Stadhuis
• Located in Leuven, Belgium
• Main landmark building in the Grote Markt square
• Built in Brabantine gothic style architecture, with
the façade meant to look very detailed
• Construction began in 1439 and finished in 1469
• Only minimally damaged during both World Wars
• Admission: free
Parc du Cinquantenaire
Jubelpark
• Most buildings in the park were built for the 1880 National
Exhibition
• The park was established to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of Belgium’s independence
• 1905: Triumphal Arch built, using iron, glass, and stone
• The Royal Military Museum, Cinquantenaire Art Museum, and
AutoWorks Museum are located in inside the park
• Originally, the area was part of the military exercising grounds
• The Great Mosque of Brussels is located in the park, and is the
oldest mosque in Brussels
Kasteel van Beersel
•
•
•
•
•
•
Located in town of Beersel
Original purpose was as a defensive base for Brussels
Constructed between 1300 and 1310
1818: a cotton factory occupied the fortress
Built of red bricks, rather than stones
Flat land forced the creation of a large moat, high walls, and
impressively tall towers
• Looks the same as it did at the end of the 15th century
• Currently, does not serve as a private residence
• Admission
Belgian Comic Strip Center
• Housed in the former Waucquez Warehouse, designed by
Victor Horta
• Opened to the public on 6 October 1989
• Also serves as a modern research centre, with over 40,000
titles in more than 20 languages
• Non-profit organization
• Aim of Center: maintain the building’s integrity and promote the
comic strip as a valuable cultural medium
• Belgium alone has over 700 comic strip authors
• Comics from Belgium: Tintin, Spirou, Bob and Bobette, the
Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Blake and Mortimer
• Admission: free to €8
Gravensteen
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A castle located in Ghent
Gravensteen means “castle of the count” in Dutch
Built in 1180 by count Philip of Alsace
Prior to its construction, there was a wooden castle in the same
location
Castle has been used as a courthouse and a prison
1885: City of Ghent bought the castle and started renovation
The walls and the dungeon were restored to their original
condition
Partially surrounded by a moat today
There is a museum inside the castle
Admission: free to €8
Atomium
•
•
•
•
Built for the World Fair in Brussels in 1958
The symbol of Europe’s capital
8 levels, spread over 5 spheres are open to the public
Permanent exhibition dedicated to Expo58 are on 2
levels
• Temporary exhibitions devoted to architecture, design,
and society are the other 3 levels
• In the upper sphere is the Panorama, which offers
awesome views of Brussels, as well as the Panoramic
Restaurant
• Entrance fee: €6 to €11
MIM (Musical Instruments
Museum
• Created on 1 February 1877; then attached to the
Brussels Royal Music Conservatory
• Original Purpose: Showing early instruments to
students attending the Conservatory
• 11 January 1992: Became part of the Royal Museums
of Art and History as Department VI
• Gained international recognition for the quantitative
importance of its collections, as well as their diversity
and for the quality and rarity of the items
• Collections have over 8,000 instruments
• Admission: Free to €5
Coudenberg
• Coudenberg means cold hill
• A small hill where the Palace of Coudenberg was built
• For about 700 years, it served as the seat of government of counts, dukes,
archdukes, kings, emperors and governors
• The archeological vestiges of the palace and its foundations are currently
open to the public
• 1183: Ducky of Brabant created by the German Emperor Frederik
Barbarossa
• Coudenberg was included within the first great wall built around Brussels
• Remains of the ancient palace and adjacent building have been excavated
below present ground level and preserved with a partial concrete cover
• You can visit the remains via the Bellevue Museum
Königlicher Palast von Brüssel
• The official palace of the King of the Belgians
• Not used as a royal residence because the king and his family
live in the Royal Castle of Laeken
• Located in front of Brussels Park
• Construction began in 1783 and was finished in 1934
• Where the current palace stands was once part of Coudenberg
Palace, which dated back to the Middle Ages
• Coudenberg Palace was where the Dukes of Brabant lived
• February 3, 1731: Coudenberg Palace destroyed by a fire
Grote Markt/Grand Place
• The central square of Brussels
• The most important tourist destination in
Brussels, with the most memorable landmark
• Surrounded by guildhalls, Town Hall, and the
Breadhouse
• A UNESCO World Heritage Site (1998)
• Every two years in August, a “flower carpet” is
set up. A million begonias are set up in patterns
(area 79x253 feet)