Sightseeing
Overview
With the exception of Grand-Place and the narrow
streets nearby, sightseeing in Brussels is relatively easy and crowd
free. Brussels offers a remarkable choice of over 90 museums, some
tiny and some international in scale. All the museums have bilingual
labelling (French and Dutch/Flemish). English is not always used
but English-language leaflets are usually available on request.
In recent years, signposting of Brussels’ top museums and
major monuments has been improved, making sightseeing easier.
The historic centre around Grand-Place is home to a cluster of alluring
museums, including museums dedicated to beer, chocolate
and lace-making. Certain sights and sensations
are obligatory, including glimpsing the trickle of water flowing
from the Manneken-Pis and making a wish while touching
the ghoulish bronze statue of Charles-Everard de T’Serclaes
– said to bring good luck.
The public transport system works well to safely deposit the walk-weary
tourist in Brussels’ distinct districts:
The modern Quartier des Institutions Européennes, aristocratic
Sablon, near the Place Royal, vibrant working class
Marolles, south of Grand-Place, St-Gilles,
with its splendid examples of Victor Horta’s
Art Nouveau architecture, and Heysel, far out to the northwest,
with its memories of the triumph of the 1958 Exhibition and the
tragedy of the Heysel stadium disaster.
Tourist
Information
Brussels International Tourism and Congress (BITC)
Hôtel de Ville, Grand-Place
Telephone number: (02) 513 8940. Fax number: (02) 513 8320.
E-mail: info@brusselstourism.be
Website: www.tib.be
Opening hours: Daily 0900–1800 hrs (April–October),
Monday–Saturday 0900–1800 hrs, Sunday 1000–1400
hrs (October–December), Monday–Saturday 0900–1800
hrs (December–March).
Passes
The Brussels Card gives free access to museums
and STIB public transport for a period of 3 days. It also offers
a 25 per cent discount for the Visit Brussels tourist bus,
the Restaurant Léon de Bruxelles and the
Théâtre de Toone is available in museums,
tourist offices and hotels at a cost of €30.
Key Attractions
Grand-Place
A web of narrow cobbled streets suddenly opens out into the vast
Grand-Place, the economic and social heart of Brussels since the
Middle Ages. The array of filigree Gothic buildings is dominated
by the asymmetrical Hôtel de Ville, built
during the 15th century. Its 96m (315ft) spire is topped with a
gilded copper statue of St Michael. The Town Hall
opposite and almost as grand is the Maison du Roi,
commissioned in 1515 and faithfully rebuilt in the 1890s. Sometime
pied-à-terre of the Hapsburg monarchy, the building now hosts
the Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles and its
small collection includes tapestries and altarpieces, as well as
the costumes worn by the Manneken-Pis. A series
of lavish Guildhouses complete the rectangle of the square and number
ten still houses the guild of brewers, Maison de l’Arbre
d’Or.
Grand-Place
Transport: Métro Bourse, De Brouckère or Gare Centrale.
Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles
Telephone number: (02) 279 4355. Fax number: (02): 279 4362.
Opening hours: Tuesday–Friday 1000–1700
hrs, Saturday and Sunday 1000–1300 hrs.
Manneken-Pis
The Rue de l’Etuve leads from the grandeur of the Grand-Place
to this allegory of irreverence and symbol of Bruxellois self-mockery
– a bronze statuette of a urinating boy. If it were not for
the occupation of the young child, the sculpture might resemble
an angelic putto, such as the ones decorating the façade
of the nearby Bourse (Stock Exchange), said to
have been sculpted by Rodin. Jérôme
Duquesnoy cast Manneken-Pis in the 1660s, perhaps as a
reference to the peasant lads of legend, who extinguished fires
with their urine. Manneken-Pis is regularly kitted
out in a choice of some 500 outfits supplied by companies, charities
and other organisations wishing to promote their brand.
Rue de l’Etuve
Transport: Métro Bourse.
Place
du Grand-Sablon
The Place du Grand-Sablon remains laid-back even though its the
smartest square in town. Notre-Dame du Sablon dominates
the square although it began as a humble chapel for the guild of
archers, the arrival of a statue of Mary –
with reputed magical healing properties – from Antwerp, in
1348, dramatically increased its popularity. The building was expanded
into an impressive Gothic church, which still hosts the annual Ommegang
procession. The area is a major centre for antiques dealers
and hosts an busy antique and books market at weekends.
It is well worth a wander through the Sablon district.
Intriguing cul-de-sacs lead off from the square to shady spaces
– such as the charming Impasse Saint-Jacques.
The nearby Place du Petit-Sablon is a small, green
square, surrounded by 48 bronze statuettes representing the 16th-century
guilds, with larger statues at its heart, including the martyr-heroes,
Egmont and Hornes, and Mercator,
the cartographer.
Place du Grand-Sablon
Transport: Bus 20, 34, 48, 95 or 96, tram 92, 93 or 94.
Notre-Dame du Sablon
Opening hours:
Monday–Friday 0900–1800 hrs, Saturday–Sunday 1000–1800
hrs.
Admission: Free.
Palais Royal
(Royal Palace)
Many of Brussels’ most opulent buildings and key attractions
are clustered around the centrally located Parc de Bruxelles,
a formal 1870s park with poker-straight tree-lined avenues and a
central fountain. The southeast edge is graced by the Palais
des Académies, a former residence of the Prince
of Orange and Place du Trône, an impressive statue of Léopold
II astride a horse. Nearby, Brussel’s Royal
Palace and museums are congregated. Opposite the Parc de
Bruxelles lies the Palais Royal, begun by King
William I (1815–30) in the 19th century and later
expanded by Léopold II. The royal family now resides in Laeken,
in northern Brussels. However, the palace is still used as royal
office and also for state functions. From the end of July until
early September, the palace, with its Throne Room,
chandeliers, tapestries and gracious dining room opens its doors
to the public.
Rue Bredeorde 16
Telephone number: (02) 551 2020. Fax number: (02) 502 3949.
Website: www.belgium.fgov.be
Transport: Métro Trône or Parc, tram 92, 93 or 94,
bus 20, 21, 22, 34, 38, 54, 60, 71, 95 or 96.
Opening
hours: Tuesday–Sunday 1030–1730 hrs (late July–early
September).
Admission: Free.
Musées
Bellevue (Bellevue Musuems)
The Musées Bellevue comprises of two sites – the Musée
de la Dynastie and the Mémorial Roi Baudouin.
Both are located in the Hôtel Bellevue, an
18th-century mansion erected on the ruins of the 11th-century castle
of the Dukes of Brabant and standing between the Place des
Palais and Place Royale.
The Musée de la Dynastie displays royal
memorabilia, from paintings to documents and sculpture, evoking
the public and private lives of Belgian royalty and the events that
shaped their reign. The Mémorial Roi Baudouin
pays homage to the 43-year reign of King Baudouin,
much loved by the Belgian people and sadly mourned, following his
death during 1993. The memorial traces the life of Leopold III’s
eldest son, from the untimely death of his mother to his early reign
as king after the abdication of his father – and key events
during his reign, from the end of colonisation to the independence
of the Congo and federalisation of Belgium.
Hôtel Bellevue, Place des Palais 7
Telephone number: (02) 512 2821 or 545 0801 (for guided tours).
Fax number: (02) 511 4253.
E-mail: bellvue@kbs-frb.be
Website: www.musbellevue.be
Transport: Métro Trône or Parc, tram 92, 93 or 94,
bus 20, 21, 22, 34, 38, 54, 60, 71, 95 or 96.
Opening
hours: Tuesday–Sunday 1000–1700 hrs.
Admission: €6.20.
Muséum
des Sciences Naturelles (Museum of Natural Sciences)
Near to the European Parliament and containing what is claimed to
be one of the finest dinosaur collections in the world – ‘starring’
the iguanadons of Bernissart – this fascinating
museum additionally features a special presentation on the Arctic
and Antarctic regions. Visitors can take a 1000m (3281ft) ‘dive’
to witness a fight between a sperm whale and a giant squid. All
forms of wildlife, extinct and extant, plus mineralogy, are on show
here.
Rue Vautier 29
Telephone number: (02) 627 4238, guided tours (02) 627 4234. Fax
number: (02) 627 4113.
Website: www.naturalsciences.be
Transport: Métro Maelbeek, bus 12, 20, 21, 22, 34, 38, 54,
59, 60, 80, 95 or 96.
Opening hours: Monday–Friday
0930–1645 hrs, Saturday–Sunday 1000–1800 hrs.
Admission: €4.
Musée
du Cinquantenaire (Cinquantenaire Museum)
Everything conceived by Léopold II was on a grandiose scale
and the Parc du Cinquantenaire,is no exception and built to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence. The Musée
de l’Armée, situated in the north wing, has
an interesting display of vintage aircraft and entrance is free
of charge. However, the Musée du Cinquantenaire,
formerly known as the Musées Royaux d’Art et
d’Histoire, is the major draw card of the area. Boasting
collections from 5 continents, ranging from prehistory to the present,
it includes Art Nouveau furniture designed by Victor Horta
and fine examples of centuries-old lace. Comic strip fans might
find some pieces familiar – the large Egyptian collection
was the source of inspiration for Belgium’s artists, including
Hergé.
Parc du Cinquantenaire 10
Telephone number: (02) 741 7211. Fax number: (02) 733 7735.
Transport: Train/métro Mérode or Schuman, tram 81
or 82 (to Mérode), bus 20 or 80 (to Nerviens), 22 (to Cinquantenaire),
61 (to Mérode), 28, 36 or 67 (to Schuman).
Opening
hours: Tuesday–Friday 0930–1700 hrs, Saturday–Sunday
1000–1700 hrs.
Admission: €4.
Musées
Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (Belgian Royal Museums of Fine
Art)
The most important of Belgium’s museum complexes is situated
near to the Place Royal. It boasts 2 rich museums, their collections
ranging from the 14th century to the modern day – the Musée
d’Art Ancien (Museum of Ancient Art), housed in the
former court of Charles de Lorraine, and the underground Musée
d’Art Moderne (Museum of Modern Art), inaugurated
in 1984.
The Musée d’Art Ancien excels in its
collection of the Old Masters, with works by Rubens, Bouts
and Memling. Collections of Brueghel the
Elder and Younger and Hieronymus Bosch are small, as Belgium’s
foreign masters took most of these treasures away with them. A passageway
leads to Musée d’Art Moderne, with
its splendid collection of the Belgian Surrealists. René
Magritte is given pride of place, although the haunting
works of Paul Delvaux are also of interest. Picasso,
Chagall, Henry Moore and Francis Bacon are
also represented.
Rue de la Régence 3
Telephone number: (02) 508 3211. Fax number: (02) 508 3232.
E-mail: info@fine-arts-museum.be
Website: www.fine-arts-museum.be
Transport: Gare Centrale; tram 92, 93 or 94 (to Royale), bus 20,
34, 38. 60, 71, 95 or 96.
Opening hours:
Tuesday–Sunday 1000–1200 hrs and 1300–1700 hrs.
Admission: €5.
Further Distractions
Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée
(Belgian Centre for Comic Strips)
The history of the Belgian comic strip, including its links with
silent movies and animation, is displayed throughout the airy and
uplifting Grand Magasin Waucquez, designed by Victor
Horta. Original drawings by early masters – such
as André Franquin, who created accident-prone
Gaston Lagaffe, and Georges Remi
(Hergé), who breathed life into Tintin –
are complemented by modern-day cartoons, temporary exhibitions,
an exhaustive academic library, children’s library and a brasserie.
Rue des Sables 20
Telephone number: (02) 219 1980. Fax number: (02) 219 2376.
Website: www.cbbd-bcb.org
Transport: Train/métro Gare Centrale, Botanique, Rogier,
tram 3, 52, 55, 56, 81, 90, 92, 93, 94, bus 38, 58 or 61.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1800 hrs.
Admission: €6.20
Musée
Horta (Horta Museum)
Victor Horta (1885–1946)
worked to produce some 110 buildings, first in neo-Gothic style,
famously in Art Nouveau and latterly in sparse Modernist style.
Many including the Hôtel Solvay, Avenue Louise
224, and Hôtel Van Eetvelde at Avenue Palmerston
4, are still standing. However, the Musée Horta being the
architect’s former home and studio is beautifully preserved
and open to the public. Attention to detail sweeps through the whole
building, from the vertical letterbox and finely scripted number
25 on the façade to the sculpted staircase and dining room
floor, where a marble mosaic encircles the finest American ash.
A theatrical arrangement of secret front doors allowed the architect
to welcome guests from different religious and social backgrounds
without their being aware of each other’s presence.
Rue Américaine 25
Telephone number: (02) 543 0490. Fax number: (02) 538 7631.
E-mail: musee.horta@horta.irisnet.be
Website: www.hortamuseum.be
Transport: Tram 81, 82, 91 or 92, bus 54 or 60.
Opening
hours: Tuesday–Sunday 1400–1730 hrs.
Admission: €4.95.
Atomium
and Mini-Europe
Léopold II
bequeathed the 202-hectare (500-acre) estate of Heysel
to the city of Brussels, in 1909. The large exhibition spaces are
located here, to the northwest of the centre. The most famous landmark,
however, is the Atomium – a giant model of an oxygen molecule,
built for the 1958 World Fair as a temporary structure,
although never dismantled. The highest sphere gives a panoramic
view of the whole area. The science exhibition is of interest only
to young children. Close by Mini-Europe shrinks Europe to a size
that can be covered in a short walk, with faithful miniatures of
the Eiffel Tower, Westminster
and the Berlin Wall in the process of being dismantled.
The year 2002 welcomed in the restoration of the model of the Cathedral
of Saint Jacques de Compostella to its former glory.
Atomium
Boulevard du Centenaire
Telephone number: (02) 475 4776. Fax number: (02) 475 4779.
Website: www.atomium.be
Transport: Métro Heysel, bus 84 or 99, tram 23 or 81.
Opening hours: Daily 0900–1900 hrs (April–August),
daily 1000–1730 hrs (September–March).
Admission: €5.45-€15
Mini-Europe
Bruparck, Boulevard du Centenaire
Telephone number: (02) 474 1311. Fax number: (02) 478 2675.
E-mail: info@minieurope.com
Website: www.minieurope.com
Transport: Métro Heysel; bus 84 or 99, tram 23 or 81.
Opening hours: Daily 0930–1700 hrs (April–June),
Monday–Thursday 0930–1900 hrs, Friday–Sunday 0930–2300
hrs (July–August), daily 0930–1700 hrs (September–December).
Admission: €11-€15
Musée
des Instruments de Musique (Musical Instrument Museum)
Situated in the splendid Victor Horta-designed Art Nouveau Old England
Building, at the Place Royale, the Musical Instrument
Museum is home to a collection of instruments as well as information
and activities covering ancient, modern and traditional music. A
200-seat concert hall hosts regular concerts, which are organised
to coincide with the various themes of the exhibitions.
Place Royale, Montagne de la Cour 2
Telephone number: (02) 545 0130. Fax number: (02) 545 0178.
Transport: Métro line 1A or 1B to Gare-Centrale or Park,
tram 92, 93 or 94 to Royale, bus 20, 38, 60, 71, 95 or 96 to Royale.
Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
0930–1700 hrs, Thurs 0930–2000 hrs, Saturday and Sunday
1000–1700 hrs.
Admission: €5 |
