Avenue Louise and Ixelles: the neighbourhood and things to do

Le 401 sits on the quiet, residential stretch of Avenue Louise: the Bois de la Cambre at the end of the street, the Ixelles ponds a little further on, the city centre about 20 minutes away by tram. Here is what to do around the penthouse, season by season.

Avenue Louise and Ixelles: the neighbourhood and things to do

Le 401 sits on the quiet, residential stretch of Avenue Louise: the Bois de la Cambre at the end of the street, the Ixelles ponds a little further on, the city centre about 20 minutes away by tram. Here is what to do around the penthouse, season by season.

On foot, straight from the door

Upper Avenue Louise is the green side of Ixelles. Everything below is within walking distance, so the car can stay in the basement.

View over Ixelles from the Le 401 terrace
  • 700 m

    Bois de la Cambre

    The great park of south Brussels. Walk or run around the lake, then take the little ferry across to Robinson island and its chalet.

  • Behind the Abbaye tram stop

    La Cambre Abbey gardens

    An abbey tucked in a small valley, with terraced French gardens open to all. The buildings now house La Cambre art school.

  • Beyond the abbey

    The Ixelles ponds and Place Flagey

    Two ponds lined with grand town houses, then Place Flagey and its café terraces, at the foot of the former broadcasting house, now a concert hall and cinema.

  • Wednesdays, 2 pm to 7 pm

    Châtelain market

    The locals' afternoon market: fresh produce, cheese, wine and flowers, then a drink on the square.

  • 15 minutes on foot

    Horta Museum

    Victor Horta's house and studio, an Art Nouveau masterpiece and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Book your visit slot ahead.

  • Reopening in March 2027

    Ixelles Museum

    Closed for renovation, it reopens over the weekend of 19 to 21 March 2027.

Getting around from Le 401

  • Abbaye tram stop
    100 m
  • City centre by tram
    ≈ 20 min
  • Brussels-Midi, Eurostar and TGV
    ≈ 10 min by car
  • Brussels Airport
    ≈ 20 min by car
  • Private parking in the building
    included
Le 401 terrace at sunset with an open view over Brussels

Brussels for architecture lovers

You are staying under a glass roof at the top of an Avenue Louise building. All around, Brussels gave birth to Art Nouveau and then Art Deco, and the finest examples are minutes away.

Art Nouveau

Horta House

Staircase, glass roof, ironwork: the architect designed everything down to the door handles. In Saint-Gilles, 15 minutes on foot.

Art Deco

Villa Empain

A 1930s villa in marble and rare woods, now the Boghossian Foundation's art centre. On the far side of the Bois de la Cambre.

Streamline, 1938

Flagey

The former broadcasting house with its rounded tower, now a concert hall and cinema by the Ixelles ponds.

18th century

La Cambre Abbey

Founded in the late 12th century and rebuilt in the 18th, it is home to one of Belgium's best-known art schools.

By tram to the centre

The Abbaye stop is 100 metres from the building. The tram runs down Avenue Louise and brings you close to the centre in about 20 minutes, with no parking to worry about.

  • Lower Avenue Louise and Toison d'Or: the big fashion houses and galleries
  • Sablon: antique dealers, chocolatiers and the weekend antiques market
  • Mont des Arts and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, including the Magritte Museum
  • Grand-Place, a UNESCO World Heritage site

Through the year

A few dates worth planning a stay around. For the festive season, book early.

  • All year, on Wednesdays

    Châtelain market

    From 2 pm to 7 pm, a few streets from Le 401.

  • 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027

    Winter Wonders (Plaisirs d'Hiver)

    Christmas market, big wheel and a sound and light show on the Grand-Place.

  • 14 to 23 January 2027

    Brussels Jazz Festival

    Ten days of concerts at Flagey, on the other side of the Ixelles ponds.

  • 19 to 21 March 2027

    Ixelles Museum reopens

    A weekend to rediscover the neighbourhood museum after its renovation.

  • August 2028

    The Flower Carpet

    Every other year, the Grand-Place is covered with a huge carpet of begonias for a few days.

A day out of Brussels

About 36 minutes by train

Ghent

The Graslei quays, the Castle of the Counts and the Van Eyck brothers' Ghent Altarpiece in St Bavo's Cathedral.

About an hour by train

Bruges

Canals, the belfry and the gabled houses of a historic centre listed as a World Heritage site.

Our addresses in your guide

The digital house guide sent before you arrive gathers our local addresses: restaurants, markets, walks. A question during your stay? Our local team is on call.

Your base in Brussels

Come back from a day out, ride the private lift to the 9th floor and end the evening on the terrace. Book direct with the host, with no service fees.

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