Due to reopen in late 2018 after five years of restoration, the revived Africa Museum looks set to be a big draw, and a world away from its earlier dusty colonial incarnation. The exhibits are predominantly from former Belgian colony the Congo, and include some beautiful musical instruments, masquerade masks and artfully carved pot lids. Resident artists and a digital project give the space a contemporary focus.
Africa Museum
Brussels
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
27.3 MILES
The medieval building and 1622 courtyard garden alone would be worth a visit, but it's the world's oldest printing press, priceless manuscripts and…
7.03 MILES
This 1899 former department store is an art nouveau showpiece with a black facade aswirl with wrought iron and arched windows. The building contains the…
7.36 MILES
Brussels’ magnificent Grand Place is one of the world’s most unforgettable urban ensembles. Oddly hidden, the enclosed cobblestone square is only revealed…
7.04 MILES
Strap on a pair of headphones, then step on the automated floor panels in front of the precious instruments (including world instruments and Adolphe Sax’s…
7.18 MILES
The typically austere exterior doesn’t give much away, but Victor Horta’s former home (designed and built 1898–1901) is an art nouveau jewel. The…
7.61 MILES
One of Brussels’ overlooked architectural wonders, this splendid Napoleon III–style palace
29.77 MILES
Dominating the town, Namur's mighty fortress covers a whole hilltop with ramparts, tunnels and grey walls. What you see now is more 19th and 20th century…
11.78 MILES
The inventive and touchingly nostalgic Hergé Museum celebrates the multitalented creator of comic-strip hero Tintin with an engaging, inventive and…
Nearby Brussels attractions
3.11 MILES
This vast suburban forest about a 40-minute drive from Brussels is a botanical cathedral of glorious towering beech trees. Many were planted by proto…
3.58 MILES
The Rouge Cloître, an education-focused arts centre occupying a 14th-century abbey in the Forêt de Soignes (about a 40-minute drive from Brussels), offers…
3. Jean Massart Experimental Garden
3.68 MILES
This 5-hectare garden in the Forêt de Soignes (about a 40-minute drive from Brussels) features a wonderful collection of 300 medicinal plants, with a…
3.68 MILES
Volunteer-run museum with some lovely old trams, which you can clamber onto. Pay a little extra for a ride on a historic vehicle.
4.47 MILES
The radically geometric exterior of the 1911 Palais Stoclet is an early premonition of art deco: the architect was instructed to produce a Gesamtkunstwerk…
5.44 MILES
Built in 1905, this stunning house was the home of architect and painter Paul Cauchie (1875–1952), and its sgraffito facade, adorned with graceful female…
5.47 MILES
Parc du Cinquantenaire was built during Léopold II's reign. It's best known for its cluster of museums – art, history, military and motor vehicles – which…
5.51 MILES
Autoworld displays one of Europe’s biggest ensembles of vintage and 20th-century cars. Among all the four-wheelers, notice the Harley Davidson the present…