Federal museums free to visit over national holiday weekend

Brussels' 11 federal museums will offer free admission this Friday, Saturday and Sunday as part of the celebration of Belgium’s national day, which also marks the 10th anniversary of King Philippe’s reign.

Access to the permanent collections of museums covered by the Belgian Science Policy Office will open their doors from 21 to 23 July, as announced this week by secretary of state for science policy Thomas Dermine.

"We wanted to honor the king on the 10th anniversary of his reign and to thank him, as well as the queen, for their sustained efforts to promote the federal museums,” Dermine said.

The 11 museums offering free entry include the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Royal Museums of Art and History, the Museum of Natural Sciences, the Royal Museum for Central Africa and the KBR. Visitors are invited to check the museums’ website for exact opening hours.

Brussels public transport operator Stib will be running extra services on 21 July, during the national day festivities.

Metro lines will be open later than usual, as will several bus and tram lines. Metro lines 1 and 5 will make a final pass by Merode - next to the Cinquantenaire festivities - in all directions at about 1.00. On lines 2 and 6, the last train is scheduled to pass Arts-Loi at about 1.20.

Traffic disruption is also likely in the centre of Brussels, as roads are closed around Place Poelaert, Rue Royale and the Royal Park. The Stib website will have a complete list of affected routes.

Those attending the Bal National in the Marolles on Thursday evening can count on the Noctis night bus network. As a one-off, it will be running in the early hours of Friday morning.