From the street, the house at Rue Américaine in Saint-Gilles is pleasant but unassuming, a narrow town house of stone and iron among many others. Inside, it becomes something else entirely: a flowing space of curving wrought iron, stained glass, mosaic floors and woodwork that seems to grow like plant tendrils, all bathed in light from a glass roof over the stairwell. Victor Horta, one of the founders of Art Nouveau, built it as his home and studio between 1898 and 1901, and it is now a museum dedicated to his work. In 2000, it was listed by UNESCO together with three other Horta town houses in Brussels, including the Hôtel Tassel, often cited as the first true Art Nouveau building.
Horta's genius lay in using modern materials, iron and glass, to create organic, light-filled spaces, and in designing everything, from the façades to the door handles. Many of his buildings were demolished in the decades after his death, most notoriously the Maison du Peuple, and their loss helped kick-start the heritage movement in Brussels. Today, the streets of Saint-Gilles and Ixelles still hold many fine Art Nouveau façades, if you know where to look.
Riding in Brussels is not much fun. The city is congested, with complex junctions, trams, cobbles, one-way streets and impatient drivers. The city has a low-emission zone, so check the current rules for your bike before you go. Parking for motorcycles is easier than for cars, but keep your gear secure. For better riding, head south into the Sonian Forest, a vast beech wood on the edge of the city, or toward the rolling countryside of Walloon Brabant, with its farms and abbeys.
Brussels has fuel, food and accommodation everywhere. Saint-Gilles is a lively district, with cafés, bars and restaurants around the Parvis, the square in front of the church. Try frites, double-fried and served with mayonnaise, moules-frites, stoemp, mashed potatoes with vegetables and sausage, and of course, Belgian beer and chocolate. A waffle eaten standing at a street stall is a small, sticky joy.