DOWNTOWN BRUSSELS 
In 1695, a bombardment of Brussels by the French army left only the Town Hall standing on the Marketplace (Grand'Place). Reconstruction began immediately. The result was one of the loveliest squares in the world, one in which every facade constitutes a distinct work of art without detracting from the overall harmony of the square.  The square is surrounded by the high-Gothic Town Hall, the late-Gothic Bread House, and the Guildhalls, with their richly decorated and gilded facades in the Flemish Baroque style.

The Town Hall, built between 1402 and 1455, is the most beautiful building in the city. The tall tower (97 m) was constructed on the former location of the belfry; atop the tower stands a statue of Saint Michael, the patron saint of Brussels. On the Marketplace, the House of the Brewers, an ancient 17th C. brewery contains a magnificent collection of tin drinking tankards and earthenware carafes as well as historical displays of municipal regulations relating to proper beer consumption. Houses numbers 29 - 33 on the Marketplace are called the Kings House, or Bread House. This neo-Gothic edifice was built in 1875 on the location of the former Bread Hall, based on a model of the Town Hall at Oudenaarde. This building contains the enchanting Brussels City Museum.

Manneken Pis, the little statue which attracts so many visitors, stands in the rue de l'Etuve/Stoofstraat, behind the Town Hall. The bronze statue by Jerome Duquesnoy (1619) symbolizes the irreverent spirit of Brussels. The Ilot Sacre' (Sacred Isle), a particularly picturesque district of the city is located north-east of the Marketplace. The most underrated square in Brussels is probably the Place des Martyrs/ Martelaarspleln. Extensive restoration work was recently begun in which only the marvellous facades of the houses were retained. Here is a square to be taken in at leisure. The symmetrical buildings with their fine classical-styled facades have been selected as the headquarters of the Government of the Flemish Region.

The Museum of the Toone Puppet Theatre VII illustrates the history of the city's famous popular marionettes, a reflection of ancient popular traditions. It also offers marionette theatre performances in bruxellois French. Other languages are available upon request: Flemish, English, and German. The workshop also makes exquisite souvenir puppets, a highly original and authentic present which is much appreciated.

The Rue des Poissonniers is the location of the Archives and Museum of Flemish Life in Brussels, offering an overview of Dutch-language cultural expression in Brussels over the centuries.

The Historium Wax Museum on the first floor of the Anspach Center, depicts 2000 years of Belgian history. Some 20 scenes including more than 100 lifelike wax statues depict well-known historical figures from Julius Caesar to Herge (creator of the comic strip character 'Tintin').

The Belgian Centre of the Comic Strip or "comic strip museum" as it is often called) is located in the old textile warehouses of Waucquez. The building was designed by no lesser artist than the Grand Master of Art Nouveau, Victor Horta (1903). The combination of Art Nouveau and the "Ninth Art" of comic strips makes this one of the most interesting museums in Belgium.

The Folklore Museum, also called the Museum of the Porte de Hal/Hallepoort is a vestige of a 14th C. city gate to which the architect Beyaert added a neo-Gothic appearance in 1870. The Folklore Museum enables visitors to retrace the history of the Porte de Hal itself, and picturesque episodes of everyday life, such as the religious worship, popular imagery childhood, and associational life of past centuries.

ROYAL BRUSSELS 

The elegant Royal Square was built between 1774 and 1780 in the Louis XVI style. In the center stands the Church of Saint James on Coudenberg, in the classical style. One of the gates on the corner of the square leads to Museum Square, location of the former palace of Charles of Lorraine (1757). The Museum of Modern Art is located beneath the square: look for the illuminated stairwells in the centre of the square. The rue Baron Horta leads to the entrance to the Film Museum, located in the Palace of Fine Arts. On a rainy autumn day, the Film Museum is the perfect place to come and enjoy the permanent (or regular) exhibition(s) or watch old films. It is also possible to watch "silent movies", two of which are shown daily, accompanied by piano music.

The Government District around the Parc de Bruxelle's "Warande", a perfectly symmetrical park, was laid out in the second half of the 18th century. This is a very fine, extremely well-preserved district of classical architecture. To the north of the Parc stands the Palace of the Nation or Parliament building. To the south of the Parc stands the Royal Palace. The Palace was built on the former location of the palace of the Dukes of Burgundy and Emperor Charles V. At one side of the Palace Square stands the Palace of the Academies, leading to the rue Ducale, with its patrician manor houses. To the west of the Parc lies the rue Royale, offering a view of the neo-Byzantine Church of Mary in Schaarbeek .The rue Royale also contains the national monument known as the "Congress Column", with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The "Grand Sablon" and surrounding area is well known for its numerous antique shops. The Flamboyant Church of Our Lady of Sablon, with its very beautiful interior, is certainly worth a visit for lovers of fine architecture. The garden of the "Petit Sablon" is famous for its fence featuring 48 small Gothic columns, each topped by a statue depicting one of the traditional crafts and trades of city life in Brussels. In the center stands the statue of the Counts of Egmont and Horne. The Law Courts is a majestic building by the architect J. Poelaert (1866-1883); the building is impressive both for its raised location on the former "Gallows Hill" and its enormous dimensions, bigger than the Church of Saint Peter in Rome. The cupola stands 103 m high.

Saint Michael's Cathedral stands proudly on a hill. The cathedral took three centuries to build (from the 13th to 16th C.), with the resulting representation of all styles of Brabantine Gothic architecture. Its 16th C. stained glass windows, Baroque pulpit, and crypts and tombs all contribute to the artistic richness of the building.

The Chapel Church is one of the most remarkable churches in Brussels. Apart from its numerous art treasures, it also contains the tomb of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who lived and worked in the nearby working class district of the "Marolles".

Mont des Arts is the name of the French-styled park linking downtown with uptown Brussels. To the right stands the Royal Library and to the left, the Palace of the Dynasty; at the top, the two wings of the Congress Palace. Over an arch at the lower end of the street stands a carillon ornamented with figurines which exit niches when the hour is struck.

The Museum of Ancient Art is justly famous for its enormous collection of Flemish Primitives, in addition to many paintings by Rubens and his school. There are also several masterpieces by Pieter Bruegel, including the "Fall of Icarus" and the "Census in Betlehem".

In 1984, the Museum of Modern opened a comprehensive collection of Belgian painters from the 19th and 20th C., with many works by artists such as Ensor, Permeke, Delvaux, Magritte. This building with its remarkable architecture, lies beneath Museum Square. Entrance via Royal Square.

The Instrument Museum contains 5000 old instruments -- one of the largest such collections in the world -- of which 500 are on display. More than 150 of these instruments, collected from all over the world, are absolutely unique.

BRUSSELS: The Cinquantenaire 

The "Cinquantenaire" extends from the Esplanade to the Triumphal Arch that is surrounded by a complex of several other buildings, containing a number of totally different museums. The Triumphal Arch, also called the Jubilation Arch, is a monument to the 75th anniversary of Belgian independence (1830-1905).

The Royal Museums of Art and History cover a wide range of subjects: Egyptian and Greek-Roman antiquities, a splendid collection of Greek vases, gold-smithing, collections of old tapestries, a wide variety of retables, lace, and embroidery ceramics, not to mention ancient Chinese art objects and pre-Columbian artifacts from the American continent.. plus much more.

The Army Museum, also located in the Cinquantenaire, houses an extensive collection of military equipment from the 19th and 20th centuries, including WWI and W`VVII heavy artillery and tanks. It also depicts the history of both World Wars, and has a separate Aviation Section (open Saturdays only) with some fifty war planes from 1912 to the present.

Autoworld is an impressive collection of old, authentic, and unique automobiles, all in perfect shape. Its rare exhibits include the Minerva, a high quality Belgian car eliminated from the market by mass-produced competition. Other pre-V\/WII cars once proudly produced by Belgian manufacturers include the FN, Imperia, Nagant, Germain, and the Vivinius. Many cars are absolutely unique, particularly the vehicle especially designed and built for the Shah of Iran, but never delivered. Others are simply rare and astonishing like the Czech Tatra. Still others, like the 2-litre Aston Martin sports model, seem very much ahead of their time (1935). This is especially true of the Mercedes Benz sedan 380 S built in 1933. For lunch, there is a panoramic restaurant with a stunning view of the enormous hall full of glittering classic cars.

The Museum of Natural Science is located on the Chaussee de Wavre, and is one of the most modern and attractive museums of its kind in Europe, depicting all of human evolution in colorful displays. Displays include pre-historic caves dwellings, life-sized prehistoric fossils, reptiles, and exotic spiders, and even a bathyscaphe in which visitors can watch a fight between a giant squid and a whale. The Museum of Natural Science also holds regular expositions on human environment and the origins of Man' The museum is a curiosity in the true sense of the word.

Schuman Square is the location of the headquarters of the European Commission, finished in 1963.  The Berlaymont Building is the location of the Council of Ministers.  Between the Luxemburg railway station and the Quartier Leopold several office complexes and installations have been built to extend the European Administrative Centre.  Rue Vauter, on the edge of the Leopold Park is the location of the International Congress Centre. This building among other things, contains the Hemicycle for sessions of the European Parliament (not open to the public).

BRUSSELS: The HEYSEL 

The Heysel, in the suburb of Laeken, is the location of the major exposition center of "Exhibition Park", where seven enormous hallrooms make up the so-called Centenary Palaces. Towering over Heysel Park is the Atomium, an iron crystal molecule enlarged 165 billion times, built for the World Fair of 1958. Each of the nine spheres is 18 m in diameter. The Atomium is 102 metres high at the highest point, offering an exceptional view. 

Kinepolis is rightly described as the "Taj Mahal" of cinema complexes. With its 23 movie theatres and huge Imax screen, Kinepolis is the largest cinema complex in the world. There is no lack of parking space.

The Oceadium, close to the Atomium, is a sub-tropical swimming pool open every day of the year. Directly beneath the Atomium -- the largest molecule in the world -- lies Mini-Europe, the smallest "Europe" in the world. More than 400 scale models (1:25) depict the finest monuments and architectural masterpieces in Europe.

The Royal Palace of Laeken (1784), located in a 160 ha park is the residence of the Belgian Royal family. The Palace is closed to the public, but is visible from the road. The Chinese Pavilion and Japanese ' Tower stand nearby, giving the area an exotic atmosphere. The Chinese Pavilion houses a fascinating collection of the finest porcelain.