Royal Greenhouses tickets sell out within hours

Tickets to tour the Royal Greenhouses this summer once again sold out quickly this year, with the booking website temporarily crashing under heavy demand.

Ticket sales began on Friday afternoon. Only people with reduced mobility, along with their carers, can still get a ticket for the special day set aside for them on Tuesday 5 May.

On that day, the route will be tailored to their needs and assistance will be provided with the stairs.

The Royal Greenhouses are open each year to members of the general public who buy a €7 ticket (children 12 and under are free), attracting more than 100,000 visitors.

The self-guided tours are being held from Friday 17 April to Sunday 10 May.

Visitors can choose between a long (3km) or a short (2km) route. The long route begins with a walk through the garden of the Royal Domain and then joins the shorter walk towards the greenhouses.

Guests will discover the marvellous 19th-century architecture of Alphonse Balat, Victor Horta’s mentor, and many diverse plant species, according to a statement from the Palace.

The tour of the greenhouse complex begins at the Palm Terrace with the Débarcadère, the Palm Greenhouse, the Azalea Greenhouse, the Geranium Gallery, the Diana Greenhouse and the Mirror Greenhouse.

Visitors then walk towards the large greenhouses: the Perron Greenhouse or Embarcadère, and the Congo Greenhouse with its subtropical plants.

For the first time this year, visitors will also be able to discover the Grand Gallery of Honour at Laeken Castle at the start of their walk.

However, visitors will not be able to tour the iconic Winter Garden this year. This largest greenhouse is closed due to renovation work because the steel structure is rusting and in need of refurbishment.