Parc du Cinquantenaire was laid out in 1880 under King Leopold II to mark the 50th anniversary of Belgium’s independence, its grounds shaped into a symbolic pentagon echoing the rings of the city around it.
Its centerpiece is a monumental triumphal arch topped with a bronze horse-drawn chariot, flanked by the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History and the Autoworld vintage car museum; the Art & History Museum and a Victor Horta-designed pavilion, the Temple of Human Passions, sit within the same grounds.
The park is free and open around the clock, with manicured lawns and shaded paths that make it a favorite for walks, picnics, and family outings a short walk from the Schuman and Merode metro stations.
