Page 81 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Brussels Bruges Ghent & Antwerp

THE UPPER T OWN  79

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST Cinquantenaire Museum
Parc du Cinquantenaire 10. Tel (02)
Practical Information 741 7211. Open 9:30am–5pm Tue–Fri
Ave de Tervuren, 1040 BRU. (from 10am Sat, Sun and public hols).
Map 3 C3. 7 = Autoworld: (02) Closed 1 Jan, 1 May, 1 & 11 Nov, 25
736 4165. Open 10am–5pm (Sat, Dec. & 7
Sun & Apr–Sep: to 6pm). & 7 Part of the Musées Royaux d’Art
- Grand Mosque: (02) 735 2173. et d’Histoire, the Cinquantenaire
Open 9am–4pm Mon–Thu.
The Central Archway Please dress with respect. Museum has occupied its
Conceived as a gateway into the present site since the early 1900s.
city, the arch is crowned by the Transport It houses four main collections.
symbolic bronze sculp ture @ 12, 21, 22, 27, 36, 60, 61, 79, 80. Highlights of the Antiquities
Brabant Raising the National Flag. v 81. q Schuman, Mérode. department include superb
Roman mosaics from Apamea
(in modern-day Syria), excavated
by Belgian archaeologists in the
1930s, and the Lady of Brussels,
the name given to an Egyptian
stone statue almost 5,000 years
old. The National Archaeology
section covers items discovered
in Belgium from the Gallo-Roman
period to the Merovingians,
while Non-European Civilizations
Autoworld has a truly global reach, covering
Housed in the
south wing of the Byzantium and Islam, China,
Cinquantenaire Palace, Southeast Asia, India and the
Autoworld is one of pre-Columbian Americas.
the best collec tions of The final collection, European
automobiles in the Decorative Arts, has a fine set
world. There are some of galleries devoted to arts
300 cars, including an from the Middle Ages to the
1886 motor, and a Baroque, with examples of
1924 Model-T Ford Brussels and Tournai tapestries,
that still runs. and beautifully carved Gothic
wooden panels from medieval
church altars. Not to be missed
is the collection of objets d’art
from the Art Nouveau period.
Look out for sculptures in
precious metals and ivory by
such luminaries of the movement
as Philippe Wolfers and Charles
van der Stappen, and cabinets
designed by the great Victor
Horta for Wolfers’ own showroom.
Musée Royal de l’Armée et
d’Histoire Militaire
Parc du Cinquantenaire 3. Tel (02) 737
7811. Open 9am–5pm Tue–Sun.
Closed Mon, 1 Jan, 1 May, 1 Nov,
25 Dec. &7
Together with a section on
aviation, displays here cover the
Belgian Army and its history
from the late 1700s to today,
including weapons, uniforms,
. Cinquantenaire Museum decorations and paintings.
Belgian architect Bordiau’s plans for the two There is a section covering the
exhibition halls, later permanent showcases, were 1830 struggle for independence
partly modelled on London’s Victorian museums. (see pp38–9). Two other sections
The use of iron and glass in their construction was show both World Wars, including
inspired by the Crystal Palace. the activities of the Resistance.

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