Page 83 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

BRUSSELS  81

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST Cinquantenaire Museum
Parc du Cinquantenaire 10.
Practical Information Tel (02) 741 7211. Open 9:30am–5pm
Ave de Tervuren, 1040 BRU. Tue–Fri, 10am– 5pm Sat, Sun & public
City Map 3 C3. 7 = holidays. Closed 1 May, 1 and 11 Nov.
Autoworld: (02) 7364165. Open & 7 ∑ kmkg-mrah.be/
Apr–Sep: 10am–6pm Sat & Sun; cinquantenarie-museum
Central Archway Oct–Mar: 10am–5pm Tue–Fri. & Part of the Musées Royaux d’Art
7 - Grand Mosque: (02) 735
The arch is crowned by the et d’Histoire, the Cinquantenaire
sculp ture of Brabant Raising 2173. Open 9am–4pm Mon–Thu. Museum has occupied its
the National Flag, while riding Transport present site since the early
a quadriga. @ 12, 21, 22, 27, 36, 60, 61, 79, 80. 1900s and is one of the biggest
v 81, 83. q Schuman, Mérode. museums in Belgium. The
historic building was erected by
former Belgian King Léopold II.
A wealth of artifacts, from
prehistoric times through
antiquity and European applied
arts, to a vast collection of non­
European art, are on display.
The four main collections of
the museum are: Antiquity,
including Egyptian sarcophogi
and Greek vases; National
Archaeology from prehistory to
Autoworld the Merovingian period 751 AD;
Set in the south wing European Decorative Arts from
of the palace, Autoworld Romanesque art of the Middle
has one of the best Ages to 20th­century Art Deco;
collections of
automobiles in and Non­European Civilizations,
the world. There are which includes sections on
some 300 cars, Byzantium, China and the Indian
including an sub continent, South­East Asia,
1886 motor, a 1924 Oceania and the Islamic world
Model­T Ford as well as the pre­Columbian
and American civilizations of the Americas.
limousine of the 1950s. There are decorative arts from
all ages, with silverware, glass­
ware, porcelain and a fine
collection of tapestries. Religious
sculptures and stained glass are
displayed around a courtyard in
the style of church cloisters. The
use of iron and glass was inspired
by London’s Crystal Palace.
Musée Royal de l’Armée
et d’Histoire Militaire
Parc du Cinquantenaire 3.
Tel (02) 7377833. Open 9am–5pm
Tue–Sun. Closed 1 May, 1 Nov, 25 &
26 Dec. & 7 ∑ klm-mra.be/D7t
Together with the section on
aviation, the dis plays cover the
Belgian army and its history
from the late 1700s onwards,
including weapons, uniforms,
decorations and paintings.
There is a section covering
. Cinquantenaire Museum the 1830 struggle for inde­
Belgian architect Bordiau’s plans for these two exhibition pendence (see pp48–9). Two
halls, later permanent showcases, were partly modelled other sections showcase the
on London’s Victorian museums. The use of iron and glass history of the World Wars and
in their construction was inspired by the Crystal Palace. the Resistance (see pp50–51).

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