In 1893, a young architect named Victor Horta finished a town house in Brussels for a professor called Emile Tassel, and in doing so he changed the course of European design. The Hotel Tassel is generally regarded as the first true Art Nouveau building. Its facade looks restrained from the street, with a curved bay window and a bit of ironwork, but inside, the staircase is a revelation. Slim iron columns split into whiplash curves that spread across the walls and ceiling, mosaics ripple across the floor, and the whole space seems to grow like a plant.
What was new was the way Horta treated structure as decoration. The iron that held up the building was left visible and shaped into tendrils, and natural light poured down from a glazed roof over the stair. Rooms flowed into one another instead of being closed boxes. It is a very sensual kind of architecture, designed when cities were filling with heavy neo-classical stone. UNESCO included the Tassel house, along with three other Horta houses in Brussels, on the World Heritage list in 2000.
The house stands in a quiet residential street in the Saint-Gilles and Ixelles area, a short distance from the busy Avenue Louise. It is a private building that is not always open to visitors, and you may only see the facade, so check opening arrangements before you plan a visit. The neighbourhood has plenty of other Art Nouveau houses, so a slow walk around the streets nearby is rewarding. Look up at the facades, which are decorated with ironwork, stained glass and sculpted stone.
Riding in Brussels is a challenge. The city has cobbled streets, tram lines, tunnels and heavy traffic, and drivers can be impatient. Parking for motorcycles is easier than for cars, but you should still lock the bike, and take valuables with you. Fuel is easy to find on the main roads, with Drogenbos, a smaller town to the south, a possible alternative. Late spring and early autumn are the best seasons, when the light is soft and the cafes spill onto the pavements. A Belgian waffle or a plate of frites is the right reward.