Quays Quarter
The Quays Quarter, also known as the Sainte-Catherine/Sint-Katelijne Quarter, is a quarter of Brussels, Belgium. It is served by the metro stations Sainte-Catherine/Sint-Katelijne and Yser/IJzer.
History
The Quays Quarter is that of the old Port of Brussels, which for a long time played the role of "belly" of the city. Boats coming from the river Scheldt entered through the former Shore Gate, on the site of the present-day Place de l'Yser/Ijzerplein, to join one of the canals, whose docks were each reserved for one type of goods.Filled in the late 19th century with the opening of Brussels' new port, these basins were replaced by wide boulevards, whose names on both sides still recall their former function: the Quai aux Briques/Baksteenkaai, the Quai au Bois à Brûler/Brandhoutkaai, the Quai aux Pierres de Taille/Arduinkaai, the Quai au Foin/Hooikaai, etc., or references to the neighbourhood's commercial activities: the Rue du Magasin/Pakhuisstraat, the Rue des Commerçants/Koopliedenstraat, the Rue du Marché aux Porcs/Varkensmarktstraat and the Quai du Commerce/Handelskaai.
Along the quaysides, numerous bourgeois houses, once belonging to wealthy merchants, have preserved the entrances to the warehouses. On the Boulevard d'Ypres/Ieperlaan, one can still cross food wholesalers, now supplied by trucks that have replaced the boats. The district also includes the Great Beguinage of Brussels, with the Church of St. John the Baptist and the Grand Hospice Pachéco.