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Brussels

Culture of Brussels. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Town Hall in Brussels Brussels offers to its guests visits to most unusual memorials, interesting museums and theaters. Among the unique monuments of our time we simply can’t fail to mention Atomium. This monument is a huge model of iron molecule. The monument was built in 1958 in honor of the World's Fair. The height of the model is 122 meters. Visitors are allowed to use elevator that will bring you to a specially equipped area, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the city.
1. Weather is rather rainy in Brussels, so tourists, who plan to make long walks, are recommended to take a raincoat or an umbrella with them. 2. Summer is considered the best time to … Open
Travellers will get introduced with the history of the city in Civic Museum, the collections of which include numerous historical artifacts and art objects. The museum is located in a beautiful historical building that features Gothic Revival style. Young visitors will also find much interesting in visiting another cultural institution - Museum of Natural Science. Among the exhibits of this place you will find rarest dinosaur skeletons. According to archaeologists, the age of some of them is around 120 million years. A walk on an elegant Grand Sablon Square will surely leave great pleasure. Near the square you will also find numerous cafes, restaurants and antique shops. Car lovers will be interested to see a collection of Autoworld exhibition center. Here you will find one of the world's finest collections of antique cars. You will find here as many as 450 cars from different countries of the world.
Beautiful Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, built in the early 14th century, is an important historical landmark of the city. Its walls are home to old statues. Many interesting legends are connected with these statues and you will definitely hear them during your excursion. Church of Sacre Coeur is one of five largest religious monuments in the world. The building of the church was completed only in 1960 - it lasted more than a hundred years. The number of chapels in the basilica represents the number of provinces of Belgium (all 9 provinces), which is also very symbolic. Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is also the landmark visiting which is recommended to all travellers. The construction of the church started in 1657. The church is made in Baroque style and this is one of the most remarkable religious buildings of Belgium. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
If it feels like you’ve already seen all notable landmarks and places of interest in Brussels and now want to see something new, it’s high time to explore wondrous hidden sights … Open
Impressive tourists will be amazed by interesting sculptures located on the territory of the capital of Belgium. The famous “Manneken Pis” is not the only interesting monument in the city. By the way, in the capital of Belgium there is also a statue of “Jeanneke-Pis”. Among the other notable monuments you will come across are De Vaartkapoen, the most fun-generated statue in Brussels, and Everard’t Serclaes, which is striking with its mysticism. There is also the Infantry Memorial, built specifically to remind the people of their heroes. Guests who enjoy cultural recreations in nature will like Bois de la Cambre. It is a place where you can conduct a wonderful hike, as well as organize a picnic.
Brussels Hometown of Audrey Hepburn is one great attraction, where at every step there are interesting buildings. Among the most notable is the Cathédrale des Sts- Michel et Gudule – a place that simply amazes with its magnificence and grandeur. The Cathedral was built in the beginning of the XIII century. Palais Royal, the official palace of Kings and Queens of the Belgians since the 11th century, is yet another place worthy of visiting. It is not only pleasant to look at, but also aesthetically gratifying. If the king happens to be present during the time of your visit, then you will notice an honor guard at the front of the palace. If on the other hand he is in another place, a flag flies over the palace.
Unique Brussels Welcome Hotel will please travellers who enjoy exploring cultures of different nations. The hotel has only 15 guestrooms, each of which has its own name – the Silk Road, … Open
One of the most interesting places in the City is Porte de Hal, a building that was used as a prison, while also serving as the city gate. Today the building houses the Museum of History and Art. If you wish to get acquainted with the life of the Belgians in the XIX century as I suspect that you do, then you definitely should not pass up the opportunity to visit a certain small hidden architectural pearl called the Maison Autrique. The peculiar oasis of appeasement can be found on the “Place des Martyrs” – a historic place that keeps its secrets. The square was named after the victims of the war for the independence of Belgium (1830), who were buried right in the crypt under it. In the center you can find a monument to the heroes.
The Streets Of Brussels For those who wish to explore the city in another way, say, the futuristic part of it, besides the above mentioned Atomium, a visit to the Heysel Exhibition Park would be perfect. In addition to the fact that the building looks quite impressive, there are interesting types of flora inside. Those who are accustomed to seeing Brussels only as a historical city will be pleasantly surprised to visit the Belgian Comic Strip Center and discover an interesting world of comic books. Also popular is The Comic Strip Walk, a kind of walk through the “places of glory” – Brussels graffiti. It seems that this is a completely different city – but here it is, Brussels, combining modernity and tradition.
In the section below, you can get one of our excursion, activities or city discovery tours over Brussels and surroundings. Our website offers 10-30% lower ticket prices, when compared to the offline purchase on the spot.

City tours, excursions and tickets in Brussels and surroundings

Plan your own excursion through Brussels: churches, museums and castles

Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, Brussels

» The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is one of the main attractions of Brussels, and the clearest example of Gothic architecture.
» The building of the cathedral is a symmetrical composition with two towers, within which there is a long staircase opening onto the terrace that is 64 meters high. The terrace offers a magnificent view of the city.
» The Cathedral has four doors decorated with wrought-reliefs and statues of saints. There is a huge stained glass above the main entrance.
» Stained glasses decorating the cathedral were created in the 16th century by Jan Haq and in 18-19th century by Jean-Baptiste Kaproner.
» The cathedral houses the mausoleum of the Belgian national hero Frederic de Merode.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels

» The Catholic Basilica of the Sacred Heart is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was inspired by the eponymous basilica in Paris.
» This shrine is the sixth area of the Roman Catholic Church in the world.
» The church is the large structure with two towers and a green copper dome towering 89 meters above the ground. The length of the building is almost 165 meters.
» In total the church can accommodate up to 2,000 people.
»  The basilica houses a restaurant, a Catholic radio station, theater, two museums, and a place of training cavers and climbers.

Royal Palace, Brussels

» The Royal Palace is the official residence of the Belgian monarch situated in the heart of the capital.
» At present the royal family palace is used mainly as a venue for formal events.
» Every summer, the Royal Palace is traditionally open to the public. You can get inside the palace and see its galleries and chambers for free.
» Throne Hall with its grand decor, a wonderful mirror room, the ceiling of which is decorated with winged scarab beetles, and the Imperial Room with gorgeous golden flower pots, where plants of eleven colors, one for each province of Belgium, are the most notable places.
» The palace also houses the museum of Bellevue, which was once a hotel accommodating many famous people. Now that’s the museum of history of Belgium.

Church of Our Blessed Lady, Brussels

Location on the map:   Facts: » The Church of Our Blessed Lady is one of the clearest examples of temples built in the late Gothic style.
» The Church was built in the period from 1400 to 1594. It’s located near Small Sablon Park that was laid in honor of the great men of the sixteenth century.
» The church building is decorated with beautiful stained glass windows; bright interior lighting is turned on in the night.
» Since its construction in 1784, the church has being serving as the burial place for noble aristocratic families.
» The church is famous for its numerous sculptures adorning the facade of the building, its grounds and interior.

Royal Palace of Laeken, Brussels

» The Royal Palace of Laeken is the residence of the Belgian royal family, where it currently resides.
» The building of the palace was built in 1781-1785 in the style of Classicism.
» The Royal Palace of Laeken is also famous for its territory boasting a magnificent park, a lake, the Royal Conservatory, a golf course and various pavilions.
» The park has two buildings unusual for Belgium style. Those are the Chinese pavilion and the Japanese tower that appeared here after Leopold II visited the World's Fair in Paris in 1900; there he saw pavilions of different countries, so he wanted to decorate his park.
» Opposite the park there is the neo-Gothic Church of Our Lady in Laeken with the crypt serving as the burial place of the royal family.
» Unfortunately, the palace itself is closed to the public, but the park, pavilions and conservatory are open for everyone.
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What to visit during two-day excursion in Brussels

Manneken Pis
Where: Rue de L’Etuve, Brussels; More info: Jeanneken pis can be found at impasse de la fidelité, close to rue des bouchers.;
Grand Place
Where: Rue Américaine 25, Brussels; Telephone: +32 2 543 04 90;
Muées Royaux des Beaux-Arts
Where: Rue de la Regence 1- 3, Brussels; Telephone: +32 2 508 32 11;
Place du Grand Sablon
Reference information
Map of all palaces
Public palaces near Brussels
♥   Palace 'Egmont Palace' Brussels, 0.7 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Palace 'Royal Palace of Belgium' Brussels, 0.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Palace 'Royal Castle of Laeken' Brussels, 4.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Palace 'Royal Palace of Antwerp' Antwerp, 41.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all art museums
Art galleries in Brussels and around
♥   Art museum 'Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium' Brussels, 0.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Horta Museum' Brussels, 2.2 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Cinquantenaire Museum' Brussels, 3 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all churches
Cathedrals and basilicas near Brussels
♥   Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur, Koekelberg, 3.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Sint-Servaasbasiliek, Grimbergen, 10.1 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Sint Martinusbasiliek, Halle, 14.3 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Basiliek Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Hanswijk, Mechelen / Malines, 22 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Primatiale Sint-Romboutskathedraal, Mechelen / Malines, 22.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Basilique Notre-Dame de Paix et de Concorde, Basse-Wavre / Waver, 23.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Basiliek Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Lourdes, Edegem, 35.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Car rental on OrangeSmile.com Rentals in Brussels

Preferred to Open 9 New Hotels in 2022

In September 2022, the Sommerro hotel in Oslo will start operating in a carefully restored 1930s Art Deco building. This building is a true landmark of Frogner, a historic neighborhood of the Norwegian capital. A multi-million-dollar renovation carefully turned the largest preservation project in Norway into a modern hotel with 231 rooms, including 56 residences. Preferred will open five more hotels in 2022, namely, The Wall Street Hotel in New York, Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences on Singer Island (Florida, the US), TOA Hotel & Spa in Zanzibar, Pendry hotel in Washington, and Pendry Park City hotel in Utah. Read this

19.03.2024

Photogallery of cultural heritage of Brussels

Landmarks of culture on Brussels map: art-galleries, monuments, palaces, etc

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Excursions over cultural sights of neighbours of Brussels

Culture guide to Brussels. Which fascinating sights to visit once you are in Brussels: temples, churches, museums, theaters and castles. Recommendations (with addresses, phone numbers and links) on the places 'must visit' in Brussels. Plan your own city excursion by using this page info!
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