Palace of Justice: the largest courthouse in the world

In the 19th century, the Palace of Justice was the largest building ever to be constructed in Europe. More than 140 years later, its dome still dominates the Brussels skyline. Joseph Poelaert (1817–1879), the man behind it, was a stubborn jack-of-all-trades who rejected any fixed style. His boundless dedication drove him to exhaustion, and he never completed his monumental design. Poelaert viewed architecture as a moral and almost metaphysical task, believing that proportions, dimensions and motifs should make order, justice and the separation of powers visible.

And what about the never-ending renovations?

The removal of the scaffolding from the façade of the Palace of Justice made headlines in the national media in summer 2026. Quite rightly so, if you ask us. During a recent site visit, our guides were amazed by what they saw. They learned about the techniques used during the restoration and heard some fascinating anecdotes. For example, did you know that a fox lived on the construction site? The workers called him Luc.

A visit to the Palace of Justice isn’t limited to the façade, of course. We will take your group inside and guide you through the maze of staircases and endless hallways. As you go, you’ll learn about the symbolism in the ornamentation, how the justice system works and why the architect, Joseph Poelaert, was nicknamed the 'Skieve Architek'.