My mother and I visited this museum while we were in Brussels a few months ago and it was another…read moregreat museum in Brussels. They have a TON of paintings and sculptures. They have some great stuff here and I really liked the space in between each piece of art, as odd as that sounds, it let you spread out a bit when looking at a painting. There are many, huge rooms on two floors and there was something around every corner. This place was really cool and I would definitely visit here again.

This is one of Belgium's most famous fine arts museum. The buying tickets process is a bit…read morecomplicated as there are options to buy one exhibit or multiple exhibits. Either way, the ticket prices aren't hugely expensive and each exhibit is quite good so even if you buy the wrong exhibit, you'll have a good time. The museum itself is huge and I really appreciate them having electronic kiosks here and there to tell the stories of the paintings. There was one kiosk explaining how a painting of a family portrait got chopped off into three bits and the process of then identifying these pieces as a singular unit. I thought the story was quite incredibly as you not only learn about the art but also the way the museum conducts its business. While I was walking, I noticed that there was an English led tour going on and decided to join in. Not sure if this is for additional moneys, but honestly I would highly HIGHLY recommend. This is the only reason why the museum would get a 5-stars. The explainer was absolutely amazing, I definitely think that this was the best art museum tour I have ever been on. The guide didn't talk about many paintings, maybe 10-15 during the 1 hour tour, but every single painting she did talk about had such an interesting backstory and you're not learning just about the history but also about how the museum curates its work. You will definitely be able to get a deeper sense of appreciation for this place. Overall, highly recommend visiting, especially if you're deciding on going on a tour. The surrounding areas are also very nice too and would highly recommend checking out the surrounding architectures after the gallery visit.

After our scheduled tour was canceled, I was looking for places to go and found this suggestion…read moreunder a Yelp collection. After realizing Belgium was the home of the smurfs, I had to stop by. In front of the entrance is a huge smurf statue, and right next door is the smurf store. The museum cost 14 Euros, which is equivalent to about $15 usd. They do request that you don't use flash when taking pictures. I really enjoyed this museum and the flashback of my childhood. If you grew up watching the Smurfs or TinTin, I would add the Mook Museum to your list. Our visit was 45 minutes to an hour.

Amazing museum - very unusual musical instruments - 3 full floors of exhibits. You are able to…read morehear the instruments through museum provided headphones

Royal palace in Brussels. About a 10 walk from the grand place plaza and gare centrale. Very well…read moremaintained Royal residence. The self guided tour is free and takes about 45 minutes. Well worth the stop and also diversion from the summer heat for some air conditioning if needed.

Today was a sunny Sunday... so we decided to take a stroll in Brussels…read more We were just passing by the Royal Palace (like we usually do) but this time we decided to stop by for a curious tour within the walls of this majestic place. Luckily it's summer time and the Royal Palace opens for a couple of weeks (July 22 - September 6) which is a great initiative to make the locals and tourists discover a part of the Belgian heritage and a bonus point for everyone, the entrance is free! This is my very first visit (after being in Belgium for 20 years) and it was about time. The ambiance in and out of the Palace was relaxed but a bit crowded due to the massive number of visitors (Sunny Sunday). A guided map is available for only a Euro at the main hall. There isn't really a starting point of the tour, you can just go with the flow as you'll be following the movement of those in front of you. We passed by different rooms where some numbers are attached to the portraits, rugs, etc. (detailed info might have been mentioned on the guided map that I didn't bought). There were guards everywhere mainly to remind the visitors to not use their camera flashes. The place was quite clean and tidied up, all the lights were lit for the occasion which really shows how grandiose this place is. From the salon room through the passageway, the back halls to the prestige ballrooms, an attention to details is required and that is from the floor up to the ceiling. The Royal Palace has been well preserved for all these years and hopefully for many more to come as this shows the history of Belgium and where the Belgian's should be proud of !!! A good place to go if you want to discover a bit of Belgium's history.

I have a tradition when I travel to try to find the less mainstream museums. I'm the person who'll…read moreshun the Natural History Museum in favour of a museum of creepy dolls (you'd be surprised at how many of these there are). I mean, ideally I'd go to both, but still. Anyway, this is how we found ourselves tracking down the MEM - the Erotic and Mythology Museum and handing over €10 for the privilege of exploring it. This is very much a private, personal collection that the collector has decided to make public. It's a small operation and you need to be buzzed in, but the person at the front desk was very friendly and helpful. First off, she led us downstairs to the basement floor and gave us guides to the exhibits printed in English. She told us that the collector had started by collecting small figures when he was a teenager and that his collection grew and expanded from there. I was worried this was going to become a very embarrass and awkward guided tour but thankfully she pointed us to the first display case and said to come back upstairs when we were done. The exhibits are fascinating. They have figurines and decorative items not to mention some, ahem, devices. They span a wide period of history and some must be quite rare. Our guide also mentioned that an erotic museum in Paris has recently closed and that the collector is trying to bring as many pieces to Brussels as he can. So I expect the collection will soon be expanded. We went back upstairs and were told that there was even more to see on the next floor up. Which was true. Off we went to pick up more printed guides and explore more fascinating (and yes, ok, sometimes hilarious) artefacts. We definitely got our €10 worth.

My 500th review had to be saved for the best. A museum completely dedicated to the history of…read moreerotic art? Yes, please -- where do I sign up? I don't think it was more than 10 or 15 euro per person, which I was more than happy to shell out. This place was definitely small, but they managed to pack tons of art in various forms into this exhibit. They covered at least a thousand years from countless countries. To say that is was fascinating would be a huge understatement. I was glad that it was a self-guided tour. My wife and I spent more time on the first floor than the others. I will admit that some of it was comical to us, but overall, it was one of the best museum visits I've had.

I wouldn't really call this a museum, but for five euros, it's definitely worth it. It's really…read morejust one room with some info on how the beer is made and a short video playing on a screen. You're basically paying for a really good-quality beer. You can choose between a dark or light ale, and the owner is super friendly. He let us take fun photos behind the bar, pretending to serve the beer ourselves. This is a fun little stop if you're near the Grand Place.

Not much to this "museum". For five euros, you get access to a short video in a small room with…read moresome old beer making equipment. You also get a beer - either house light or dark. Honestly, that's the going price for a beer anyway.

Thank you, other cultures and empires for pillaging great artworks and keeping them for your own…read moremuseum! The Empire of Light is the capstone to this museum, but unfortunately, a lot of his other notable works are elsewhere. There seem to be a dozen exits and entrances, but you can only use the most inconvenient one. There are three floors and you start from top to bottom. An elevator exists, but it seems to be used primarily for the timed groups coming into the museum. You can buy your tickets from kiosks, and FINALLY they have a ticket option for disabled. If I'm gonna be crippled, I hope I can at least get a discount.

An amazing experience. The timeline was well laid out and informative. Such beautiful artwork to…read moretake in.

Not sure why this place doesn't get better reviews? We…read morethought the history of chocolate in one of the chocolate capital countries was a must, of course. I was aware already the basic history and nutritional background to this tasty little plant, but I thought this museum for an hour or two break from walking the streets was a nice change. There's interactive exhibits, info on the history and commerce, how chocolate came to be the sweet treat, lots of exhibits with pottery, machinery and samples of how chocolate comes to be from cocoa beans.

The Choco-Story museum is a fun activity when in Brussels. Whether you are a chocolate lover or a…read morehistory lover, this place is for you. First of all, I highly recommend booking before you go. Yes, you can buy tickets on the spot but it's much easier to book prior. When you walk in, you are served your first chocolate sample. Ours was dark chocolate. This is the only sample you will receive until the very end, so do not get your hopes up until then. Throughout the museum, you can learn all about chocolate. Some of my favorite parts were old vending machines, chocolate molds, and they even had a setup where you could press a button and smell chocolate scents such as cocoa. Loved this! At the end, you are greeted with 5-6 different chocolate samples. Dark, milk, white, chocolate from Costa Rica, chocolate from one other country (maybe Peru), and perhaps one more sample. Can't remember. While the samples were tasty, they are nothing special. Just like a simple chocolate bar. Before you leave, make sure to watch a chocolate making demonstration. This can be found right after the samples and I think occurs every 30 minutes. This is worth staying for. Very interesting and afterwords, you receive the best chocolate sample of the entire trip, a chocolate praline. Absolutely delicious! At the very end, enjoy the chocolate gift shop. When checking out, you are greeted with your last sample. Ours was an orange flavored chocolate. Be sure not to overlook this. While the samples were a bit of a letdown, it was a fun experience and I would come again!

Having dealt with so many EU regulations in my past lives, I thought it would be interesting to…read morecheckout the EU Parliament campus. I had to register first to book my timeslots for touring the EU Hemicycle and Parlamentarium and receive a ticket via email. To enter the Parlamentarium you had to first get your ticket scanned and then go through security screening. A free audio guide was included and it was activated when you touched one of the three audio guide symbols posted on a particular display. One of the first exhibits informed that Brussels was just one of 3 locations where Parliament had an official building. The other 2 were also described: Strasbourg and Luxembourg. The next section was a bit bigger and covered the growth of the EU with many displays briefly documenting the journey each country went through before becoming part of the EU. The last section covered the hemicycle, introduction to representation and those people holding office and making laws (of which I knew about too many). There also was a large 360 degree theatre and a large interactive floor map where families were rolling around moveable terminals. Before exiting you can take a selfie and write whatever you want for posting on the electronic wall of reflection. It was an interesting visit given the EU's evolution and different approach to many topics versus the US.

Very informative exhibits about the formation of the European Union. Definitely recommended if you…read morehave a n extra hour or two while in Belgium.

I'm a sucker for history museums, the history of war, and especially looking at jets and planes so…read morethe Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History was just the place for me to go on my last full day exploring around Brussels. This place is absolutely massive from the second you walk in and see the birth of Belgian history, all the flags hanging, and the hundreds of old military uniforms on display. The main reason I wanted to come was for what was next, the giant hanger full of old military airplanes, helicopters, and fighter jets. Words can't describe how much history was in that room but I throughly enjoyed the 45 minutes I spent looking at planes from Belgium, Germany, the UK, and even one where I'm from, Canada. The museum continues with deep Belgian history, an area covering Nazi Germany, Japan during world war 2, and so much more I can't even scratch the surface in this small review. Overall, The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History absolutely blew me away. The visuals here are breathtaking, the history beyond interesting, and the exhibits looked beautiful. My only complaint, similar to other Belgian museums was the lack of any sort of souvenir for the actual museum. I would have loved a magnet representing the experience I had here, oh well.

WOW!! This place is massive! You could spend days trying to see the whole thing! Very nicely done…read moreand very comprehensive! Not a corner of military-adjacent history is left untouched. A few things to note: * As of July 2024, admission for one adult over the age of 18 is 12€. * Everything is in French and Dutch (lol obviously) but otherwise it varies pretty wildly. Some exhibits have a lot of English descriptions, some none at all. And the Antarctica exhibit is also in German!