The Birthplace of Audrey Hepburn

Fun little fact: the great Audrey Hepburn was actually born in Brussels! Don’t miss the chance to snap a pic outside the native house of one of the most famous actresses in the world.

The city of Brussels is full of surprises, and this might very well be the most unexpected one. Did you know that Audrey Hepburn, the incredible actress who rose to stardom with her roles in iconic movies such as “Roman Holiday” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, actually spent the first five years of her life in Brussels?

If you watched and loved her movies and have one or two hours to kill in the city, we highly recommend you pay a visit to the street where, back in 1929, cinema history was written.

• What were the Hepburns doing in Brussels? I guess you could say their family was the definition of multicultural: Audrey’s mother was Dutch, while her father was of British-Irish descent. He worked for a Brussels-based insurance company. It’s in the Ixelles neighbourhood, where the family had been living for a few years, that Ella van Heemstra gave birth to the legendary Audrey Hepburn on May 4th, 1929.
• Sadly, it’s not possible to visit the inside of the house, as it is occupied by new tenants. A very sweet couple now lives in the house, and they are very aware of how lucky they are: so much so that they even covered the walls of their living room with photos of the actress!
• So, why should you visit this place? First of all, to get to discover one of Brussels’ hidden gems in an off-the-beaten-path neighborhood. Second, so that you can snap a pic of the golden plaque placed outside her home. It says: “Cercle d'histoire locale d'Ixelles. Ici naquit le 4 Mai 1929 la comedienne Audrey Hepburn” (Ixelles Historical Society: the actress Audrey Hepburn was born here on May 4th 1929).