Place du Jeu de Balle

The Place du Jeu de Balle (French,, "Ball Game Square") or Vossenplein (Dutch; "Foxes' Square") is a square located in the heart of the Marolles/Marollen district of the City of Brussels, Belgium. Since 1873, it has held a famous flea market, known as the Old Market.

The area around the square is characterised by the presence of restaurants and typical Brussels cafés. It can be accessed from Brussels-Chapel railway station, as well as by the metro and premetro (underground tram) station Porte de Hal/Hallepoort on lines 2, 3, 4 and 6.

History
The square was laid out in 1853, at the same time as the neighbouring Rue Blaes/Blaestraat. As its French name indicates, it was originally destined for the practice of the jeu de balle or , a ball game similar to modern handball. Though the sport is no longer played much today, it enjoyed immense popularity in Brussels in the 19th century. The square's current Dutch name, Vossenplein ("Foxes' Square"), recalls that it was built on the site of a former locomotive factory, the  (literally the "Fox Company" in English; vos meaning "fox" in Dutch).

In 1873, Brussels' municipal council decided to transfer the Old Market (Vieux Marché, Oude Markt), which had until then occupied the Place Anneessens/Anneessensplein, and which, in the words of a municipal councillor, "considerably harmed the appearance of the new central boulevards", to the Place du Jeu de Balle, a function the square has kept to this day.

Notable buildings

 * The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic parish church, built from 1854 to 1862 in neo-Romanesque style, which was once part of the Capuchin convent.
 * The former fire station of the Brussels Fire Department was built between 1859 and 1860 by the architect Joseph Poelaert in eclectic style. Decommissioned in 1982 during the relocation of the fire brigade staff to the Avenue de l'Héliport/Helihavenlaan in the Northern Quarter, the former barracks now houses apartments, art galleries, and shops, while its former portico entrance has been refurbished into a café.
 * A concrete air raid shelter from World War II, equipped with benches, sinks, toilets and urinals, is located under the square. Its entrances were walled up in 1945 and the stairs leading to it were filled in 1960.

Events and folklore

 * A flea market takes place on the square every day of the week from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
 * Every year, on 20 July, the eve of Belgian National Day, the National Ball is held there.