Royal Palace of Brussels

The Royal Palace of Brussels stands on Place des Palais in the Upper Town of Brussels, facing Brussels Park across the square. It is the official office of the Belgian monarch and the setting for state occasions, while the royal family lives at Laeken on the northern edge of the city. Its long neoclassical façade runs along the edge of the park and is easy to appreciate from outside at any time, with the changing of the guard occasionally visible and the Belgian flag signalling when the king is in the country. The interior opens to the public only in a summer window, roughly from late July to early September, Tuesday to Sunday, and admission is free during that period. Visitors follow a set route through a sequence of state rooms, including the Throne Room, the grand staircase and the Mirror Room, whose ceiling is covered with the iridescent wing-cases of jewel beetles in an installation completed in the early 2000s. Gilded decoration, chandeliers and tapestries give an impression of ceremonial Belgium, and staff or panels explain the monarchy's role in the country. A visit takes about an hour, plus any time spent queuing. Lines are longest in the middle of the day and on weekends in the opening season, so arriving at opening time is the standard advice. Outside the opening period, the exterior and the surrounding squares remain worth a short stop: Brussels Park is directly opposite, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Magritte Museum and Place Royale are all within a few minutes on foot. Security checks are applied at the entrance, large bags are not usually allowed, and photography inside is limited, so visitors should check the Belgian Monarchy website for the current year's dates and rules before planning around the interior.