Mont Des Arts Cultural Walk (Self Guided), Brussels

The Centre for Fine Arts is a primary cultural venue in Brussels. Its construction was completed in 1928. Funding was originally denied for the project; however, a society dedicated to construction of a fine arts center was established in 1922. This society renewed interest in building a fine arts center. The government finally supported the construction but put some restrictions on the building. For one, it needed to include shopping on the ground floor. Also, the height of the building was to be limited so as to not block the King’s skyline views from the Royal Palace.

The building features an Art Deco architectural style and was designed by Art Noveau architect Victor Horta. The building is recognized as an Art Deco masterpiece and is often lauded for its ability to put together many uses and functions into a relatively small building plot. The design incorporates eight different building levels, with much of it underground. The complex includes a sizable concert hall, recital room, chamber music room, lecture rooms, and has an extensive gallery for temporary exhibits. Today, the building goes by the name BOZAR and features several different artistic departments.

Why You Should Visit:
Brussel's multicultural hot-spot – be it an exhibit, a concert, a screening or any other cultural activity, this is where they will premiere.
The Henry Le Bœuf Great Hall (2,200 seats) is a must-see in itself – a beautiful oval concert hall with marvelous acoustics.
Not only is the centre well worth seeing but the area is wonderful to roam around, too!

Tip:
If you have little time and/or money, check out which free exhibition(s) they have on display.

Opening Hours:
Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun: 10am-6pm; Thu: 10am-9pm

For those interested in the national history of Belgium, the BELvue Museum is the place to be. The museum is next to the Royal Palace and is located in the 18th century Bellevue Hotel. The hotel served as a resting point for wealthy travelers and dignitaries. In 1977 the hotel was transformed into the present-day museum. Spread over three floors and twelve rooms, the museum exhibits cover the major periods in Belgium’s history from 1830 to 2005, with special emphasis on the Belgian Revolution, World War I and World War II.

Contemporary topics like suffrage, the golden 60s, and state reforms are also presented. The exhibits are rich in original documents and audiovisual testimonials, which provides additional context to the topics on display. Two floors of the museum maintain the original styles of Napoleon III and Louis XV, and are decorated with 18th century furniture. Each of the Belgian kings has an exhibit which takes the visitor through a series of works and portraits which display each king’s unique personality and accomplishments. Temporary rotating exhibits are also presented at the museum.

The BELvue is open from 9:30 am to 5 pm Tuesday until Friday, Monday only for groups with reservation, and from 10 am to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday in July and August.

This imposing statue was erected in the Royal Square in 1843. It depicts Godfrey of Bouillon on a horse and was designed by Eugène Simonis. Known for being one of the leaders of the First Crusade, Bouillon was a Frankish knight born in the Brabant region of France (which is now part of Belgium). The First Crusade was called by Pope Urban II in 1096 and was meant to liberate Jerusalem and aid the Byzantine Empire. Both of these places were under attack from Muslim forces.

Godfrey felt compelled to participate in the Crusade and wanted to pull together a group of knights to fight in the Holy Land. By taking out loans or selling his land outright, he was able to gather thousands of knights. He died in Jerusalem in 1100. There are differing reports of the cause of his death, from getting shot with an arrow, to contracting an illness, to getting poisoned. Godfrey of Bouillon’s legacy continues on through his appearance in classic written texts. For example he was named the hero on Tasso’s Gerusalemme Liberata. In The Divine Comedy the spirit of Godfrey is seen by Dante in the Heavens of Mars. Mark Twain gives a mention of Godfrey’s sword in “Innocents Abroad.”

The Church of St. James on Coudenberg is a neoclassical Roman Catholic church located on the historic Place Royale/Koningsplein in central Brussels. The medieval abbey church that originally stood on this location was demolished by command of Charles Alexander of Lorraine during his expansive urban planning projects, despite having escaped the great fire of 1731 that destroyed the nearby Coudenberg Palace.

The new church was built in line with Rue Montagne de la Cour/Hofberg on its present location on the Place Royale/Koningsplein. Construction of the facade was started by architect Gilles-Barnabé Guimard after the designs of Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré (1775). The first stone was solemnly laid by Charles Alexander of Lorraine on 12 February 1776. The portico was finished in 1780. The nave, transept, choir and sacristy were built under supervision of Louis Montoyer in the years 1785–1786.

After the consecration of the building, it was used as an abbey and parish church at the same time. Moreover, it was the official church of the court of the Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands. The present building was designed to serve as the Church of the Abbey of Saint-Jacques on the Coudenberg and therefore has a deep extended choir with place for choir stalls for the monks.

During the French Revolution, the abbey was suspended and the church was made into a Temple of Reason, and then later into a Temple of Law. The church was returned to Catholic control in 1802. On 21 July 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha took the oath that made him H.M. Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians, on the front steps of the church.

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts are situated in downtown Brussels, on the small hill of Coudenberg (Koudenberg), and comprise four museums under the umbrella of the Royal Museum of Belgium. Two of them, such as the Museum of Ancient Art and the Museum of Modern Art, are in the main building, while the other two – the Museum Constantin Meunier and the Antoine Wiertz Museum – are found in different locations, considerably smaller and dedicated to specific Belgian artists.

The Royal Museum contains over 20,000 drawings, sculptures, and paintings spanning from the early 15th century to the present. The museum has an extensive collection of Flemish paintings, among them the works of Bruegel, Rogier van der Weyden, Robert Campin, Anthony van Dyck, and Jacob Jordaens. A particular pride of the museum is the "Rubens Room" housing more than 20 works of the artist.

Why You Should Visit:
An easy choice for an afternoon in Brussels, the combination of The Old Masters Museum, Modern Museum, and Magritte Museum is a veritable steal for the cost of admission and although at times clustered, the variety and expanse of the collection is something that needs to be seen. Not free, but inexpensive and the extra charge for the audio guide is well worth it. You can buy entry to all the collections or just one.

Opening Hours:
Musee Old Masters Museum, Musee Modern Museum, Musee Fin-de-siecle Museum, Musee Magritte Museum:
Tue-Fri: 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun: 11am-6pm;

Musee Wiertz Museum, Musee Meunier Museum:
Tue-Fri: 10am-12pm, 12:45-5pm

The Magritte Museum is dedicated to showing the works of the famous Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte. Centered in Paris, the surrealist movement began in the 1920s and incorporated an element of surprise and unexpected connections. Known for his humorous and witty images, Magritte challenged the viewer’s perception of reality. He is known for saying, “If the dream is a translation of waking life, waking life is also a translation of the dream.” His artwork featured common objects in uncommon circumstances, such as umbrellas, pipes, stones, apples and men in bowler hats.

The museum opened in 2009 and has over 25,000 square feet of exhibit space and five exhibition levels. With over 200 original paintings, sculptures and drawings, the museum is the largest collection of his works in the world. Works on display include The Empire of Light, Scheherazade, and The Return. In addition to serving as a repository for Magritte’s works, the museum is also the hub of research and information related to the artist. The collection is arranged chronologically and provides an overview of the artist’s life and the progression of his artwork. The Magritte museum is housed in the lovely Altenloh Hotel, a restored neo-classical landmark which is part of the Museum of Modern art complex on Brussels’ Place Royale.

Why You Should Visit:
Very well laid out over three floors – a nice escape into a different world for a few hours.
Interesting to see the genesis of Magritte's major themes and also what happens when one becomes a retired surrealist.
The gift shop has a lot of prints of the art on various objects for good prices.

Tip:
Make time for the Magritte film on the same level as the gift shop.
For the best experience, get an audio guide – however, beware the ordering can get a bit awry in places.
Consider buying an “all museums” ticket, as it is inexpensive and allows access to two additional beautiful museums, which are interconnected, so you don't have to go outside.

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun: 11am-6pm

The Musical Instruments Museum started out as a place to display the musical instrument collection of two individuals: Françoise-Joseph Fétis and Raja Sourindro Mohun Tagore. The collection was further expanded under the leadership of the museum’s first curator, Victor-Charles Mahillo, who headed up the museum in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Subsequent contributions to the museum expanded the collection. Today, over 2,000 instruments are on display. The collection includes musical instruments from many countries and from different time periods, with some pieces over 500 years old. The exhibits are spread over four floors. Visitors to the museum are provided with headphones to listen to individual samples of over 200 of the instruments exhibited.

The museum was originally located adjacent to the Brussels Royal Conservatory, where its primary purpose was showing students early instruments as part of their curriculum. In 2000, the museum moved to its current location, a beautiful Art Nouveau style building that housed the former Old England department store. The store name is still visible on the upper facade of the building. The interior of the building was significantly renovated when it became a museum. The top floor of the museum features a restaurant and tea room which affords sweeping views of Brussels and is particularly popular in summer.

Why You Should Visit:
There is a great collection of instruments to see/hear, as long as you don't expect too much information on their history, context, and development.

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 9:30am-5pm; Sat-Sun: 10am-5pm

This palace was named for Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, the governor-general of the Austrian Netherlands from 1744 to 1780. He served as one of the principal commanders in the Austrian military during the War of the Austrian Succession. The building started out as an old townhouse for the Counts of Nassau but was transformed into a neoclassical palace. Notable features of the building include a rotunda with a central rosette made from 28 different types of Belgian marble. The marble came from the Prince’s personal collection of minerals. The Prince was very interested in science and his personal collection of mineral pieces numbered over 5,000.

The palace has five halls, each decorated in stucco and silk. Each hall reflects a particular aspect of Charles de Lorraine’s life, including science, leisure, traveling, freemasonry and music. It is in these halls that guests were entertained and state affairs were handled. Today it serves as a museum for 18th-century items demonstrating the aristocratic and intellectual life at the time, including sedans, china, silverware, clocks, scientific instruments, and medals. The exhibited works are from the collections of the Royal Museum of Art and History and the Royal Library.

Why You Should Visit:
Architecturally attractive, in spite of being almost hidden from view (and tourists).

Opening Hours:
10am-5pm – only on every 1st Saturday of the month; free admission

The Kunstberg or Mont des Arts, translating as a "hill/mountain of the arts", is a historic site in the center of Brussels. The showcase square was created for the Universal Exposition in Brussels held in 1910. It featured a park and a monumental staircase with cascading fountains descending the gentle slope from Place Royale down to Boulevard de l'Empereur/Keizerslaan.

The original square was destroyed during the post-war construction frenzy, known as Brusselization; between 1954 and 1965, the square and its surroundings gave way to massive, severely geometric postmodern structures, such as the Royal Library of Belgium and the Congress Palace. The Mont des Arts offers one of Brussels’ finest views. From the vantage point on a hill, the famous tower of the Brussels Town Hall in Grand Place is clearly visible. On a sunny day, the Koekelberg Basilica and even the Atomium can be seen as well.

Major museums are located within walking distance of the Mont des Arts: the Musical Instruments Museum (MIM), displaying a collection of over 2,000 musical instruments from many countries and from different time periods, with some pieces over 500 years old; the Royal Museums of Fine Arts containing over 20,000 drawings, sculptures, and paintings spanning from the early 15th century to the present; and the Magritte Museum, dedicated to showing the works of the famous Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte.

The Royal Library of Belgium is a key cultural institution in Belgium with a long history. The library’s history dates back to the Dukes of Burgundy in the 800s, though it has occupied different areas through time. Its current location in the Mont des Arts area puts in adjacent to many of the important cultural institutions in Brussels. The library’s collection is eclectic. For example, the library maintains historically-important collections, including the Fétis archives. Fétis was an influential figure in Belgian music and was a computer, music teacher and critic.

The library also serves as a depository for any book published in Belgium or a book published abroad by a Belgian author. In addition the library has over 200,000 maps, atlases and globes. Old books, printed as early as the 15th century, are housed in the library, as well as 35,000 manuscripts, including codices from the Middle Ages. A special Medal section is dedicated to the preservation and study of coins. The Center for American Studies is also housed in the library. The Institute is affiliated with four universities (University of Antwerp, Free University of Brussels, University of Ghent, and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) and students can earn a Masters degree in American Studies.

The Printing Museum is housed in the Royal Library building and focuses on the technology and history of books, printing, book crafts, and office equipment. The museum started in 1975 and has the most significant collection of printing equipment in Europe. The museum owns over 400 presses dating from the 18th century through the 20th century. Particularly notable presses in the museum include a wooden 18th century typographical press, a metallic arm press, a Stanhope printing press, and unique presses from Elskamp, Curvers and Rops. The museum also presents a cylindrical press from 1916 that was used by German forces that were occupying Brussels during World War I.

The museum also displays gilding and bookbinding samples as well as presses and furniture associated with copperplate engraving, offset printing, typography and screen printing (silkscreens and stencils). The office equipment portion of the museum displays typewriters, copy machines and calculation machines. As a historical note, the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. Gutenberg was born in Mainz, Germany. His creation of a press that included movable type remained the primary method of printing until the late 20th century.

This statue depicts King Albert I, who served as the King of the Belgians from 1909 to 1934. It was designed by Alfred Courtens and was inaugurated in 1951. Albert grew up in the Palace of Flanders. Interestingly, he was fourth in line of succession to the Belgian throne, but quickly moved closer as both his cousin and older brother died. By the time Albert was 16, he was second in line, after his father, to take the throne.

Albert took his future task of king very seriously. He was very studious and was particularly concerned about the welfare for the working class of Belgium. He made trips, incognito, to various working class districts to become acquainted with the living conditions of the working class. He also made a trip to the Belgian Congo to gain a better understanding of the situation in the colony. Moved by what he saw, he returned to Belgium and initiated reforms to protect the native populations and to increase progress in the Belgian Congo. King Albert I was also often referred to as a “soldier king”, due to his brave actions on the battlefield. This statue is located at the entrance of the Mont des Arts, which is dedicated to his memory. Fittingly, his statue stands across from one of his wife, Queen Elisabeth I.

This statue depicts Queen Elisabeth I, also known as Elisabeth of Bavaria. Elisabeth was married to Prince Albert, who later became the King of the Belgians and served as such from 1909 to 1934. The statue was designed by René Cliquet and was completed in 1980. Elisabeth’s statue faces the equestrian statue of her husband, Albert I. During World War I, the Queen made visits to the front lines and also sponsored a nursing unit. This endeared her to many people in both Belgium and in other European countries. In her later years, she became a significant patron of the arts. In 1937 she established an international music competition as a place for young virtuosi to showcase their musical talent. The competition continues to this day, with the challenge being held every three years.

In the early 1940s, during the German occupation of Belgium, she used her German connections and influence to assist in the rescue of hundreds of Jewish children who were facing deportation by the Nazis. After the war, her efforts were recognized by the Israel government and she was awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations. This award recognizes non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Elisabeth died in 1965 at the age of 89. She is interred at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels.