Brussels, A Stylish End to the Year

Art Deco at the BELvue and a Journey Underground at the Coudenberg Palace

We will spend the afternoon at the BELvue museum, housed in the former Hôtel Bellevue, an 18th-century residence steeped in history. Once a meeting place for nobility and artists, it later became home to the future King Leopold and Queen Astrid, and even served as a refuge for the Red Cross. Today, it stands as a museum next to the Royal Palace, offering the perfect setting to close our annual programme.

As we mark 100 years of Art Deco, our visit includes the special exhibition “Art Deco – Style in a Changing Society”, which explores the enduring influence of this iconic design movement. The exhibition brings together exceptional works from the King Baudouin Foundation’s collection, reflecting the societal shifts following World War I—an era of innovation, cultural energy, and evolving social roles.

We’ll see how Art Deco expressed the spirit of a new age: a time when women stepped into public life, technology reshaped daily living, and design transformed functional objects into works of art. The two co-curators of the exhibition have generously agreed to guide us—one in English, followed by the second in French—offering insights into key pieces by renowned artists such as Marcel Wolfers, Oscar Jespers, and the elegant glasswork of Val Saint Lambert.

Afterwards, we step further back in time with a visit to the Coudenberg Palace, one of Brussels’ hidden historical treasures. Beneath the city lies the well-preserved archaeological site of what was once the grand palace of Emperor Charles V. Destroyed by fire in the 18th century and buried under the modern city, it has since been carefully excavated and restored.

The Coudenberg Palace

We’ll explore the remains of the Aula Magna, the palace chapel, and the Rue Isabelle, which once connected the palace to what is now Saint Michael’s Cathedral. It was here, in 1555, that Charles V shocked Europe by unexpectedly announcing his abdication—momentous news in its time. Our English-speaking guide will lead us through this atmospheric underground world in two groups.

Following our visits, we’ll gather at 4 PM for our traditional end-of-year reception, held at the pavilion behind the Théâtre du Parc, located on the edge of Brussels Park opposite the Parliament building. From the BELvue, we’ll walk across Place des Palais and into the park. Awaiting us at the pavilion is our host, Baron Querton, a former diplomat, who will welcome us to this elegant annex of the Théâtre du Parc—once known as the ‘English Theatre’.

Practical Arrangements

If you have a museumPASSmusées, don’t forget to bring it — holders of a valid pass receive a €14 discount on the registration fee.

Optional – from 12:00: The BELvue restaurant is temporarily closed. If you’d like a quick lunch or coffee beforehand, meet at the Bozar restaurant ‘Victor’ (Rue Ravenstein 23), about a 10-minute walk from the museum.

• 13:15: Meet in the lobby of the BELvue Museum (Place des Palais 7, right wing of the Royal Palace, Brussels). Both the Art Deco exhibition and Coudenberg Palace visit start here.

Due to limited space in the Art Deco exhibition, we’ll split into two groups: one English-speaking, one French-Dutch-speaking.

• 13:30:
  • English-speaking group: Tour of the Art Deco exhibition with co-curator Mr. Werner Adriaenssens (in English).
  • French-Dutch-speaking group: Visit to the Coudenberg Palace (also in English).
• 14:30: Groups switch
  • French-Dutch-speaking group: Tour of the Art Deco exhibition with co-curator Mrs. Cécile Dubois (in French).
  • English-speaking group: Visit to the Coudenberg Palace.
• 15:30: Walk together across Place du Palais into Parc de Bruxelles to the pavilion behind Théâtre du Parc.
• 16:00–17:30: End-of-year reception in the pavilion.

Optional dinner: those of us who wish to extend this end-of-year outing can, after the reception, meet for dinner at the Bozar restaurant ‘Victor’ (Rue Ravenstein 23), about 10-minute walk from The BELvue Museum. A nice way to look back at another fascinating NTAB year. If you wish to attend this dinner, please let us know while registering for the afternoon programme. The dinner is not included in the registration fee.

How to get there:

by car: the closest public parking is the Albertine Parking (Rue des Sols)

by metro: Trône, Parc, Central Station

by train: Brussels-Central Station

by bus: 27, 38, 71, 95

by tram: 92, 93

Note:

NTAB is an officially affiliated Supporter Group of the National Trust of England, Wales & Northern Ireland.

The fee for this outing includes a portion allocated to our annual donation to the National Trust.

The National Trust is  internationally recognized as a leading organization in heritage conservation, setting the global standard in preserving historic places, beautiful landscapes and cultural treasures for generations to come.