At the top of the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg, you walk past the Musical Instrument Museum and will arrive at the Place Royale/Koningsplein. The classical royal square was built in the 18th century. Here is a brief description of the monuments and works of art that you can admire there:
- The equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon. After the independence of Belgium in 1830, the young government decided to place statues of great figures from the “national” past throughout the country. The equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon, created by Eugène Simonis in 1848, has since then been at the centre of the Place Royale/ Koningsplein. Van Bouillon was the commander of the First Crusade (1096-1099).
- Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg – Place des Palais 7 – The Duke of Brabant had a prayer house set up at the beginning of the 12th century. The church was once completely destroyed during the Iconoclasm. The Constitutional Court is housed in the buildings just next to the church.
- The Coudenberg Palace – This museum is located underground. You will find the remains of a palace from the 12th century. Here once were the Dukes of Brabant and Burgundy, Emperor Charles and the archdukes Albrecht and Isabella. The entrance is accessible via the west wing of the Royal Palace. (Entrance via the BELvue museum Place des Palais 7 – https://coudenberg.brussels/en/practical-information/address-opening-hours-and-admission-charges
- The ING Cultural Center is located in an important neo-classical architectural whole. Since 1986, ING has been hosting and organizing prestigious exhibitions to valorise Belgian and international artistic patrimony – https://promo.ing.be/stories/EN/Art/
- In the Magritte Museum (Place Royale/Koningsplein 1- https://www.musee-magritte-museum.be/en – there is an exceptional collection of works by the Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte (Lessen, 21 November 1898 – Schaerbeek, 15 August 1967). This more than 200 works ensemble is the richest Magritte collection in the world. For your information: In Jette you will find the René Magritte House Museum. It is located in the house where Magritte and his wife Georgette lived for 24 years between 1930 and 1954. Among other things, the Museum exhibits a series of original watercolors, gouaches and drawings, as well as graphic works by the artist and his wife. (rue Esseghemstraat 135, 1090 Jette) – http://www.magrittemuseum.be
- The BIP (Koningsstraat/rue Royale 2) stands for Brussels Info Plein / Bruxelles Info Place / Brussels Info Place and is the visitor center of the Brussels-Capital Region. It is a building complex on the Place royale/Koningsplein that literally forms the link between the Mont des Arts, the Royal Palace and the Park of Brussels. The tourist information office of Brussels provides visitors -Brussels residents, Belgians and foreign tourists – with all the information they need about the cultural and tourist calendar of the 19 municipalities of the Capital. – http://bip.brussels/en
The first floor is completely dedicated to the expo Experience Brussels. Thanks to the playful and interactive arrangement, this permanent exhibition offers a varied picture of the Brussels Region: its inhabitants, culture, diversity, economy … Experience Brussels! is accessible to everyone and is an ideal start for a visit to the city and region.
Just around the corner you will find the Royal Palace, the BELvue museum and the Warande park.
On the other side of the square you can easily reach the rue de la Régence/Regentschapsstraat and there are some interesting museums.