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Parc du Cinquantenaire
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This is the period of the jets. Belgium as member of the NATO started in 1950 with the Gloster Meteor followed by the Republic F-84G and F range (Thunderjet, -streak, -flash) in the fifties. The jet trainer Fouga Magister was put in service in 1960. The Belgian Air Force received the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter in 1963, The French Dassault Mirage 5BA in 1970 and finally the General Dynamics F-16A in 1981, still in service.
Interesting fighter planes not in use at the Belgian A.F. are the Sabre and the Phantom II.
Surprising here are the Soviet planes: a Yak-11 (propeller driven) from 1946, a MiG-15bis from the Czech Air Force, a MiG-21F of the Indonesian Air Force and a MiG-23BN which belonged to the Egyptian Air Force. These planes were obtained by trading and swapping with other museums.
There is also a section on helicopters and you can enter and visit a Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar from 1955.
Don't be surprised to find workshops at the far end of the hall. Volunteers perform restoration work inside the exhibition area, most often on Saturdays. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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 Tapisserie de Bruxelles by breughel
Le Musée Royal d'Art et d'Histoire possède la plus vaste et la plus importante collection de tapisseries (150) en Belgique. 40 tapisseries sont exposés en alternance pour donner un aperçu complet des différents centres de manufacture: Tournai (XVe), Bruxelles (XVIe-XVIIe), Audenaarde, Bruges et Malines. L'ensemble de ces tapisseries "flamandes" était exporté dans toute l'Europe.
Bruxelles était le centre le plus important. Ses tapisseries portent souvent la marque B B sur le bord inférieur. Les lissiers Bruxellois se distinguent dans la tapisserie "à tabernacle" où la scène principale est entourée d'un encadrement architectural. Avec cette pratique, la tapisserie devient la "copie" d'une oeuvre peinte. De célèbres peintres contribuèrent à la préparation des cartons utilisés par les lissiers.
A ne pas manquer lors de la visite est la salon d'honneur de 30 m de long, dont les murs sont couverts par huit tapisseries, et qui montre ce qu'était une "chambre de tapisseries", telle qu'il y en avait dans les châteaux et palais européens au XVIe siècle.
Dans la même salle un métier à tisser de "haute lisse" répond aux questions techniques des visiteurs.
Remarque: la stricte interdiction de photographier m'oblige à insérer une photo d'une tapisserie bruxelloise qui n'est pas de ce musée.
Ouvert: mardi au vendredi 9.30 - 17 h
WE 10 - 17 h
Fermé le lundi. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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The visitors of the military museums are generally enticed by the armour suits of the knights, the uniforms of the cavalry of Napoleon or the heavy tanks of the modern wars.
I discovered in this museum that a mean of transportation as peaceful as the bicycle knew its hour of glory in the Belgian army.
Actually the bicycle units appeared in the U.K. which in 1915 possessed a Cyclist Corps of a dozen battalions. During WW I the French, German and the Italian Bersaglieri had cyclist companies.
Bicycles presented advantages compared to horses: economic, no forage, silent. The units mounted on bicycles could move 50 miles a day with their package attached.
Among all these military cyclists the Belgian Carabiniers Cyclistes were the most efficient in the war. The Battalion of Carabiniers Cyclistes was a part of the Cavalry Division which protected the retreat of the Belgian army during the German offensive of August, 1914. At Halen, near Diest, this battalion resisted triumphantly to eight attacks of Uhlans, German cavalry. The battle of Halen made 1100 deaths on the Belgian side and 3000 on the German side.
As the Carabiniers Cyclistes wore a uniform of very dark green colour the Germans called them " schwarze Teufels " the " black Devils ". The name and the emblem of a black devil - diable noir stayed and became the official name of the Regiment.
In 1940 they still had bicycles but also machine guns and towed antitank guns. They resisted to the German blitzkrieg at the battle of Knesselaere.
After the war they were transformed into infantry armoured battalions within the armoured division together with the former cavalry converted to tanks.
The Carabiniers Cyclistes are the only Belgian infantry to wear the black beret of the tank crews.
The story of bicycles in the armies did not finish with the conversion to armoured infantry after WW II. In Zwitserland the world's last remaining cyclist regiment has been disbanded only in 2003 and after much protest.
Swiss army bikes are already a collector's item. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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 Army museum - Salle historique
1831-1914 by breughel, 2 more photos
Inaugurated in 1923 the Museum wanted to show everything to the general public to stimulate patriotism as well as to show many objects to the researchers and the military.
The soldiers of 19th c. were volunteers called "gardes civiques". There was infantry with "chasseurs", "chasseurs éclaireurs", grenadiers, cavalry, not to forget the band (photo n°2). Interesting is that uniform of a "cantinière" and her small barrel of brandy (photo n°3).
Unfortunately for the present visitor there are nearly no explanations or notices. The modernisation of this hall is under discussion but it results from an inquiry among visitors that most like this typical ancient aspect. It is a museum in the museum. Now a good cleaning and addition of trilingual notices is, I think, a need for this hall but not much more.
A funny thing is that each time I enter this hall with all the Belgian flags I have the impression to see Brussels with all the flags like on the Liberation day (ref. my intro on Belgium).
Admission: Free
Opening hours:
Open from Tuesday until Sunday from 9 to 12 h. and from 13 to 16.45 h.
Closed: On Mondays, January 1, May 1, November 1, December 25, and election days.
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The Royal Army Museum in Brussels is considered as the most important in the world regarding the number, originality and diversity of objects from WWI. Although the space is important a selection had to be made.
The new technologies appearing during the 1914-1918 World War have been put in evidence.
A large part is therefore devoted to the artillery with a wide variety of guns of all types and calibre. Massive simultaneous artillery firing with several thousand cannons was usual. The other new technology was the machine gun. Various models are shown. The defensive power of the heavy machine gun put an end to 19th century infantry tactics at the cost of so many lives.
In reaction to the machine guns tanks were developed. The museum shows a unique British tank Mark IV from 1917. This is a monster of 27 tons with two 57 mm canons and several machine guns. Max. speed was 6 Km/hr.
The technology of the terrible toxic gasses, used for the first time in Belgium near Ypres, is detailed. Numerous protective caps and masks are shown in the windows.
The aviation of WW I can be seen in the aviation part of the museum.
The museum shows a large number of uniforms. Most belligerent countries are represented. Unique is the large collection of German helmets.
Admission: Free
Opening hours: Open from Tuesday until Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Closed: On Mondays, January 1, May 1, November 1, December 25, and election days.
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Les visiteurs des musées militaires sont généralement attirés par les armures des chevaliers, les tenues des cavaliers de Napoléon ou encore les lourds chars de combat des guerres modernes.
J'ai découvert dans ce musée qu'un moyen de transport aussi pacifique que la bicyclette a connu son heure de gloire dans l'armée belge.
Les unités militaires cyclistes sont apparues en Grande-Bretagne qui en 1915 possédait un Army Cyclist Corps. Pendant la guerre 1914-18 les Allemands, les Français avaient des compagnies cyclistes de même qu'en Italie les Besaglieri.
Les bicyclettes présentaient d'incontestables avantages par rapport au chevaux: économiques, pas de fourrage, silencieux. Les unités montées à bicyclette pouvaient faire près de 100 km en une journée avec leur paquetage attaché à leur bicyclette.
Parmi toutes ces unités combattantes cyclistes ce sont les Carabiniers Cyclistes belges qui ont été les plus efficaces au combat. Le Bataillon de Carabiniers Cyclistes faisait partie de la Division de Cavalerie belge qui assurait la retraite de l'armée belge lors de l'offensive allemande de août 1914. A Halen, près de Diest, ce bataillon résista victorieusement à huit attaques des Uhlans, cavalerie allemande. La bataille de Halen fit 1100 morts du côté belge et 3000 du côté allemand.
Comme ces Carabiniers Cyclistes portaient un uniforme de couleur vert foncé les Allemands les appelèrent "die schwarze Teufels" les "Diables noirs".
Le nom est l'emblème du diable noir est resté est devenu le nom officiel des 4 bataillons de carabiniers cyclistes.
En 1940 ils avaient encore des bicyclettes mais aussi des mitrailleuses et canons antichars tractés. Ils furent capables de résister au blitzkrieg allemand entre autres à la bataille de Knesselaere.
Après la guerre ils se transformèrent en infanterie blindée au sein des divisions blindées en compagnie de l'ancienne cavalerie convertie aux chars.
Les Carabiniers Cyclistes sont la seule infanterie belge à porter le béret noir des tankistes. Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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The Army Museum hosts an unexpected and unique collection of Russian silverware, trumpets and uniforms belonging to the tsars and the Cossack regiment of the emperors' guard.
The Cossack officers saved these objects, displayed at their officers' mess in St-Petersburg, from the 1917 revolution. After a long journey they arrived in France but with the "Front Populaire" (with participation of the communists) in 1936 the emigrated Cossack officers took their treasures to the Royal Army Museum in Brussels.
A special new hall, bathed in obscurity in order to emphasize the exposed pieces, was inaugurated in 2001 in the presence of the Ambassador of Russia.
The most important silver piece is the silver punch bowl weighing over 50 kg.
The 22 silver trumpets were given to the Cossack regiment after the 1812 - 1813 campaign against Napoleon. At the battle of Leipzig, The bravery of Russian Cossacks saved the King of Prussia, the Austrian Emperor and the Tsar Alexander I who were encircled on a hill by French cuirassiers.
The uniforms are exceptional. Three belong to Emperors.
It is not surprising that Russian tourists visit now the Army museum in Brussels with regard to that exceptional collection.
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 Army museum - AMX13 on parade. by breughel
WORLD WAR II is represented by the British heavy tank IV CHURCHILL, the USA by the M4A4 SHERMAN, Germany with the heavy TIGER IV and Russia by its mighty enemy the IS-3-STALIN and many others.
For the post WW II period a number of armoured vehicles used by the Belgian army in the cold war period are displayed. They are rather familiar to me and many Belgians as they correspond to the years 1960 - 80 when we did our military service.
I do especially remember my training on the American M75 Full Track Infantry fighting vehicle which was widely in service in the Belgian Army after 1957. They were followed by the (more comfortable if that term can apply to an AIFV) French AMX 13 model 56 VTT of which, starting in 1962, about 500 equipped mainly the armoured infantry battalions of the Carabiniers Cyclistes.
Next to these infantry armoured carriers stand the tanks: The M 47 Patton and the light Walker Bulldog which equipped our tank battalions. Around 1970 the German tank Leopard 1/A5 replaced the Patton.
It was a strange feeling to see an AMX 13 of my former battalion parked in this museum. Made me realize that military material is easily outdated and that I'm also becoming an old-timer! Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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 by belgianchocolate
we had more kings like 'Leopold II'.
The'Leopold II'-page is rather black in our
history book because of the cruelty in
the Kongo-Kolony.
So I'm only talking about the architecture.
When Belgium turned 50 years old he
ordered 2 gigantic halls for the national
exposition.
One of the halls contains 'Autoworld'.
And if you like old cars you definitely shouldn't
miss out on this museum.
It contains one of the world most precious ,
prestigious and beautiful collections of cars
from 1886 till 1970.
Have a look at http://www.autoworld.be/
A nice website in English , French and Dutch. Leave a Comment Phone: +32 (2) 736.41.65Directions: Metro station: schumann or merode
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The Cinquantenaire was built around 1880 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Kingdom of Belgium. It was not completed in time for the Jubilee but was finished in time for the World Exhibition in 1897. At the parks entrance stands the colossal Arc du Cinquantenaire reaching up to a hieght of 45 metres and stretching outwards at a width of 60 metres. The Arc's design is Neo Classical, it is crowned by a four horse charriot which represents Brabant raising the National Flag. Its walls are faced with Mosiacs and flanked by twin colonnades. The complex also houses three museums, we didn't visit any this time but did see the beautiful buildings which house them. The sun was shining and the surrounding Jubilee Park with its wide open green space claimed my attention Leave a Comment Directions: Metro station: schumann or merodeWebsite: ww.trabel.com/brussels
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