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The Army Museum
The Army Museum is located at Cinquantenaire Park and has more then 100.000 items which makes this museum one of the most comprehensive military museums in the world.
The collection is divided into 6 sections and covers more then 10 centuries of warfare. You can check out the old weapons and armors from 8th until 19th century, then you can learn more about the Belgian revolution of 1830; then more about the Belgian army from 1831 until the beginning of World War I; there is interesting part about the World Wars as well as technical advancements in weapons and last but not least the collection of about 130 airplanes that were used during World War II.
Opening hours are Tue to Sun from 9:00am until noon and from 1:00pm until 4:45pm, while the price of admission is free.
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Church of Laken
The Notre Dame church of Laken is located in the district of Laken, where the royal residence is.
The church dates back to 19th century and it was built to commemorate the death of the first queen of Belgium and the church was finished in 1905. The architect that designed the church was Poelaert who also designed the Palace of Justice. Behind the church check out the cemetery that has many tombstones of the rich and famous Belgians you can also spot the original Thinker done by Rodin. Inside the church there is a royal crypt where the queens and kings of Belgium are laid to rest.
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Highlights of the Royal residence
Of most interest are the Royal greenhouses and the gardens that were designed by Balat and Horta (more on Horta a bit later).
The gardens were started in 1870 and can only be viewed for 10 days in April and May. They house a magnificent collection of tropical flowers and plants. Another point of interest are the Japanese Tower and Chinese pavilion. Leopold II hired the architect Marcel to embellish the park with more exotic elements. The original woodwork on both buildings was done by specialist carpenters from Japan. Unlike the gardens you can visit the Japanese Tower and Chinese Pavilion (where you can also see Chinese porcelain collection).
Opening hours are daily (closed on Mondays) from 10:00am until 4:45pm.
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Grand Place
If there is one place where you should start or end up on your sightseeing tour of Brussels then it is the Grand Place.
It is absolutely stunning night or day, although there is a wonderful feelings to go for a stroll in the evening and eating waffles as you go along. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful European square and just stand in the middle and do a slow turn and you will know why. It is UNESCO World Heritage sight as there are 40 listed buildings on this particular square. In 13th century it was a merchants market but today it is a favorite place for both the locals and tourists alike to sit down and enjoy the coffee or a meal. It is also a venue for concerts and other cultural events in the warmer months, as well as a flower market. Do not miss it, although do be prepared the coffee might be on the pricey side here.
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