Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium Museum

Address: Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels, Belgium

Website: https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/en

Hours: Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Mondays (typical museum hours - check website)

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium are a group of museum institutions in central Brussels that together hold large public collections of Belgian and European art from the 15th century to the present. The complex is a major cultural institution for Flemish Old Masters, 19th-century Belgian art and 20th-century modernists.

Important Flemish and Dutch paintings in the Oldmasters galleries, late-19th-century collections in the Fin-de-Siècle Museum and a substantial public collection of René Magritte. Exhibition spaces are arranged across several connected buildings clustered in the Mont des Arts area.

The museums trace institutional roots to national collections formed in the early 19th century and were gradually reorganized into the current group of specialist museums and departments. They continue to function as national-level collections with rotating exhibitions and permanent displays.

Located in central Brussels, the complex is within walking distance of the Royal Palace and many city-centre attractions, making it accessible for multi-site museum visits.

• Location tip: The museum complex sits in the Mont des Arts area of central Brussels, a short walk from Brussels Central station and the Royal Palace area.
• Collection focus: Collections span the 15th to 21st centuries, so plan time to see distinct periods - Old Masters and Fin-de-Siècle galleries are frequently highlighted by visitors.

What to See#

• Oldmasters Museum: Oldmasters Museum houses historical Flemish and Dutch paintings including major works by artists such as Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens.
• Fin-de-Siècle Museum: Fin-de-Siècle Museum presents Belgian art and decorative arts from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Symbolist and Art Nouveau works.
• Magritte Museum: Magritte Museum holds a major public collection of works by René Magritte and related archival material documenting 20th-century Belgian surrealism.
• Modern Museum: Modern Museum covers 20th- and 21st-century Belgian and international modern art across multiple media.

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium sit in central Brussels near the Mont des Arts / Place du Musée. From Bruxelles-Central (Brussels Central / Gare Centrale) it is an easy walk of about 10-15 minutes to the museum complex.

The site is also served by central tram and bus stops around the Mont des Arts and is within easy walking distance of the main pedestrian routes through the city center; if arriving by car use the central ring roads and park at nearby public car parks.

• Buy timed or advance tickets and arrive at opening to avoid the busiest mid‑day periods and cruise‑group surges; tickets that combine the complex's different museums can save time.
• Start with the Old Masters/Flemish collections when galleries are quietest and move to the Magritte/Fin‑de‑siècle displays later in the visit to avoid overlap with peak visitors.
• Use the Place Royale/Koningsplein approach and combine the visit with a short walk to nearby Parc de Bruxelles and the Church of St. Jacques to spread out your day and avoid returning during peak hours.