Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts (Royal Museums of Fine Arts)

In a vast museum of several buildings, this complex combines the Musée d'Art Ancien and the Musée d'Art Moderne under one roof (connected by a passage). The collection shows off works, most of them Belgian, from the 14th to the 20th centuries. In the historical section are Hans Memling portraits from the late 15th century, which are marked by sharp lifelike details; works by Hieronymus Bosch; and Lucas Cranach's Adam and Eve. You should particularly seek out the subsequent rooms featuring Pieter Bruegel, including his Adoration of the Magi and Fall of Icarus. Don't miss his unusual Fall of the Rebel Angels, with grotesque faces and beasts. But don't fear -- many of Bruegel's paintings, like those depicting Flemish village life, are of a less fiery nature. Later artists represented here include Rubens, van Dyck, Frans Hals, and Rembrandt.

Next door, in a circular building connected to the main entrance, the modern art section has an emphasis on underground works -- if only because the museum's eight floors are all below ground level. The overwhelming collection includes works by van Gogh, Matisse, Dalí, Tanguy, Ernst, Chagall, and Miró, as well as local boys Magritte, Delvaux, De Braekeleer, and Permeke.

If you want to do this fantastic museum any kind of justice at all, you'll need 3-4 hours; a serious art lover won't bat an eyelid at spending a full day, taking time out only for lunch. In fast-track mode, you could do the Bruegel, Rubens, and Magritte collections in an hour.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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