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Tours in Brussels |
Grand-Place
A web of narrow cobbled streets suddenly opens out into the vast Grand-Place - 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 in the 15th century. Its 96m (315ft) spire is topped with a gilded copper statue of St Michael. Opposite the Town Hall 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 - number 10 still houses the guild of brewers, Maison de l'Arbre d'Or. Events, displays and markets are often held in the Grand-Place.
Grand-Place
Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles
Tel: (02) 279 4350.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
Manneken-Pis
The Rue de l'Etuve leads from the grandeur of 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 facade 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 name or brand.
Rue de l'Etuve
Place du Grand-Sablon
Although the smartest square in town, the Place du Grand-Sablon remains laid-back. Notre-Dame du Sablon dominates the square. It began as a humble chapel for the guild of archers, but 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 (see Special Events). The area is a major centre for antiques dealers and hosts a busy antiques and books market at the weekend.
It is worth wandering around 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
Notre-Dame du Sablon
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0930-1700, Sun 1300-1700.
Free admission.
Palais Royal (Royal Palace)
Some 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. Brussels' Royal Palace and museums are congregated nearby. 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 for state functions. From the end of July until early September, the palace, with its Throne Room, chandeliers, tapestries and gracious dining room, opens to the public.
Rue Bredeorde 16
Tel: (02) 551 2020.
Website: www.monarchie.be/en/visit/palace
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1030-1630 (mid Jul-mid Aug); times can vary due to official events. Information on (02) 513 8940.
Free admission.
Musée Belvue (Belvue Museum)
Re-opened in July 2005 to coincide with Belgium's 175th anniversary celebrations after major re-modelling work, the Musée Belvue is dedicated to the 12 major periods of the country's history. The exhibitions are themed around the reigns of each of the country's 12 monarchs. The building itself is located at the scene of the 1830 Belgian Revolution which led to the establishment of an independent state.
Hôtel Bellevue, Place des Palais 7
Tel: (02) 545 0800.
Website: www.belvue.be
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800 (Jun-Sep); Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (Oct-May).
Admission charge.
Muséum des Sciences Naturelles (Natural Sciences Museum)
Close 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. There is an extensive permanent marine mammals exhibition. All forms of wildlife, extinct and extant, plus mineralogy, are represented here. A new dinosaur gallery opened in October 2007.
Rue Vautier 29
Tel: (02) 627 4238.
Website: www.naturalsciences.be
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0930-1645, Sat-Sun 1000-1800; daily 1000-1800 during Belgian school holidays.
Admission charge.
Musée du Cinquantenaire
Everything conceived by Léopold II was on a grandiose scale and the Parc du Cinquantenaire, built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence, is no exception. The Musée de l'Armée, situated in the north wing, has an interesting display of vintage aircraft and free entrance. However, the Musée du Cinquantenaire is the major draw card of the area. Boasting collections from five 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
Tel: (02) 741 7211.
Website: www.kmkg-mrah.be
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0930-1700, Sat-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (Belgian Royal Museums of Fine Art)
The most important of Belgium's museum complexes is located close to Place Royal. It boasts two 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 (also known as the Museum of Fine Arts) 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 the 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 represented too.
Rue de la Régence 3
Tel: (02) 508 3211.
Website: www.fine-arts-museum.be
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
A web of narrow cobbled streets suddenly opens out into the vast Grand-Place - 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 in the 15th century. Its 96m (315ft) spire is topped with a gilded copper statue of St Michael. Opposite the Town Hall 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 - number 10 still houses the guild of brewers, Maison de l'Arbre d'Or. Events, displays and markets are often held in the Grand-Place.
Grand-Place
Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles
Tel: (02) 279 4350.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
Manneken-Pis
The Rue de l'Etuve leads from the grandeur of 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 facade 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 name or brand.
Rue de l'Etuve
Place du Grand-Sablon
Although the smartest square in town, the Place du Grand-Sablon remains laid-back. Notre-Dame du Sablon dominates the square. It began as a humble chapel for the guild of archers, but 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 (see Special Events). The area is a major centre for antiques dealers and hosts a busy antiques and books market at the weekend.
It is worth wandering around 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
Notre-Dame du Sablon
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0930-1700, Sun 1300-1700.
Free admission.
Palais Royal (Royal Palace)
Some 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. Brussels' Royal Palace and museums are congregated nearby. 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 for state functions. From the end of July until early September, the palace, with its Throne Room, chandeliers, tapestries and gracious dining room, opens to the public.
Rue Bredeorde 16
Tel: (02) 551 2020.
Website: www.monarchie.be/en/visit/palace
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1030-1630 (mid Jul-mid Aug); times can vary due to official events. Information on (02) 513 8940.
Free admission.
Musée Belvue (Belvue Museum)
Re-opened in July 2005 to coincide with Belgium's 175th anniversary celebrations after major re-modelling work, the Musée Belvue is dedicated to the 12 major periods of the country's history. The exhibitions are themed around the reigns of each of the country's 12 monarchs. The building itself is located at the scene of the 1830 Belgian Revolution which led to the establishment of an independent state.
Hôtel Bellevue, Place des Palais 7
Tel: (02) 545 0800.
Website: www.belvue.be
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800 (Jun-Sep); Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (Oct-May).
Admission charge.
Muséum des Sciences Naturelles (Natural Sciences Museum)
Close 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. There is an extensive permanent marine mammals exhibition. All forms of wildlife, extinct and extant, plus mineralogy, are represented here. A new dinosaur gallery opened in October 2007.
Rue Vautier 29
Tel: (02) 627 4238.
Website: www.naturalsciences.be
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0930-1645, Sat-Sun 1000-1800; daily 1000-1800 during Belgian school holidays.
Admission charge.
Musée du Cinquantenaire
Everything conceived by Léopold II was on a grandiose scale and the Parc du Cinquantenaire, built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence, is no exception. The Musée de l'Armée, situated in the north wing, has an interesting display of vintage aircraft and free entrance. However, the Musée du Cinquantenaire is the major draw card of the area. Boasting collections from five 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
Tel: (02) 741 7211.
Website: www.kmkg-mrah.be
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0930-1700, Sat-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (Belgian Royal Museums of Fine Art)
The most important of Belgium's museum complexes is located close to Place Royal. It boasts two 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 (also known as the Museum of Fine Arts) 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 the 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 represented too.
Rue de la Régence 3
Tel: (02) 508 3211.
Website: www.fine-arts-museum.be
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
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