OTHER SIGHTS
The enormous Musees Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire showcases arti facts from a wide variety of eras Roman torsos without heads, Syrian heads without torsos, and Egyptian caskets with feet. The eerily illuminated Salle au Tresor (Treasure Room) and the Greco-Roman collection are the museum’s main attractions. (10 Parc du Cinquantenaire. M: Merode. From the station, it’s next to the big arch. s741 72 11. Open Tu-F 9:30am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-5pm. 4, students 3.) Next door, the Royal Museum of the Army and Military Histoiy contains a huge exhibit of WWI paraphena- lia, including tanks, cannons, and uniforms, that bring to life the most important moments in Belgian history. (3 Parc du Cinquantenaire. 737 78 33. Open Su and Tu-Sa 9am-noon and l-4:45pm. Free.) The European Parliament Building has been called the Caprice des Dieux (“Whim of the Gods”), perhaps because of its exorbitant cost. A quick tour allows you to visit the Parliament floor. (43 r. Wiertz.
M: Schuman. s284 34 53; www.europari.eu.int. Tours M-Th 10am and 3pm, F 10am.) Mini-Europe, an open-air exhibit of European landmarks replicated at one-twenty-fifth of their actual size, may be a perfect solution for travelers pressed for time. Also housed in the Bruparck enter tainment complex are the Kinepolis cinema and IMAX, (the largest movie theater in Europe), and the Oceade water park. (s478 08 50; www.boiparck.com. Hours vary, but generally open daily 9:30am-5pm. Call or check website for info.) Twentieth-century master architect Baron Victor Horta’s graceful home, today the Musee Horta, is a skillful application of his Art Nouveau style to a domestic setting. (25 r. Americaine. M: Horta. Take a right out of the stop, walking uphill on ch. de Waterloo (7min.), then turn left onto ch. de Charleroi and right onto r. Americaine. 543 04 90. Open Su and Tu-Sa 2-5:30pm. 5, students 3.70.) The Atomium, a shining 102m monument of aluminum and steel built for the 1958 World’s Fair, represents an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. An eleva tor takes visitors to the top. (Bd. du Centenaire. M: Huysel. s475 4 7 77; www.atomium.be. Open Apr.-Aug. daily 9am-8pm; Sept-Mar. 10am-6pm. 6.)
