How did the location between the Rhine and Flanders help Brussels become prosperous?

Brussels’ prosperity was fundamentally tied to its strategic location at the intersection of a north-south river route along the Senne and a vital east-west economic corridor.1

This east-west route connected major commercial centers on the Rhine, such as Cologne, with key towns in the county of Flanders, including Brugge and Ypres. By serving as a crossroads where road and river traffic met, the settlement became a natural site for a market and bartering hub under the protection of the dukes of Brabant. This geographic advantage allowed Brussels to integrate into a broader network of trade, eventually supporting the development of a thriving luxury fabric industry that exported goods to major European markets.12