The Parc du Cinquantenaire is a large park of around 30 ha (74 acres). Located next to the European Quarter of Brussels, the park is around 2.5 km (1.5 mi) at the southeast from the center of Brussels.
How to get to the Parc du Cinquantenaire?
The park is very easy to access. Two big train, metro, tram and bus stop are located on each side of the park.
From the center of Brussels (De Brouckère metro station), it takes around 15 minutes with the metro lines 1 and 5 to reach the park.
Opening hours
The park is always accessible at any hours. But the park is the place where numerous events happen and the access can be restricted due to these events.
Meaning of Parc du Cinquantenaire
The Parc du Cinquantenaire, or Jubelpark in Dutch, is the French name of the park and mean in English the park of the 50th anniversary.
Indeed the park was built to hold the 50th years of the independence of Belgium (the independence was in 1830 and the 50th years in 1880). Indeed, the Belgian King Leopold II was wanting to create prestigious buildings in Brussels.
The triumphal arch
The Park has also a very impressive triumphal arch called les Arcades du Cinquantenaire in French and De Arcades van het Jubelpark in Dutch. These archs are monumental with a total width of 30 m (100 ft) and a height of 45 m (150 ft).
Museums
Around the Cinquantenaire Arcade, the buildings house the following museums:
- The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History
- The Art and History Museum
- The Autoworld Museum
