Description

Essentials about Mont des Arts in brief

Mont des Arts is, in a way, the transition between the upper and lower town of Brussels and is the direct connection between the two most important squares of the city, Place Royale in the upper town and Grand Place in the lower town. The square is a popular meeting place for locals and tourists alike, not only because of its gardens, but also because of its great view over Brussels’ sea of houses. In addition, Mont des Arts is a good starting point to visit one of the many surrounding museums on the Brussels Museum Mile.

The history of Mont des Arts

The surroundings of Mont des Arts have always been densely populated. Already in the Middle Ages, Coudenberg Palace, the seat of government of the Duchy of Brabant, was located on the hill. After the palace burned down in 1731, King Leopold II had the idea to transform Mont des Arts into an art center until the end of the 19th century. Remains of Coudenberg Palace, by the way, can still be seen today in an underground excavation site.

The center of the square is a garden with numerous seating areas and a nine-jet fountain, which was temporarily created for the 1910 World’s Fair. Surrounding the square is the so-called “Brussels Museum Mile”, where numerous museums are located, such as the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, the Royal Library of Belgium, the Musical Instruments Museum, the BELvue Museum and the Museum of the National Bank of Belgium. Furthermore, Mont des Arts is also home to a church and a chapel. At the lower end of the square is the statue of King Albert I on horseback – the upper end of the square is formed by a monumental staircase leading up to Place Royale.

As part of the urban renewal in the 1930s, the park, which had only been created temporarily, was to be demolished again. In the 1950s, however, it was decided that the square would only be reworked.

The view from Mont des Arts

From Mont des Arts you have one of the most beautiful views over the city of Brussels. From here, large parts of the Belgian capital can be easily overlooked. Especially the famous tower of the Brussels Town Hall on Grand Place is clearly visible. In good weather, you can even see the Atomium and the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart from Mont des Arts.

Website

Unavailable.

Opening hours

None.

Admission fees

None.

Location

Getting there

By public transport:

Metro lines 1 and 5: Stop Gare Centrale

S-train lines 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 and 10: Stop Gare Centrale

Bus lines 38 and 71: Stop Bozar and Royale

By car:

The nearest parking garage is Interparking Square Albertine.