Exploring Brussels - History and Culture, Brussels, Belgium

After visiting Mini-Europe and Atomium, we hopped on to the next Toot bus. Originally, we planned to get off at Stop 12: Louise - Palais de Justice to visit the Place Poelaert, Justice Palace, and Mont des Arts, but we changed our plans due to the rain. Instead, we headed to Stop 15: Cinquantenaire to visit the Triumphal Arch locally known as Cinquantenaire Arch. Before exploring, we stopped at a Manhattan burger near the Toot bus stop for a delightful meal.

The Cinquantenaire Arch is an iconic monument that stands at the heart of the Parc du Cinquantenaire, a park created to commemorate Belgium’s 50th anniversary of independence in 1880. Its magnificent structure features three arches crowned by a bronze quadriga, a four-horse chariot sculpture. The Arch serves as the entrance to a complex of museums, including the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, Autoworld, and the Art & History Museum. At the same time, the surrounding park is often used for national celebrations and public events.

Fortunately, the weather cleared up, and we could fully appreciate the magnificent Cinquantenaire Arch and the surrounding parks, which were being prepped for a marathon happening in two days. After taking some photos and enjoying the sunny weather, we realized we still had time to catch the last Toot Bus. We made our way back to the bus, heading toward the Place Royale and Mont des Arts. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).