Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Other Museums and Sights Away
from the Center
royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Institut royal
des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique) —Dinosaur enthusiasts
come to this museum for the world's largest collection of iguan-
odon skeletons (€7, Tue-Fri 9:30-16:45, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00,
closed Mon, last entry 30 min before closing, Rue Vautier 29, bus
#34 from the Bourse, tel. 02-627-4238, www.naturalsciences.be).
s royal Museum of Central Africa (Musée royal de
l'Afrique Centrale) —Remember the Belgian Congo? Just east
of the city center, this fine museum covers the Congo and much
more of Africa, including ethnography, sculpture, jewelry, colo-
nial history, flora, and fauna. You'll learn about both the history
of Belgian adventure in the Congo (when it was the king's private
plantation) and the region's natural wonders. Unfortunately, there's
barely a word of English (€4, Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-
18:00, closed Mon, Leuvensesteenweg 13, tel. 02-769-5211, www
.africamuseum.be). The museum, housed in an immense palace, is
surrounded by a vast and well-kept park. A trip out here puts you
in a lush, wooded oasis a world away from the big, noisy city. To
get here, take Métro #1B to Montgomery (direction: Stockel), and
then catch tram #44 to its final stop, Tervuren. From there, walk
200 yards through the park to the palace.
Atomium —This giant, silvery iron molecule, with escalators
connecting the various “atoms” and a view
from the top sphere, was the über-optimistic
symbol of the 1958 Universal Exhibition.
Recently reopened after an extensive renova-
tion, the Atomium now celebrates its kitschy
past with fun space-age videos and displays.
Your ticket includes an elevator ride to the
panorama deck, as well as endless escalators
and stairs. If you're scared of heights or tight
spaces, tell your friends you'll wave to them...
from the ground (€9, daily 10:00-19:00, later
in summer, last entry one hour before closing,
on outskirts of town, Métro: Heysel and walk 5 min, tel. 02-475-
4777, www.atomium.be).
Mini-europe —his kid-pleasing sight, sharing a park with the
Atomium, has 1:25-scale models of 350 famous European land-
marks, such as Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and Venice. The new
“Spirit of Europe” section is an interactive educational exhibit about
the European Union (€13, Easter-Sept daily 9:30-18:00, July-Aug
until 20:00, Oct-Dec 10:00-18:00, last entry one hour before clos-
ing, closed Jan-Easter, Métro: Heysel and walk 5 min, following
signs to Brupark , tel. 02-474-1313, www.minieurope.com).
 
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