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Top 10 most popular tourist attractions in Brussels
31 July 2023
travel
matthieu
Brussels has the reputation of “the European capital” because the European Council, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union are located here. You see a large or small park from time to time when walking in Brussels, which makes people feel deeply that “the city is in green”. Brussels shows its unique charm with its beautiful architecture, complete ancient city layout, beautiful scenery and long history. Brussels is a city full of historical connotations and comic. It attracts tourists from all over the world. Here is the list of Top 10 in Brussels.
1. Grand Place
Grand Place is the central square of Brussels. It is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe and was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. The square is small with the length of 110 meters and the width of 68 meters. Various bars, shops and restaurants are around the square, which makes the square full of rich living atmosphere. Every two years in August, an unparalleled flower carpet that is 77 meters wide and 24 meters long is laid in the middle of the square. Millions of colorful begonias form a variety of beautiful patterns. The square floor is paved with granite and of the minimalist style. The buildings around the Square are mostly Gothic, Renaissance, Louis XIV and other architectural forms built in the Middle Ages. Their architectural styles are different, which makes people feel like that they are in the Middle Ages. Hugo said that “the Grand Place is the most beautiful square in Europe.”
2. City Hall
The City Hall is the most important building around the Grand Place in Brussels. It is a typical medieval Gothic building with a magnificent structure and great height. The tower in the middle is 96 meters high. The whole building looks very elegant, symmetrical and exquisite. Take a closer look at the portraits above that are vivid. They are saints, happy couples, sinners etc. The building was built in two phases. The left half that is larger was built in 1402. More than 50 years later, the right half was built in 1455. The tower and the 96-meter-tall minaret were built by PhilipeleBon. At the tip of the spire is a 5-meter-high statue of Michelle who is the sacred guardian of Brussels. The interior decoration is very beautiful with wonderful pattern drawn on the ceiling and the pattern finely carved on the railing. The snow-white marble staircase is like a silver snake wriggling up. The hallway is full of colorful murals. Among these portraits, there are Belgian monarchs, portraits of kings from Spain, the Netherlands, France and other countries that have ruled Brussels.
3. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral
St. Michel and St. Gudula Cathedral is the most important church in Belgium. Many events such as the activity of the Independence Day on July 21st, the national Catholic ceremony, or the royal wedding and funeral are held here. The cathedral existed as early as 1047. The church was refurbished in the 13th century and it became Gothic. The chanting building was built between 1226 and 1276, and the facade of the church was completed in the middle of the 15th century. The South Tower of the church has 49 rows of clocks made by the Royal Foundry Clock Factory, and people can enjoy its wonderful bells on Sunday concerts. It retains the simple lines of Gothic architecture, which looks slender and striking. The statues of 12 apostles of Jesus are engraved on the pillars of the nave and each of them is vivid. The surrounding stained glass is painted with different Bible stories.
4. Royal Palace
The Royal Palace in Brussels is located in front of the Brussels Park, and the central axis of the park is also the axis through the Royal Palace and the Belgian Federal Conference on the other side. It is an ancient and magnificent palace filled with the charm of history. These two opposite buildings represent the Belgian polity: the constitutional monarchy. The Royal Palace is arguably one of the most beautiful buildings in Brussels. The Royal Palace is the place where the King of Belgium exercises the privileges ass the head of state. He meets guests and handles national affairs here. In addition, the Royal Palace can also host large receptions and provide accommodation during visits of other heads of state. But the Belgian Kings did not live here. They lived in the Royal Castle of Lacan in the suburbs of Brussels.
5. Saint – Hubert Promenade
The Saint-Hubert Promenade is a paradise for shopping, leisure and entertainment. It’s the 19th-century fashion center of Brussels and the famous shopping promenade in Europe, which is older than Milan’s Emanuele. Under the long and vaulted glass roof, the stores of Italian Renaissance style are located on either side of the promenade. The Saint-Hubert Promenade consists of three sections, the King’s Promenade of 100 meters, the Queen’s Promenade and the prince’s promenade that is smaller. The promenade was built on May 6, 1846 and took 18 months. The 213-meter long corridor was built on June 20, 1847. There are boutiques, antique shops, coffee shops and other shops in the promenade, as well as a cinema built in 1847. The cinema was renovated in 1951, which is one of the three royal theatres in Brussels.
6. Cinquantenaire Park
The Cinquantenaire Park is a large urban park located in the easternmost part of Brussels’ European region. Most of the buildings around the park were built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the independence of Belgium and ordered by the Belgian King Leopold II. The middle Triumphal Arch was built in 1905 and consists of iron, glass and stone, which symbolizes the economic and industrial conditions of Belgium at that time. There are four bronze statues of different shapes on both sides of the door. The bronzes are covered with copper rust due to the abundant rain in Belgium, which makes it more historical. Nearly 30 hectares of parkland consists of small gardens, ponds and small waterfalls. Many trade fairs, exhibitions and large-scale celebrations took place here in the early 20th century. It has become a place for relaxing from 1930. The Royal Military Museum is located in the north of the park. The 50th Anniversary Museum and the Automobiles World Museum occupy the south side of the park. The northwest corner houses the Human Passion Temple and the Grand Mosque of Brussels.
7. Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium is an important art museum in Belgium. It is located in Kodenburg. The museum is very large and its exhibits cover a wide range of topics. There are also some well-known works such as the stunning “Mala’s Death”. There are many works of the Flemish School in the main building, which are eye-catching. The joint ticket for art museums is 13 Euros including the Royal Gallery, the Margaret Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.
8. Atomium
The Atomium is a landmark in Brussels and is known as the “Eiffel Tour of Belgium”. It’s built in 1958 for the Brussels Expo and is 102 meters high. It consists of nine 18-meter-diameter spheres connected to each other, which symbolizes an iron atom being magnified 165 billion times. Atomium is the fruit of the imagination of engineer André Waterkeyn. It was installed by architect André and Jean Polak. Atomium is surrounded by trees, grass and fountains. 65 spheres are available for visitors to visit. There are long-term exhibitions on the 1958 World Expo and some occasional exhibitions in the Atomium. The panoramic hall in the top sphere offers a breathtaking view of Brussels, and you even can overlook Antwerp on a sunny day. At night, nine spheres shine with 2,970 LED lights, which is dazzling.
9. Belgian Comic Art Center
Belgium is the hometown of the cartoon characters Tintin and the Smurfs. The Comic Museum created by the architect Victor Horta is a paradise for comic lovers. This world-famous museum is located in a small street in Brussels. Comic Art and New Art are well combined. It attracts more than 200,000 visitors every year since its opening in 1989. The exhibitions here include comic characters that we are very familiar with, such as Tintin and the Smurfs, as well as other works of more than 670 cartoon painters. If you have time, you can take a look at the library and bookstore there. If you are tired, you can go to the museum restaurant and you will not be disappointed. It’s a great chance to learn about the life of Brussels people through cartoon works.
10. Brussels Musical Instrument Museum
The Museum of Musical Instruments is arguably the most beautiful classic work of Neoclassical School and New Art in Belgium. On the top floor of the building, there are also indoor and open-air restaurants. These restaurants provide visitors with a panoramic view of the whole city. The museum collects about 8,000 instruments and it’s world famous. The exhibit is divided into 3 parts: Belgian musical instruments, European musical instruments and other regional instruments. Visitors can learn about the evolution of the instrument through these exhibits. We have a tip for you: Be sure to rent a guide and you can hear the exclusive sound of many instruments through it, which is very interesting.
❤️Of course, there are many other interesting sights in Brussels such as the Manneken Pis, the European Commission, and the European Parliament. In a short, Brussels is a city of great treasure and definitely worth a visit.? Don’t forget to rent our Hippocketwifi to enjoy well your holiday! ?
