The Royal Palace in Brussels dates back to 1820 and was only used as a royal residence for a short time. You can enjoy the large frontage at any time of year, but for 5 weeks in the summer, you can also see inside. This limited access has become an annual tradition and best of all, it’s free! This modern palace was built on the site of a much older one which belonged to the Dukes of Brabant. This was destroyed by fire in 1731. When you visit today, you will only get to see a handful of rooms, but they’re beautiful.
Although the palace is still the official headquarters of the Belgian monarchy, it hasn’t been lived in since the royals moved in 1831 to the Royal Palace of Laeken a short distance away near the Atomium. Instead the Royal Palace is used for Belgian state events. At the centre of those is often the Empire Room (pictured above) which is a large open ballroom style area. Although it has seating, this can be moved away to make use of the large space. In here, make sure you study the incredible chandeliers!
Other rooms of note include the Large Anteroom, the Marble Room, the Throne Room, the Hall of Mirrors, The Grand Gallery (pictured below) with its beautiful painted ceilings and the imposing Grand Staircase (pictured above). There is one part of the palace complex that you can visit all year around. The former Hotel Bellevue currently houses the BELvue Museum.
Visiting the interior of the Royal Palace in Brussels is only possible from late July until the start of September each year, excluding Mondays. Admission is free and tickets must be booked in advance. Opening times are from 10.30am to 5pm each day.
LOCATION & CONTACT
Address: The Royal Palace of Brussels, Av Brussels.
The Royal Palace sits on the edge of Brussels Park (Parc de Bruxelles). We used the Brussels Hop on, Hop off Bus Tour to get here
MORE ON BRUSSELS ROYAL PALACE
Royal Palace – Official Belgian Monarchy website
Hotels near the Royal Palace – Booking.com
Royal Palace of Brussels – Wikipedia