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Happy to be going to a different location this weekend, I sat in front of my computer and googled “Things to Do In Brussels”. The usual stuff was displayed on my screen.
The Grand Place…no trip is complete without wandering around the main square and I knew at some point during this trip, I would probably end up there.
Day trips to Bruges…my god, how I wish I had the time!!!
Mannekin Pis…seriously…how many times can I watch him pee?
The Atomium…now, here is something I haven’t done.
Located in the northern part of the city between the royal estates of Laeken and Stuyvenbergh, the Atomium is a structure originally built for the Expo 58, the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. An unusual fabrication, it forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times! Now a famous landmark and museum, it has become the most popular tourist attraction and the symbol of Europe’s capital city.
Though the trip to the northern part of the city is normally an uncomplicated one, we soon discovered that work was being done on the train lines. After riding the metro back and forth between two stations and pairing up with three Swedish women, we all found that we had to exit that station and take a specially marked bus to the Atomium.
A short walk later, we found ourselves staring up at the amazing, shiny structure that appears to have been deposited by aliens! Something truly out of this world!
Making our way to the base of the Atomium, we found our way to a long, snaking line in order to purchase tickets. 12 euros later, we again found ourselves in another line to enter to building, having to pass thru metal detectors and endure bag searches.
Finally…another line…but this time to make our way up to the permanent exhibition on the second floor.
The permanent exhibition details how the Atomium came to be, from the conception and designs of engineer André Waterkeyn and architects André and Jean Polak. Standing 335 feet tall, its nine, 60 foot diameter stainless steel clad connected spheres represent the faith one had in the power of science and nuclear power. The 1958 World’s Fair was organized, at the time, to promote the world’s technological and scientific advances, to look to a better future and to encourage world peace. There are many sketches and displays detailing the beginnings of this immense engineering project as well as many old pictures, some detailing the visits of the six million visitors to the fair, including the likes of celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor.
Though some of the information was interesting, the area appeared to be straight out the 1950’s and cartoon, the Jetson’s…very much in need of an update!
From the Atomium map, it seemed that we should have been able to traverse the tubes to other exhibitions throughout the structure, however, we were sent back to the bottom floor after our tour of the permanent exhibition. Corralled into another area, we found ourselves in line…once again…this time to take the elevator to the top, viewing level.
Finally, arriving at the top sphere, we were rewarded with 360 degree views of the surrounding area and the city of Brussels. With bright, blue, sunny skies it was easy to see areas far away as well as the royal estates nearby and Mini-Europe almost directly beneath.
After making our way around the top of the Atomium, we ascended the stairs to the restaurant at the top of the orb, where we once again encountered our Swedish friends. Though the restaurant Belgium Taste, has a full menu, having a drink to appreciate the beautiful views through the full-length windows appears to be the norm later in the afternoon.
Once again, standing in line for the elevator, we made our way to the base of the Atomium, through the gift shop and out of the building. Heading down the avenue, we walked far enough to reach the roundabout where a vast amount of tulips were planted for some colorful pictures and then further down to a fountain, passing monuments and parks along the way.
Finding ourselves further from the bus drop off and remembering the disruption on the subway lines, we decided to make our way home via tram. Taking a tram from Centenaire, we traveled to De Wand where we encountered amazing grafitti throughout the area. Taking a few minutes, we snapped a few photos before our tram arrived. Departing De Wand, we were able to travel all the way to the Bourse near the Grand Place.
See…I told you I would end up in the Grand Place at some point.
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The Atomium
- Address: Avenue de l’Atomium, 1020 Bruxelles, Belgium
- Hours: Daily, 1000-1800 (box office closes at 1730)
- Admission: Adults (18-59 years), €12, Children (under 6), coach drivers, people with disabilities, free, Children (6 – 11 yrs), €6, Teens (12 – 17 yrs), €8, Students (with student ID), €8, Senior citizens (aged 60 yo and above): €9
- Combination tickets may be purchased with ADAM (Art and Design Museum) and the adjacent Mini Europe.
- Getting There: The Atomium is a 5 minute walk from the Heysel / Heizel metro station (line 6) and right opposite Mini-Europe. You can also depart Bourse station near the Grand place and switch at De Wand station to Centenaire (Line 19 or 23) for a more colorful journey or in the event of subway disruption.