BELvue Museum

About

The BELvue Museum (French: Musée BELvue; Dutch: BELvue Museum) is a museum in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium, focusing on the history of Belgium. It is managed by the King Baudouin Foundation (KBF). The museum is housed in the Hôtel Belle-Vue, an 18th-century neoclassical building between the Place des Palais/Paleizenplein and the Place Royale/Koningsplein, next to the Royal Palace of Brussels. This site is served by Brussels-Central railway station, as well as by the metro stations Parc/Park (on lines 1 and 5) and Trône/Troon (on lines 2 and 6).

History: The BELvue Museum is housed in the Hôtel Belle-Vue, a five-level hôtel particulier (townhouse) dating from the late 18th century. This neoclassical building formed part of an architectural complex built after the Palace of Coudenberg burned down in 1731. It was originally built by Philippe de Proft to install a luxury hotel for travelers. The Place Royale/Koningsplein and its surrounding buildings were a site of fighting during the Belgian Revolution. It was there that the coronation ceremony of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, King of the Belgians, took place on 21 July 1831. The buildings then served as a residence for...