Royal Palace of Brussels, Belgium

The Royal Palace of Brussels is the official palace of the King of the Belgians, where he works and receives heads of state, although the royal family lives at the Castle of Laeken. It stands on Place des Palais, facing Brussels Park, on the site of the medieval Coudenberg Palace of the Dukes of Brabant, which burned down in 1731.

The present palace grew out of townhouses built in the late 18th century, which were joined into a single building in the 19th century. Its long neoclassical façade dates from the remodelling ordered by King Leopold II and completed in the early 20th century, while the rooms inside are richly decorated with gilding, chandeliers and tapestries.

Highlights of the visit include the Throne Room, the Grand Staircase and the Mirror Room, whose ceiling and chandelier were covered by the artist Jan Fabre in 2002 with about 1.4 million wing cases of jewel beetles, a work called Heaven of Delight.

The palace opens to the public only in summer, usually from late July to early September. In 2026, after a renovation of the façade and windows that had kept it closed since 2022, it opened from 3 July to 16 August with timed tickets at €10 (free under 13) and several temporary exhibitions. When the flag flies above the palace, the King is in the country.