Brussels’ city center is packed with museums that allow anyone to learn about Belgium, be it history, culture, or art. The high density of these institutions within a small geographic area makes the capital a perfect location for observing the nation’s societal development, its artistic movements, and its specialized industries.
The Royal Quarter: Art and Identity
A significant concentration of Belgium’s cultural heritage is located within the Royal Quarter.
The BELvue Museum, situated in the neoclassical Hôtel Belle-Vue. Managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, it examines Belgian history through seven thematic aspects: democracy, prosperity, solidarity, pluralism, migration, language, and Europe.
BELvue Museum
BELvue Museum
The Musical Instruments Museum (MIM), founded in 1877, is housed in the former Old England department store. This 1899 Art Nouveau building, designed by Paul Saintenoy, displays a collection of 8,000 instruments and highlights the role of Adolphe Sax, the Belgian inventor of the saxophone.
Musical Instruments Museum
Musical Instruments Museum
The Oldmasters Museum, established in 1801 by Napoleon, focuses on European painting from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Housed in a building designed by Alphonse Balat and inaugurated in 1880, the museum features a large collection of works by Flemish masters, including more than 20 paintings by Rubens.
Oldmasters Museum
Oldmasters Museum
Connected via an underground passage is the Magritte Museum, which opened in 2009 in the 18th-century Hôtel du Lotto. It contains approximately 200 original works by the surrealist artist René Magritte, representing the largest multidisciplinary archive of his work.
Magritte Museum
Magritte Museum
For broader artistic programming, the Palais des Beaux-Arts (BOZAR), designed by Victor Horta and completed in 1929, serves as a multidisciplinary venue for music, visual arts, and film. The building is notable for its eight levels, many of which are situated below ground to accommodate height restrictions near the Royal Palace.
Bozar
Bozar
Civic History
In the immediate vicinity of the Grand-Place, the Brussels City Museum is located within the Maison du Roi. This Neo-Gothic building, restored in the late 19th century under the direction of Victor Jamaer, contains 7,000 objects tracing the city's history, including the original Manneken Pis. A ticket to this museum also includes entrance to the GardeRobe MannekenPis, located nearby on Rue du Chêne, which displays a selection of the statue's 1,000+ official costumes.
Maison du Roi
Brussels City Museum
Specialized Collections
Brussels hosts several institutions dedicated to specific fields where Belgium has a historical presence.
The Belgian Comic Strip Center occupies a 1906 Art Nouveau building designed by Victor Horta. Originally a textile warehouse, the museum now documents the development of the "Ninth Art." Permanent exhibitions include the "Museum of Imagination," which tracks the pioneers of Belgian comics between 1929 and 1960, featuring iconic characters such as Hergé’s Tintin, Peyo’s The Smurfs, and Morris’s Lucky Luke. The center also houses an extensive library and documentation room containing over 60,000 works, alongside a public reading room where visitors can consult a collection of 7,000 albums translated into over 40 languages.
Belgian Comic Strip Center
Belgian Comic Strip Center
The Stock Exchange building, designed by Léon-Pierre Suys and completed in 1873, reflects an eclectic Neo-Renaissance style with sculptures by Auguste Rodin. While historically the center of Belgian finance, the building has been repurposed to house Belgian Beer World, focusing on the nation’s brewing industry and history. The entrance ticket includes a tasting session where visitors can sample different beer profiles, concluding at the Beerlab rooftop bar, which offers a complimentary drink and views over the central boulevards of Brussels.
Palais de la Bourse
Palais de la Bourse
Planning Your Visit
To thoroughly visit all these institutions, a minimum of two days is recommended.
Given its focus on the brewing industry and the included tasting at the rooftop bar, the Belgian Beer World is best positioned at the end of the day.
