During the 1870s, the centre of Brussels went through an upheaval caused by an enormous civil engineering project to bury the River Senne in an underground tunnel over 2km long. The old, mediaeval, unhealthy city centre gave way to modern Parisian-style boulevards featuring prestigious public buildings such as the stock exchange, the Passage du Nord shopping arcade and the central covered market. Façade-design competitions stimulated the imaginations of architects who designed some masterpieces, such as Henri Bayaert’s House of Cats, which won first prize. This guided walking tour explores the most beautiful, prize-winning facades along the central boulevards, where the Eclectic style occupies an important place.