THE ROYAL RESIDENCE

In the suburb of Laken/Laeken, just outside the city center, lies the royal domain with the "Chateau de Laeken", or the royal residence. Whereas the palace in Brussels is the official office of the king, the royal residence in Laken is the place where the royal family lives. It was built in 1772 by Albert von Sachsen-Teschen, the Governor of the Austrian Netherlands as his residence. After the French take-over of power in the southern Netherlands it was purchased by Napoleon in 1804. After the battle of Waterloo in 1815 it became the property of King William I, king of the united Netherlands. Another change of owner occurred 15 years later in 1830 when Belgium became independent. King Leopold I received it as a gift from the Belgian state. After a fire in 1890 it was rebuilt and enlarged. It became the permanent residence of the royal family during the reign of King Leopold III.

In the royal park the greenhouses draw most attention. The construction of these magnificent botanical gardens started in 1870. Among the participating architects were Alphonse Balat and the young Victor HORTA, who would later become the leading Art Nouveau architect in Belgium. The collection of beautiful tropical plants and flowers can only be visited by the public during 10 days in April and May.

THE CHINESE PAVILION AND THE JAPANESE TOWER

On the northern corner of the royal park two monuments can be seen, which are rather unusual for Belgium, but nevertheless splendid. After his visit to the 1900 universal Exhibition in Paris King Leopold II decided to have his park embellished with exotic monuments. He ordered the Parisian architect Alexandre Marcel to construct the Japanese tower and the Chinese Pavilion. The entrance of the Japanese tower had by build as the Japanese pavilion at the Paris exhibition by a Japanese carpenter. The woodwork of both buildings was made by specialists from Yokohama and Shanghai.

After restoration works the two monuments can be visited. On display are Chinese porcelain items from the 17th and 19th century and Japanese art objects.

Location

Van Praetlaan/Avenue Van Praet 44, 1020 Brussels (Laken)

Tel: +32-2-268 16 08

Opening hours

From 10 a.m. till 16:45 p.m., closed on mondays and public holidays

Admission :

Adults : 2,97 € per person - Seniors, Students : 1,98 € per person

Transport.

Closest Metro station: HEYSEL