The castle on Coudenberg Hill was built in the Middle ages, throughout the years the small castle was transformed into a beautiful palace, and one of Charles V’s main residences. A fire in the castle in 1731 left half of the palace destroyed. The ruins of the palace were left almost completely abandoned for forty years. In the 1770s, a large architectural project was started to redevelop the ruins of the old palace and raise numerous surrounding buildings to ground level to make a new square named “Place Royale.”

During a visit to the Coudenberg, visitors can see the old structures of the main buildings of the former palace of Brussels where the most interesting discoveries were made during various archaeological excavations. Inside the museum there is an extensive gallery decorated with statues. Historical tapestries and embroideries, priceless silver and gold objects, and printed books are on display. Fine glass and china work is exhibited along with numerous paintings by well known artists such as Titian, Rubens, and Brueghel. http://www.coudenberg.com/en/prepare-your-visit/presentation

The Coudenberg former palace and the Belvue Museum is open on Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. On weekends, the hours are 10 am to 6 pm. The museum does close on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Plan to spend one to one and a half hours in the museum.

Admission for adults to the Coudenberg is €5.00, and ages € 8.00 to enter the Coudenberg and BELvue. Children under 18 are free. There are also discounts unemployed, teachers, Brussels Card holders, monitors, groups, 18-25 year olds, and seniors.

To get to the museum, the best airport to fly into is the Brussels International Airport. The museum is accessible from the Central Train Station and Gare Centrale, Parc, Trône, and Porte de Namur Metro Stations. If you plan on taking the bus there, hop aboard 27, 38, 71, or 95 Guided tours are available if booked in advance. http://www.coudenberg.com/en/prepare-your-visit/presentation