Cinquantenaire Park (Parc du Cinquantenaire)
The Basics
Most travelers go to Cinquantenaire Park to visit one of its museums. The oldest is the Royal Military Museum, with all sorts of military-related objects (including aircraft). The Cinquantenaire Museum features artifacts and art from around the world, while Autoworld hosts a collection of vintage cars.
Other park facilities include sports pitches, picnic tables, benches, and a couple of playgrounds. If you’re there in summer, check out the pop-up drive-in/walk-in movie theater that’s sometimes set up in the park.
Things to Know Before You Go
- The entrance on the Schuman side of the park (to the west) is accessible to wheelchairs.
How to Get There
Cinquantenaire Park is about a 30-minute walk from Central Station. You can also get there by bus or metro. If you want to wander through the park, get off at Schuman station, to the west; if you’re heading straight to the museums, Merode (to the east) will get you there quicker.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
Cinquantenaire is a year-round attraction, though it’s naturally at its best in the summer months, when the days are longer and rain is less likely. Various cultural celebrations take place in the park throughout the year, from concerts and parades to fireworks displays and other events. The park usually closes only in cases of extreme weather.
The Temple of Human Passions
The Temple of Human Passions is a small pavilion built in 1896 to host Human Passions, a huge marble relief made by Belgian sculptor Jef Lambeaux. The sculpture was highly controversial at the time, partially because it cost the government a small fortune, and partially because it depicted naked people engaged in all sorts of unchaste acts. Sealed for decades after its creation, the temple is now open to visitors.
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