The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (French: Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique / Dutch: Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België) is located in the upper city, near the Mont des Arts and between the Royal Square (French: Place des Palais / Dutch: Place Royale) and the Sablon (French: Sablon / Dutch: Zavel).
The museums are composed of 6 different museums:
- The Old Masters Museum
- The Magritte Museum
- The Fin-de-Siècle Museum
- The Modern Art Museum
- The Meunier Museum
- The Wiertz Museum
The Museums
The Old Masters Museum
The Old Masters Museum has a huge collection of painting and sculptures from the 15th until the 18th century. The main collection is composed of Flemish painting with valuable paintings of Flemish Primitive like Rubens, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Rogier van der Weyden, Antoine van Dyck …
The Magritte Museum
With around 230 works and archives, the Magritte Museum has the richest collection of the Belgian surrealist painter. The Museum is open since 2009 and it is located in the building of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium on the Royal Square (French: Place des Palais / Dutch: Place Royale).
The Fin-the-Siècle Museum
The Museum is open since 2013 and holds a collection of painting, sculptures, pictures, poems,… from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This period corresponds to the period when Brussels was an artistic crossroads and the capital of the Art Nouveau. The collection is composed of artists like Constantin Meunier, James Ensor, Henri Evenepoel, Fernand Khnopff, Léon Spilliaert and George Minne.
The Modern and Contemporary Art Museum
This Museum holds the collection from 1914 until present day, but it is currently not accessible. The Museum is indeed looking for a new location, but temporary exhibitions regularly exhibits some of the pieces of this collection.
The Meunier Museum
This Museum is nearly unknown from the public even though it houses 150 works of arts of the Belgian painter and sculptor Constantin Meunier (1831 – 1905). The collection is composed of bronze works that are inspired from the industrial, political and social evolution of Belgium at the end of the 19th century. The museum is located in Ixelles (French: Ixelles / Dutch: Elsene) in the house / workshop of the artist.
The Wiertz Museum
Located in the Leopold Quarter near the European Quarter, this Museum is dedicated to the life and work of Antoine Wiertz (1806 – 1865). The Museum is located in the old workshop of this Romantic artist. Antoine Wiertz is known for its monumental paintings and statues inspired by the great masters of the past such as Rubens, Michelangelo, ….
How to get to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium?
Old Masters Museum / Fin-de-Siècle Museum / Magritte Museum
Address: Rue de la Régence (French) / Regentschapsstraat (Dutch) 3 in Brussels
The Museums are located next to the Mont des Arts, at around 15 minutes walk from the center (Grand Place), but pay attention that you will have to walk a fairly steep street.
If you arrive by train or Metro, the Museums are at around 10 minutes by walk of the Central Station. But pay also attention that you will also have to climb a bit the steep street.
If you don’t want to walk, the Museums are next to the bus and tram stop Royal. You will find more information on the website of the Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company: www.stib-mivb.be.
The Meunier Museum
Address: Rue de l’Abbaye 59 in Ixelles (French) / Abdijstraat 59 in Elsene (Dutch)
The Museum is located next to the bus stop Van Eyck of the bus line 38 and next to the tram stop Abbaye (French) / Abdij (Dutch) of tram lines 8 and 93.
From the center of Brussels (near the Grand Place), it will take you around 30 min to reach the Museum. The most easy and direct way is to take the bus 38 at the Central Station.
The Wiertz Museum
Address: Rue Vautier 62 in Ixelles (French) / Vautierstraat 62 in Elsene (Dutch)
The Wiertz Museum is located next to the European Quarter and it is very easy to access.
By train, the Museum is at 500 m (0.3 mi) from the Brussels Luxembourg Station.
By bus, you have the stop Museum of the lines 34 and 80 at a distance of 250 m (0.15 mi) and the stop Luxembourg (French) / Luxemburg (Dutch) of line 34, 38, 80 and 95 at 400 m (0.3 mi).
From the center (near the Grand Place), it is recommended to take the bus 95 until Luxembourg. The trip takes around 30 min.
Opening hours
Old Masters Museum / Fin-de-Siècle Museum / Magritte Museum
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday – Friday | 10:00 – 17:00 |
| Week-end | 11:00 – 18:00 |
Wiertz Museum / Meunier Museum
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday – Friday | 10:00 – 12:00 and 12:45 – 17:00 |
| Week-end | Only groups (with museum guide) after reservation |
Tickets can be bought 30 minutes before closure.
The Museums are close every Monday and on the following dates: 1 January, 1 May, 23 June, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December.
On 24 and 31 December the Museums close at 14:00.
Tickets
It is important to note that the Museums are free every first Wednesday of each month from 13:00 until the closure.
| Old Masters Museum + temporary exhibition | Fin-de-Siècle Museum + temporary exhibition | Magritte Museum | Wiertz Museum and Meunier Museum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults (19 – 64 years) | € 15 | € 15 | € 10 | Free |
| Seniors (≥ 65 years) | € 10 | € 10 | € 8 | Free |
| Adults in group (≥ 15 persons) | € 10 | € 10 | € 8 | Free |
| Thalys passengers | € 10 | € 10 | € 8 | Free |
| Students (< 26 years and valid student card required) | € 5 | € 5 | € 3 | Free |
| School groups (< 26 years and reservation required) | € 5 | € 5 | € 3 | Free |
| People with disability (and an accompanying person) | € 5 | € 5 | € 3 | Free |
| Belgian job seekers and integration income beneficiaries (Law of 26/05/2002; upon presentation of supporting documents) | € 5 | € 5 | € 3 | Free |
| School teachers | € 5 | € 5 | € 3 | Free |
| Children and youth (- 19 years and not in school group) | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| City of Brussels guides | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| One accompanying person per group with greatly reduced admission price | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Members of ICOM-Vlaanderen or ICOM / Wallonie-Bruxelles (valid documents needed) | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Science Policy (Belspo) staff (valid documents needed) | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Friends of the RMFAB | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Press card holders (valid press card or appointment required) | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Brussels Card | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Ribbedebie & Attractions et Tourisme | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Eurostar passengers | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Tickets are available online on: https://www.fine-arts-museum.be.
Audio and visio guides
Visioguide are available at € 4 for the Fin-de-Siècle Museum in French, Dutch, English and German.
Audioguide are available at € 4 for the Old Masters Museum in French, Dutch, English, German, Italian and Korean.
Different audio and visio guide are available at € 4 for the Magritte Museum:
- Audio guide for kids in French, Dutch, English, German and Italian
- Audio guide for adolescents in French, Dutch, English, German and Italian
- Audio guide for adultes in French, Dutch, English, German, Spanish, Italian and Korean
- Visio guide for adults and blind visitors in French, Dutch and English.
