Mont des Arts and Coudenberg Palace Archaeological Site

The Mont des Arts is a terraced garden and cultural quarter on the slope between the Lower Town and the Upper Town of Brussels, while the Coudenberg Palace Archaeological Site lies beneath nearby Place Royale. Together they form a pairing of a viewpoint and a buried medieval past. The Mont des Arts gardens are symmetrical, with fountains, steps and a carillon clock, and from the upper terrace there is a view over the rooftops of the Lower Town towards the spire of the Town Hall near Grand Place. The site is open daily and free. Below Place Royale, the Coudenberg site preserves the underground ruins of the palace of the Dukes of Brabant and later of Charles V, which burned in 1731. Visitors descend to walk through reconstructed medieval streets, cellars and halls, including the remains of the Aula Magna where Charles V announced his abdication. Admission to the Coudenberg is about €10, with free entry for young visitors, and opening hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, and weekends from 10:00 to 18:00. A visit to both takes around an hour for the gardens and underground ruins together, though history fans may want longer. The afternoon is the best time for the city view, when light falls on the Lower Town. The site is a five-minute walk from Parc or Gare Centrale on metro lines 1 and 5. It sits close to the Magritte Museum and the Musical Instruments Museum, so combining them makes an easy Upper Town day. Weekdays are quieter than weekends.