Category: Museums

The Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (MIMA) of Bruxelles is a contemporary visual art museum located in the buildings of a former brewery next the canal de Bruxelles. It is a small museum but offering art on four levels – works from their permanent collection and als changing exhibitions. The museum was founded in 2016 and is a private non-profit organization.

If you need to survive a rainy day in Bruxelles, the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique can be your safe harbor. Located at the Koningsplein it offers you a combination of wonderful museums that our interconnected: just buy a ticket and switch in underground passages between the Musée Magritte, the Musée Old Masters and the Musée Fin-de-Siècle. After the Belgian independence king Lépold I. wanted to create a museum about Belgian artists; the current museum building was opened in 1887.

The natural sciences museum of Bruxelles dates back to the 18th century and is located near the Parc Léopold in the European quarter. With 38 million of items, it is one of the largest collections in Europe and the exposition area focusses on giving insight to the masses. Main topics are the human body, biodiversity in everyday life and mostly: dinosaurs. Yes, all the kids love them, and they seem to be the gateway drug into natural sciences.

Since 2017 you can find the House of European History in the European Quarter of Bruxelles. It focusses on the older and newer history of Europe as a continent and strives to present a historic line for all states on European ground. The museum starts with the definition of Europe, leads through the central struggles of the last centuries, and ends with current developments and conflicts.

The royal museums for art and history at Bruxelles is a combination of state museums including the Art & History Museum at the Parc du Cinquantenaire (Jubelpark), the Porte de Hal, the Musical Instrument Museum in an art nouveau building and the Museums of the Far East located at Laken. The flagship is the giant Musée Art & Histoire (formerly called Musée du Cinquantenaire) which is one of the largest art museums in Europe.

Between the exposition area of Bruxelles and the Atomium you can find a special museum dedicated to the design of things. The Design Museum is a wide collection of everyday items made from plastics: chairs, tables, TVs and much more. Even radical approaches towards common items are presented here and contribute to the fun. Additionally, there is a gallery exhibiting items from Belgian designers and changing exhibitions.

Victor Horta was a Belgian architect born in 1861, creating art nouveau buildings. He enriched the city of Bruxelles with different houses in this fantastic style and four of them together form a UNESCO world heritage site. The best place to learn more about him and his work (and to enjoy art nouveau buildings and furniture) is his former house and workshop at the city quarter St. Gilles. When standing in front of the building you can’t really imagine the beauty that awaits you inside – you need to visit it.

The Smurfs, Lucky Luke, the Marsupilami, Tintin, Spirou and Fantasio: Belgium is the main source for comics in Europe. Around 60 % of all books published in this country tell their story visually. Today Japanese mangas dominate the international market, but the Belgian comic characters are still beloved by many people worldwide. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Belgians celebrate them in an own museum, the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée.