Royal Palace of Brussels

Discover the regal side of Brussels with a visit to the Royal Palace. Known as a modern, cosmopolitan capital—a hub of business and international trade, characterised by a population with a sharp sense of humour that has elected a statue of a urinating boy as the city’s symbol—Brussels is also a royal city, home to a monarchy with deeply popular and democratic values.

Liberal and modern in its ideals and political dynamics, the Belgian monarchy is distinctly nineteenth-century in its opulence. The Royal Palace of Brussels is an ornate neoclassical building that will remind you of the fairytale residences of French kings and Austrian emperors; its interior is a riot of marble floors, crystal chandeliers, velvets and brocades, sculptures, paintings, gilded stuccos and period furnishings.

Belgium’s Royal Palace was built in the nineteenth century at the behest of William I, then king of the Netherlands, and profoundly modified during the reign of Leopold II. It did not remain as a royal residence for long: from 1831 onwards the palace was used exclusively as an administrative headquarters and reception venue. Today, the Belgian monarchs live in Laeken Castle, on the outskirts of Brussels.

The palace’s grandeur is marked by refined taste, without ostentation or eccentricity—much like the style that characterises the kings and queens of Belgium (and not of Belgium!), always praised for their elegance. Add romance and nostalgic charm to your Brussels break by visiting the enchanting Royal Palace.

Things to do at Brussels Royal Palace

Today, the Royal Palace is no longer the residence of the king and his family, but their “place of work”. Here the king carries out his official duties, including diplomatic representation: the palace hosts national political representatives, heads of state and ambassadors and other important guests. Other members of the royal family also have offices within the palace.

For this reason, the palace is not always open to visitors. It is opened to the public only during the summer months, specifically from 21 July (Belgium’s national holiday) until September: this tradition has been in place since 1965.

If you are in Brussels during these months, do not miss the opportunity to visit a magnificent sumptuously decorated palace. Here are the wonders hidden within:

• Grand staircase and atrium: a monumental entrance, embellished with three different types of marble, mirrors and columns.
• Antechamber: dating from the Dutch period, with a frieze depicting the historical events of the era.
• Empire Room: located in the oldest part of the palace, it was used as a ballroom by the representative of the Austrian Empire. A luxurious hall that looks like a set from a Sissi film!
• Small and Large White Rooms: the rooms that, together with the Empire Room, formed the private apartment of the Austrian minister. The eighteenth-century decorations are original to the period.
• Venice Staircase: leads to the newer part of the palace, renovated in the second half of the nineteenth century by architect Alphonse Balat. The name comes from the oil paintings that decorate the walls, depicting scenes of Venice.
• Goya Room: decorated with splendid tapestries created to designs by Goya, a tribute to the Belgian monarchy from Queen Isabella II of Spain.
• Coburg Room: a room decorated with portraits of members of the royal family.
• Louis XVI Room: dating from the time of William I and used as an antechamber, it is decorated with further official portraits of the royal family and paintings from the private collection of King Leopold I.
• Pilaster Room: initially used as a waiting room and subsequently as a dining room for high dignitaries. The chairs were used, among others, by Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine de Beauharnais.
• Marshal Room: the audience chamber used by King William I. Renovated in 2010, it houses a wonderful clock by the renowned astronomer and watchmaker Liersois.
• Throne Room: one of the most beautiful rooms in the palace, illuminated by majestic gilded candelabras and adorned with a floor of oak and exotic woods that create an atmosphere of prestige and luxury.
• Marble Room: another splendid hall, where the monumentality comes from the use of precious green marble and serious portraits of horsemen and equestrians.
• Gallery: a state reception room still used today for official receptions. The paintings on the ceiling, depicting various times of day, are inspired by the decorations of Versailles and the masters of the Louvre.
• Mirror Room: a room inspired by the Congo, with walls decorated in marble and copper. The mirrors on the walls were originally meant to host allegorical scenes of Africa.
• Thinker’s Room: named after the subject of the bronze sculpture that decorates the clock (Michelangelo’s The Thinker). The room is still used today for vigils when a member of the royal family passes away.

Not all of these rooms are open to the public, and the visiting itinerary can be modified if events are taking place or if there are other administrative requirements. Even in the case of a reduced visit, it is worth making the trip to the palace and spending some time there: it is certainly one of the finest buildings in Brussels.

The Palace gardens

If you are visiting Brussels at a time when the Royal Palace is closed to the public, we still recommend visiting it from the outside.

You can admire its elegant neoclassical façade and beautifully maintained external garden, which is always open to the public. Afterwards, you can stop in the area for a stroll through the adjacent Brussels Park (in Dutch Warandepark).

Opened in 1776, it is the city’s largest urban park: a green oasis of peace and relaxation, often enlivened by concerts and outdoor events.

How to reach Brussels Royal Palace

The quickest way is to take the metro (lines 1 and 5) and get off at Parc station; buses and trams also stop in the area.

You can also walk from the city centre: the main railway station (Gare Centrale) is just 10 minutes away, whilst from the Grand Place to the Royal Palace takes about a quarter of an hour.