Brussels’ Art Nouveau year attracted one million visitors in 2023

The Belgian capital’s Year of Art Nouveau in 2023 in honour of the 130th anniversary of the opening of Horta-designed Hôtel Tassel, was a major boost to museum visits, reports Le Soir.

More than 140 activities were organised across Brussels, including some 40 exhibitions. Museums registered record attendance figures, with more than 1,000,000 additional visitors from Belgium and abroad.

The city boasts around 1,000 Art Nouveau buildings that bear testimony to Brussels’ pioneering influence in the style movement. More than 200 are protected and four of them are listed as UNESCO world heritage sites.

Flagship exhibitions at Bozar, the Horta and Art & History museums drew more than 600,000 people. In total, Brussels museums welcomed some 4,980,000 people last year, an increase of 20% compared to 2022. Visit.brussels’ special Art Nouveau pass (three sites or exhibitions for €20) registered 8,390 sales.

Several Art Nouveau gems opened to the public as part of the anniversary year celebrations. They included the Solvay hotel, the Cauchie house, the Van Eetvelde hotel and the Hannon house (pictured). The latter, which was inaugurated in June 2023, has already drawn 38,000 visitors, while the Van Eetvelde hotel, open since May, has been visited 20,000 times.

Photos: Maison Hannon