The History Of Belgiums Royal Museums Of Fine Arts In One Minute

With four buildings dotted throughout the city and a collection of more than 20,000 paintings, drawings and sculptures, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium certainly have their bases covered. Founded more than two centuries ago, the museum group – housing everything from the Flemish Primitives to the biggest Magritte collection in the world – continues to make a name for itself on the international scene, with a fierce commitment to constant growth and innovation.

With six separate museums, four splendid Brussels locations and the biggest art collection in all of the land, discovering all the nooks and crannies of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB) might well take a weekend. However, true history buffs looking for an extensive overview of Belgian fine art will find no place better suited to their needs.

The Old Masters Museum, founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1801, boasts important works by the painter gods of the Lower Countries, such as Memling, Van Dyck, Bosch and Bruegel the Elder. Inside the impressive Peter Paul Rubens room, the characters of the artist’s larger-than-life paintings look down upon their tiny spectators.

In the same regal setting as the Old Masters – a beautiful pillared building on the corner of Place Royale and the Rue de la Régence – you’ll find the Modern Museum and Fin-de-Siècle Museum. The latter’s opening in 2013 delighted art nouveau fans, as it’s brimming with objects in the style that originated and bloomed in the capital at the end of the 19th century.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.