The Atomium, the Chinese Pavilion, the Japanese Tower, and the Royal Palace of Laeken together form Brussels' least-visited but architecturally richest circuit. FFGR Belgium's northern guide.
The Laeken quarter of northern Brussels — 5 kilometres from the Grand Place — contains a cluster of architecturally significant sites that most Brussels visitors miss entirely. FFGR Belgium's northern circuit covers the Atomium, the Japanese Tower, the Chinese Pavilion, the Basilica of Koekelberg, and the Atomium-adjacent Mini-Europe miniature park, all within a 2-kilometre radius.
The Atomium: designed for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58) by André Waterkeyn, the Atomium represents an iron crystal structure magnified 165 billion times. The nine spheres (each 18 metres in diameter, connected by tubes containing escalators and lifts) house a permanent design collection, temporary exhibitions, and a restaurant in the uppermost sphere with panoramic Brussels views. The Atomium is Belgium's most-visited cultural attraction after the Manneken Pis.
The Chinese Pavilion and Japanese Tower: two extraordinary architectural folies commissioned by Leopold II and constructed in the early 1900s — the Chinese Pavilion contains Chinese porcelain and objets d'art; the Japanese Tower is a 40-metre pagoda. Both are managed by the Royal Museums of Art and History. Entrance by appointment only for private tours.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Koekelberg): the fifth-largest church in the world by volume, visible from across Brussels. Construction began 1905, completed 1970. The Art Deco interior and the panoramic terrace (accessible by lift) offer the best elevated view of Brussels after the Atomium.
FFGR Belgium northern circuit rate (half day, Ghost): from €580.