Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is home to the Royal Palace, which is open to the public free of charge every summer from late July to early September. Here’s what it was like when we actually went there.
*The 2025 tour will be canceled due to renovations. It is scheduled to reopen in 2026, so please see this website for reservations and information.
Check out tourist information for Brussels here!
What is the Royal Palace of Brussels?
The Royal Palace of Brussels is a palace in the Belgian capital of Brussels, located in front of Brussels Park, about a 10-minute walk from the station. The park is surrounded by major political institutions and can be considered the political center. The king once lived in this palace, but now he lives in Laeken Palace in the suburbs. Therefore, while it is a place of work, it also has a strong aspect as a guest house, and you can see its luxurious interior.
Belgium was once ruled by Napoleon, and then by the Netherlands and Austria. This royal palace was built during the Dutch rule, and took on its current form when Belgium gained independence and the second king, Leopold II, took over. For this reason, vestiges of the Dutch and Austrian rule periods can be seen in the rooms of the palace.
Luxurious Palace Interior
Now let’s take a look at the inside of the palace.
Entrance
L’Escalier d’Honneur et le Vestibule
When you enter the palace, you will be overwhelmed by the gorgeous entrance. The white-based symmetrical structure is beautiful, and you can go up the marble staircase stretching on both sides to the second floor. In the center is a sculpture of the goddess Minerva.
Great Antechamber
La Grande Antichambre
The first room you enter on the second floor is so huge that it’s hard to believe it’s a waiting room. This room dates back to the Dutch colonial period, and displays political events. In addition, portraits of King Leopold I and his wife are on display.
Empire Room
La Salle Empire
This room with its gorgeous chandelier was once a dance hall in the Austrian era. If you look closely, you will see reliefs of angels playing musical instruments and dancing on the walls. You may be tempted to look up at the ceiling, but the carpet on the floor was sent by the Persian emperor when he visited Belgium in 1900, and it is said that the name of the Emperor’s Room comes from this.
Small and Large White Rooms
Le Petit et le Grand Salon blanc
This white room, which has two rooms, one large and one small, was the living area for ministers during the Austrian period, just like the Imperial Room. The furniture in this room was given by Louis-Philippe of France when his daughter married Leopold I.
Venice Escalier
L’Escalier de Venise
The walls of the staircase leading up are decorated with several Venetian oil paintings.
Throne Room
La Salle du Trône
The Throne Room, with its numerous chandeliers, is the largest room in the palace. Completed during the reign of Leopold II, it is used for ceremonies and ceremonies.
When I went there, a dining table was on display, showing what it was like during a dinner party.
There were other valuable items as well, such as medals.
Grand Gallery
La Grande Galerie
A large gallery leading from the throne room is currently used for dinner parties and receptions. It was built during the reign of Leopold II, and the ceiling is decorated with paintings depicting the day from dawn to dusk. When I visited, astronomical items such as telescopes were on display.
Hall of Mirrors
La Salle des Glaces
The Hall of Mirrors is the most interesting place in the Royal Palace of Brussels. The green ceiling is especially famous, but it is actually covered with countless scarabs. Scarabs are a general term for the scarab beetle family, and are basically covered with a lot of insects. It’s shocking to know this fact, but they are so far away that you can’t see them one by one. It was designed by the great-grandson of Fabre, who is famous for his book “The Insect Book of Fabre.” Not only the ceiling but also one of the stained glass windows is covered with scarabs.
As an aside, there is a similar piece in a museum in Lille, a French city near the Belgian border.
For tourist information about Lille, click here.
This room is often used as an event venue, and when I visited it was set up to allow visitors to experience playing with visual tricks.
Summary
That’s the interior of the Royal Palace in Brussels. As you would expect from a royal palace, the interior was very luxurious. I haven’t shown all the rooms, so please check out the rest for yourself.
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