Stadhuis Located in Leuven, Belgium Main landmark building in the Grote Markt square Built in Brabantine gothic style architecture, with the façade meant to look very detailed Construction began in 1439 and finished in 1469 Only minimally damaged during both World Wars Admission: free

Parc du Cinquantenaire Jubelpark Most buildings in the park were built for the 1880 National Exhibition The park was established to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgium’s independence 1905: Triumphal Arch built, using iron, glass, and stone The Royal Military Museum, Cinquantenaire Art Museum, and AutoWorks Museum are located in inside the park Originally, the area was part of the military exercising grounds The Great Mosque of Brussels is located in the park, and is the oldest mosque in Brussels

Kasteel van Beersel Located in town of Beersel Original purpose was as a defensive base for Brussels Constructed between 1300 and : a cotton factory occupied the fortress Built of red bricks, rather than stones Flat land forced the creation of a large moat, high walls, and impressively tall towers Looks the same as it did at the end of the 15th century Currently, does not serve as a private residence Admission

Belgian Comic Strip Center Housed in the former Waucquez Warehouse, designed by Victor Horta Opened to the public on 6 October 1989 Also serves as a modern research centre, with over 40,000 titles in more than 20 languages Non-profit organization Aim of Center: maintain the building’s integrity and promote the comic strip as a valuable cultural medium Belgium alone has over 700 comic strip authors Comics from Belgium: Tintin, Spirou, Bob and Bobette, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Blake and Mortimer Admission: free to €8

Gravensteen A castle located in Ghent Gravensteen means “castle of the count” in Dutch Built in 1180 by count Philip of Alsace Prior to its construction, there was a wooden castle in the same location Castle has been used as a courthouse and a prison 1885: City of Ghent bought the castle and started renovation The walls and the dungeon were restored to their original condition Partially surrounded by a moat today There is a museum inside the castle Admission: free to €8

Atomium Built for the World Fair in Brussels in 1958 The symbol of Europe’s capital 8 levels, spread over 5 spheres are open to the public Permanent exhibition dedicated to Expo58 are on 2 levels Temporary exhibitions devoted to architecture, design, and society are the other 3 levels In the upper sphere is the Panorama, which offers awesome views of Brussels, as well as the Panoramic Restaurant Entrance fee: €6 to €11

MIM (Musical Instruments Museum Created on 1 February 1877; then attached to the Brussels Royal Music Conservatory Original Purpose: Showing early instruments to students attending the Conservatory 11 January 1992: Became part of the Royal Museums of Art and History as Department VI Gained international recognition for the quantitative importance of its collections, as well as their diversity and for the quality and rarity of the items Collections have over 8,000 instruments Admission: Free to €5

Coudenberg Coudenberg means cold hill A small hill where the Palace of Coudenberg was built For about 700 years, it served as the seat of government of counts, dukes, archdukes, kings, emperors and governors The archeological vestiges of the palace and its foundations are currently open to the public 1183: Ducky of Brabant created by the German Emperor Frederik Barbarossa Coudenberg was included within the first great wall built around Brussels Remains of the ancient palace and adjacent building have been excavated below present ground level and preserved with a partial concrete cover You can visit the remains via the Bellevue Museum

Königlicher Palast von Brüssel The official palace of the King of the Belgians Not used as a royal residence because the king and his family live in the Royal Castle of Laeken Located in front of Brussels Park Construction began in 1783 and was finished in 1934 Where the current palace stands was once part of Coudenberg Palace, which dated back to the Middle Ages Coudenberg Palace was where the Dukes of Brabant lived February 3, 1731: Coudenberg Palace destroyed by a fire

Grote Markt/Grand Place The central square of Brussels The most important tourist destination in Brussels, with the most memorable landmark Surrounded by guildhalls, Town Hall, and the Breadhouse A UNESCO World Heritage Site (1998) Every two years in August, a “flower carpet” is set up. A million begonias are set up in patterns (area 79x253 feet)