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.

Another large and beautiful church we saw on our visit to Brussels…read more The church was massive and magnificent! The stained glass windows were beautiful. We came at the perfect time to see some light peeking through the glass into the pews. It was an amazing part of our journey. This is why we stop into churches and take a moment to look around.

This is a beautiful Gothic cathedral. I had the pleasure of visiting for an event called…read moreLuminescence. It had two showings at night, and it was a beautiful lightshow accompanied by music along with the retelling of its history. Truly a magical experience. A live orchestra played as the lights danced and illuminated the architecture. I would love to come back and see the stain glassed windows in all its glory in the daytime. But overall, it is obvious in its grandeur and beauty it also holds a great historical significance to Brussels.

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.

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

Stopped by on a Saturday at around 2:30 pm. It's a bit far from the city centre. We walked there…read morebecause it was a 25 minute walk from where we were but on the way back, we ended up taking an Uber because it would have been a 35 minute walk back to our hotel, and there is no convenient public transportation from there. The museum is free with the Brussels Card, which is what we used. I would have been disappointed if we had to pay full price. The museum looks old and has a funky BO smell to it. It needs some upgrades. It was also pretty empty for a Saturday, so that's saying a lot. In the basement is where they house the human lifecycle exhibit and temporary exhibit. The temporary exhibit was actually pretty cool. It was different stations with different puzzles you had to solve. Kind of like a makeshift escape room. A very makeshift because all they did was put up black curtains everywhere. The rest of the museum upstairs was a lot of fake taxidermy animals that don't really describe their habits/habitats - just what they are. We probably spent an about 1.5 hours (the escape room exhibit took us about 1 hour already) before we were over it. Overall, a pretty underwhelming museum for two adults. There are some museums that cater to all ages, but this isn't one of them and could use a serious revamp.

This museum was amazing! So many cool dinosaurs and exhibits; and everything was in English as…read morewell. The ocean dinosaurs was a cool, little exhibit. My mom and I visited here a few months ago while we were in Europe and this was a great science museum. We arrived shortly after they opened and the museum was very easy to get through; not a lot of people yet. My mom and I followed the colored arrows on all of the paths throughout the museum, which were easy to follow. If I'm in Brussels again, I would go back.

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.

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.

This historic central square is probably one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. What an amazing…read moreplace to feel what it must have been like centuries ago, eat lunch, or people watch. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's pedestrian only. We've hung out and strolled through in the early morning, afternoon, late evening, and even after dark well after midnight. Every two years in August, a floral carpet is installed in the middle of the centre. It's a ginormous arrangement of breathtaking flowers. A Christmas tree and lights go up every year. The neo-gothic architecture is outstanding from the kings's house to the town hall. Such an amazing piece of history that should be on everyone's sightseeing list.

The Grand Place is absolutely stunning and lives up to its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site…read more The gold-trimmed architecture of the guildhalls and the Town Hall will leave you in awe. It's worth visiting twice--once during the day to see the intricate details, and again at night when everything is beautifully lit up. While it is usually packed with people, if you come very early in the morning, you can enjoy the square almost entirely to yourself. The surrounding area is full of shops and food, though it is very touristy, so keep that in mind. If you're lucky enough to visit during the holidays, the festive decorations are spectacular!