Museums, Brussels ( Belgium)

Museums

The Museum of Ancient Art The Museum of Ancient Art has got a vast collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings from the 15th until 18th century. Built up around a core of revolutionary captures and deposits of the French state, this collection was constantly enriched by the acquisitions, but also by gifts and legacies of numerous patrons. The paintings of the Ancients of the southern Netherlands make up an essential part of this collection (Rogier van der Weyden, Petrus Christus, Dirk Bouts, Hans Memling, Jérome Bosch, Bruegel, Pierre-Paul Rubens, Jacob Jordaens, Antoine van Dyck). The visit also includes an exceptional collection of terra cotta "modelli" from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as a beautiful series of paintings representing foreign schools.
Magritte Museum In the building of the Royal Museums for Fine Arts of Belgium, visitors will be able to discover the world's largest collection of René Magritte's works. The collection is a perfect proof of René Magritte's oeuvre and covers all the periods from his life. The works on display, among which his most important masterpieces, are mainly from the legacies of Irene Scutenaire-Hamoir and Georgette Magritte and from purchases made by the Royal Museums for Fine Arts of Belgium, completed with works on loan from private persons.
MIM (The Museum of Musical Instruments) The Museum of Musical Instruments is a strikingly beautiful building in Brussels combining the architectural styles of Neo-Classic and Art Nouveau. Housed in the museum is a collection of more than 7000 instruments of varying kinds and origins. On the top floor, the indoor & outdoor MIM Restaurant provides visitors with a magnificent 360° view of Brussels.
Museum Horta The former home of Art Nouveau's best-known architect, Victor Horta, is now the Horta Museum - a showcase of stained glass and subway tile, pale wood and wrought iron whose every corner seems magically bathed in golden sunlight.
The Dinosaur Gallery at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Explore the largest dinosaur museum in Europe on permanent display at the Museum of Natural Sciences starting on October 27. This is a great exhibit for the whole family, with many new dinosaur skeletons to discover and learn about as well as hands-on activities for children.
The Belgian Center for Comic Strip Art Housed in an art nouveau masterpiece designed by Victor Horta, this museum pays homage to a particular Belgian passion, cartooning. Tintin and the Smurfs are the most famous Belgian comic strip characters but the museum also displays artwork from over 670 cartoonists. Other displays detail the stages of putting together a comic strip, from examples of initial ideas and pencil sketches through to final publication. Arranged over three levels, the museum also has a library and an art nouveau brewery. Discover the centre of Brussels and its inhabitants by following the Comic Strip Route and admiring comic strip façades, walls and statues.

 

Christmas Markets During the month of December Brussels' Grand Place is magically transformed into a winter wonderland of holiday delights with an enormous Christmas tree and nightly sound & light shows. Nearby on Place Sainte Catherine resides a European Christmas Market village made up of wooden cottages filled with Christmas goodies, European food specialties and handicrafts.
Tapis de fleurs A million begonias for... one single carpet? This is certainly an extraordinary achievement. The famous Carpet of Flowers covers almost 20,000 square foot right in the centre of the Grand Place.