What is there to do at the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels?

The Parc du Cinquantenaire is a grand park in the European Quarter built for Belgium's 50th anniversary, centred on a triumphal arch with a colonnade you can climb for city views. It houses three museums — Autoworld (cars), the Art & History Museum (antiquities), and the free Royal Military Museum (with aircraft) — making it an easy half-day.

Can you climb the Cinquantenaire arch?

Yes — access to the top colonnade of the triumphal arch is usually via the Royal Military Museum, which is free; from the top you get a panoramic view over the park and the European Quarter. Check current access as it can vary.

Is the Royal Military Museum in Brussels free?

Yes — the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in the Cinquantenaire is free to enter, with a large collection including an aviation hall of historic aircraft. It also typically provides access to the arch's panoramic viewpoint.

Parc du Cinquantenaire Brussels Guide (2026)

Brussels’ grandest park

Built for the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence in 1880, the Parc du Cinquantenaire (Jubelpark) is the city’s most monumental green space — formal gardens flanking a vast triumphal arch topped by a bronze quadriga, with three serious museums tucked into its grand exhibition halls. Set in the European Quarter, it’s an easy, rewarding half-day that combines architecture, culture and open air. Here’s how to use it. It pairs with the rest of the European Quarter.

The triumphal arch

The park’s centrepiece — a three-arched colonnade crowned by the bronze chariot group “Brabant Raising the National Flag.” You can usually climb to the top colonnade (access via the Military Museum) for a panorama over the park and the EU district — one of the area’s best viewpoints. The arch is free to admire and photograph at any time.

The three museums

Autoworld

250+ historic cars under a soaring iron-and-glass roof — a treat for car fans and families, and open Mondays when others close (full guide).

Art & History Museum (Musées Art & Histoire)

A vast, encyclopaedic collection — Egyptian and classical antiquities, decorative arts, tapestries, archaeology. Large and a little old-fashioned, but with genuine treasures for those who like museums of civilisation.

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History

Free, and surprisingly impressive: armour, weapons, uniforms across centuries, and a large aviation hall of historic aircraft that children love. It also typically provides the route up to the arch viewpoint — worth it for the free panorama alone.

The park itself

Beyond the museums, the Cinquantenaire is a fine place simply to walk, picnic or rest between sights — broad lawns, formal paths, fountains, and on the edges some curiosities (a mosque, the Temple of Human Passions pavilion). One of the city’s best green spaces (best parks).

Practical info

Where: European Quarter, east of the centre. Metro to Merode or Schuman (getting around).
Open access park; museum hours vary (Art & History and Military typically closed Mondays; Autoworld usually open daily).
Combine with the EU institutions, the free Parlamentarium and House of European History (EU Quarter guide), and frites at Maison Antoine on nearby Place Jourdan (best frites).

A half-day plan

The arch and the climb for the view.
One museum to taste — Autoworld (families/cars), Military (free, aircraft), or Art & History (antiquities).
A walk through the gardens.
Frites at Place Jourdan to finish.

A guided EU Quarter tour can include the park and its monumental context.

The verdict

The Cinquantenaire is the grand, green heart of the European Quarter — a monumental arch, a fine park, and three museums (one free) covering cars, antiquities and military history. It rewards a relaxed half-day, especially for families or anyone wanting culture plus open air away from the tourist centre. Slot it into a wider EU Quarter day and you’ll see a side of Brussels most visitors miss.

Frequently asked questions — Parc du Cinquantenaire guide: arch, park and museums

Can you climb the Cinquantenaire arch?
Yes — access to the top colonnade of the triumphal arch is usually via the Royal Military Museum, which is free; from the top you get a panoramic view over the park and the European Quarter. Check current access as it can vary.
Is the Royal Military Museum in Brussels free?
Yes — the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in the Cinquantenaire is free to enter, with a large collection including an aviation hall of historic aircraft. It also typically provides access to the arch's panoramic viewpoint.