west side of the square towards the Ixelles Ponds for the natural continuation of a visit. The water and path begin immediately beside Flagey.
• Quick meal: Frit'Flagey is the well-known chip kiosk on the square; take your order to the open square or pond-side benches.

Market sites can temporarily move to Avenue Général de Gaulle and the pond-side squares during major events.

Arriving and crossing

The Flagey stop is served by tram 81 and several bus routes, including 38, 59, 60 and 71. It is a practical arrival point for the ponds and for the cultural programme at Flagey.

This is a working traffic interchange, not a pedestrian plaza sealed off from vehicles. Use marked crossings, particularly around the western junction by Chaussée de Vleurgat and Rue Lesbroussart. Traffic arrangements in the wider Flagey–Ponds area have been revised to reduce through-traffic and improve walking and cycling links; follow street signs rather than relying on older maps.

When to go

Go on a weekend morning for the market, then continue along the ponds. For the clearest architectural view, approach across the square and face the former radio house. Evenings suit a concert or film at Flagey, but the square’s practical appeal is strongest in daylight, when the market, transit movements and pond-side walk are all in play.