panorama :: the Atomium

Panorama

By turns described in tourist guides as striking, unmissable, exceptional and magnificent: if you were to believe the experts, the panorama alone is worth a trip to the Atomium.

Unlike some of the other viewpoints tucked away in the city centre, thanks to its location on a naturally elevated plateau on the outskirts of town, the Atomium offers the only true 360° panoramic view of the 19 municipalities of Brussels.

To the North: the whole of the Exhibition Park (Brussels Expo) and what is left of the 1935 and 1958 World Fairs:
- Palace 5 (Former pavilion of the Universal Exhibition of 1935)
- Former USA Pavilion (American theatre, VRT studios)
- Comptoir Tuilier (now a private restaurant)
- Green theatre
- Entrance pavilion for the cable lift

To the North-East: by clear weather, you can see Antwerp's port as well as its cathedral.

To the East: the Royal estate, Stuyvenberg castle and Brussels National airport (Zaventem) plus all the air traffic landing and taking off.

From the South to the West: the city of Brussels, from the high-rise buildings of the Northern Quarter (also known as Manhattan) to the imposing Koekelberg Basilica, not forgetting the Grand Place and the Law Courts. On the horizon, you can make out Charleroi and Neigem hill (Neigembos - altitude 100m).

>>> By the way, hardly a week goes by without a couple of young lovers making their way up to the panorama for a proposal. There have been thirty or so far in 2011 already. We wish you all the best!