Page 64 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Brussels Bruges Ghent & Antwerp

62  BRUSSELS AREA B Y AREA

1 BELvue Museum 3 Eglise St-Jacques-
and the Coudenberg sur-Coudenberg
Place des Palais 7, 1000 BRU. Map 2 E4. Place Royale, 1000 BRU. Map 2 E4.
Tel (02) 500 4554. @ 27, 29, 34, 38, 54, Tel (02) 511 7836. @ 27, 29, 34, 38, 54,
63, 64, 65, 66, 71, 80, 95. v 92, 93. 63, 64, 65, 66, 71, 80, 95. v 92, 93.
q Trone, Parc, Porte de Namur. Open q Trone, Parc. Open noon–2pm Mon
9:30am–5pm Tue–Fri, 10am–6pm Sat & Tue, noon–5:45pm Wed–Fri, 1–6pm
& Sun. Closed Mon, 1 Jan, 21 Jul, 25 Sat, 8:30am–6:45pm Sun.
Dec. & 7 0 = ∑ belvue.be
The prettiest building in the
The BELvue Museum houses a Place Royale, St-Jacques-sur-
wide collection of paintings, Coudenberg is the latest in a
documents and other royal The Neo-Classical façade of the series of churches to have
memorabilia charting the BELvue Museum occupied this site. There has
history of the Belgian been a chapel here since the
monarchy from independence unique historical documents, 12th century, when one was
in 1830 to the present day. photographs, film extracts built to serve the Dukes of
Since 1992, it has been housed and objects. Complementary Brabant. On construction of the
in the former Hôtel Bellevue, temporary exhibitions focus Coudenberg Palace in the 12th
an 18th-century Neo-Classical on a particular theme, era or century, it became the ducal
building lying adjacent to perspective. The Coudenberg chapel. The chapel suffered over
the Palais Royal. A permanent is a separate underground the years: it was ransacked in
exhibition across nine rooms archeological site and museum 1579 during conflict between
presents the history of Belgium that is within the grounds Catholics and Protestants, and
through a collection of 1,500 of the BELvue Museum. was so badly damaged in the

2 Palais Royal
The Pilasters Room
The Palais Royal is the most important of the contains an original Franz
palaces around the Parc de Bruxelles and an Winterhalter portrait of the
official residence of the Belgian monarchy. first Belgian king, Léopold I,
dating from 1846.
Construction of the modern palace began in the
1820s on the site of the old Coudenberg Palace
and continued under Léopold II (r.1865–1909),
when much of the exterior was completed.
Throughout the 20th century, the palace
underwent interior improve ments
and restoration of its older
sections. It is open only
from late July to early
September, but this is a
fine opportunity to tour
Belgium’s lavish state
reception rooms.

. Throne Room
One of Brussels’ original state-
rooms, the huge throne room
is decorated in grand style,
with huge pilastered columns,
11 large candelabras and
28 wall-mounted chandeliers.

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