Museums & Sightseeing
Magritte Museum
In the building of Belgium’s Royal Museums of Fine Arts, visitors can explore the 2,500 m2 of the Magritte Museum. This museum stands right in the centre of Brussels, on Place Royale, and exhibits for public viewing the
surrealist artist’s creations belonging to Belgium’s Royal Museums of Fine Arts and originating mainly from purchases and from the Irène Hamoir-Scutenaire and Georgette Magritte bequests. This multidisciplinary
collection is the richest in the world. It comprises more than
200 works consisting of oils on canvas, gouaches, drawings, sculptures and painted objects as well as advertising posters, music scores, vintage photographs and films directed by Magritte himself.
http://www.fine-arts-museum.be/ Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium | Rue de la Régence 3 - 1000 Brussels
Atomium
Since its creation in 1958, the Atomium has become a symbol of the 20th century, the century during which the atom was fully mastered and became widely used by man, profoundly affecting the development of our society.
Museum of Costume and LaceBrussels' Museum of Costume and Lace has been installed since 1977 in the neighbourhood of the Grand Place, in two bourgeois houses built at the beginning of the 18th century and converted to suit this purpose. It contains rich and interesting textile collections. Precious lace made with bobbins or needles in the provinces of Belgium, France and Italy as far back as the 17th century are exhibited next to civilian costumes, mainly women's clothes, and many fashion accessories, the essential complements to elegance, such as lingerie, hats, umbrellas, fans, shoes, purses, etc...
Royal Museum of Beaux-ArtsStripped of his fanciful art nouveau swirls and reduced to clean art deco lines, Horta made his swansong a spacious, functional municipal building that gracefully combines its separate elements. In 1996, the entire hall was finally renovated. Eleven interlinked, hexagonal and circular rooms ensure that there is space for even the largest sculptures - you can get lost wandering round a show. The museum also hosts the regular Europalia festival, which focuses on a different theme each year and serves as an information point for other exhibitions in the city.
Victor Horta MuseumThe son of a shoemaker, Victor Horta (1861-1947) was born in Ghent, where he failed in his first career, being unceremoniously expelled from the city's music conservatory for indiscipline. He promptly moved to Paris to study architecture, returning to Belgium in 1880 to complete his internship in Brussels with Alphonse Balat, the architect to King Léopold II.
Museum of Cacao and ChocolateA visit to the museum will include a demonstration by a master chocolatier (almost everyday) and the chance to sample various chocolate delights. A small shop will be open for true chocolate lovers. Olfactory and gustatory delights are on the programme.
The Archaeological Remains of the Palace of Charles VA fascinating tour underneath the Place Royale will allow you to discover the remains of this illustrious palace, unjustly forgotten by history.
Dynasty Museum1830 - the Monnaie Theatre shook to the sound of the Revolution, announcing the birth of a new country... Go back through the halls of time to encounter this fabulous story that led Belgium to its international destiny.
Bellevue Hotel MuseumThe Bellevue Hotel was constructed in Louis XVI style by Barnabé Guimard, the architect of the Place Royale. The hotel was remodelled several times, particularly in 1908 and 1926, when it was used as a princely residence. Major restoration work was undertaken in 1997. The current layout enhances the refined setting of this historical monument and offers visitors an exceptional view of the Royal Palace and its gardens.