Brussels/Heysel

The Heysel (Dutch: De Heizel) is Brussels' northern most district, and its most leisure centered district. The Atomium is its most famous attraction, but the district has a lot more opportunities for activities and interesting sights to offer.

Understand
The Heysel is a large plateau in the north of Brussels. It was chosen as the location of the 1935 Brussels International Exposition because it was on the outskirts of the city back then, and ample open space was available to construct infrastructure. The impressive Centenary Palace (Dutch: Eeuwfeestpaleis) is one of the last remaining buildings of the 1935 World's Fair. After the event, much of the buildings were torn down again and a large section converted into a park.

The Heysel was returned to its former glory in 1958 when Expo '58 was organized here, and the Atomium was built as a monumental landmark to celebrate the event. Although it was planned to be demolished afterwards, the Atomiums depiction of a giant iron crystal became so popular among locals and tourists that it was decided to preserve it. Over half a century later, the Atomium still dominates the skyline of northern Brussels. Most of the other buildings and the iconic cable car were neglected after the Expo, and were eventually demolished because they became a hazard.

One of the buildings to take their place is the Kinepolis cinema complex, which when it opened in 1988 was one of the largest in the world with 25 projection rooms and over 6 700 seats. A lot of restaurants and bars developed around it, known among locals as the village.

The Heysel attracted international attention in 1985 when a football match in the nearby Heysel stadium escalated into riots between Liverpool football hooligans. With 39 spectators dead and over 600 wounded, it was the deadliest disaster of its kind at the time. The 55-year-old Heysel Stadium, already in a state of disrepair, was razed and replaced by the King Boudouin Stadium where football maches — albeit more peaceful ones — are still occasionally being held. It also hosts the Memorial Van Damme, one of the most important athletics events in Europe.

The Heysel preserved at least some of its Expo '58 vibe, and is a popular leisure area for locals and tourists alike.

Get in
De Heysels most important transport hub is the metro station, with over half of the attractions in the district in a 300 m radius around it.

By metro
The easiest way to reach the Heysel is by metro, take line anywhere in the city, direction  and get off at [[Heysel station|Heysel]]. The journey takes about 30 minutes from the historic centre, and will require a transfer from lines or  at either Beekkant or Weststation. Line follows a parallel trajectory as line  but only goes until Simonis, so you can transfer between either line at any station of line.

The transfer stations from lines and  are in Brussels notorious International District. Travel in a group whenever possible, and avoid to make a transfer at Beekkant or Weststation after sunset. Much of the journey to Heysel also traverses the International District, so don't get out of the metro unless you really have to — stations Ossegem, Belgica, and Pannenhuis are particularly unsafe.

By tram
Tram has its terminus in the shadow of the Atomium, above ground of the [[Heysel station|Heysel metro station]]. It is a good alternative to the metro for those who wish to enjoy the city instead of traversing it underground by metro. Alternatively, trams and  serve the eastern section of the Heysel plateau, and stop at the Museums of the Far East (Japanese Tower, Chinese Pavillion) as well as the Royal Greenhouses. Get of at. Travel time for tram from Beurs in the centre is ca. 25 minutes.

By bus
Several bus lines can take you to the Heysel from many other Brussels districts, but bus connections tend to be slow since buses get stuck in traffic. Take bus for the Museums of the Far East (get off at Koninklijke Serres for the Royal Greenhouses or Araucaria for the Japanese Tower and Chinese Pavillion). To reach the [[Heysel station|Heysel metro station]] transport hub, take bus, , or Noctis bus.

By bicycle
Since the Heysel is a plateau, the journey from the city centre to the Atomium and all other attractions will be uphill. A follows the trajectory of tram  through the forest on the east side of the Royal domain, and is a safer route than cycling through downtown Laken. There are Villo stations at nearly every attraction to drop off your Villo bicycle, the most central one being right under the Atomium. It might be more pleasant, however, to take the metro to reach the Heysel, and then enjoy the downhill ride by bike on the way back!

By foot
Although it's possible to reach the Heysel by foot, it takes quite a hike uphill from the city centre. You'll also have to pass through the dangerous International District, which makes the option not recommendable.

By public transport
The Heysel attractions are near 3 public transport hubs:
 * The [[Heysel station|Heysel metro station]] near the Atomium and Mini-Europe in the north-west of the district;
 * The Museums of the Far East and Royal Greenhouses served by the Araucaria bus and tram stop;
 * The Bockstael metro and train station close to the Church of Our Lady of Laeken.

By bicycle
About a dozen Villo stations are in range of the Heysel attractions, the most notable ones being under the Atomium,  near the Museums of the Far East,  near the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, and the  station itself at the Centenary Palace.

By foot
From any of the 3 public transport hubs, all relevant attractions can be reached within a few minutes by foot.

See
Several architectural sights and curiosa are decorating the Heysel, of which the Atomium is of course an unavoidable tourist attraction as the icon of Brussels.

Heysel plateau




Museums of the Far East
The Museums of the Far East consist of 3 Asian buildings on the premises of the Royal domain of Laken: the Japanese Tower, the Chinese Pavilion, and the Museum of Japanese Art. They host art treasures from China and Japan, and are run under the direction of the Royal Museums of Art and History. The idea for an outdoor display of oriental buildings originated with King Leopold II, who had been impressed by the Tour du Monde panorama at the Paris World Exhibition of 1900. The buildings were designed by French architect Alexander Marcel, who was commissioned by King Leopold II with responsibility for the project. All 3 musea have been closed because of structural health issues and their collections have been transferred to Jubelpark, but the buildings are also from the outside worth a visit.





Do

 * (Stadion) hosts the men's national soccer team and other major events and has a capacity of 50,000. It doesn't have a resident club team. In 1985 it was the scene of the Heysel stadium disaster; ten years later they got around to upgrading it.

Events

 * Couleur Café is a 3-day music festival in June in Atomium Square, see directions above. It's world music covering funk, hiphop, reggae, dance, dub, soul, Latin, blues, and rock over multiple stages. It features a mix of international and local artists and acts, including musicians and artists, the latter featured in an art exposition along with young designers, dance workshops, cocktail bars, food stands, and world kitchen from 50 countries. Camping accommodation is provided, but visitors sleeping over should bring their own tent, sleeping bags and so on. The next event is probably 23-26 June 2023, tbc.
 * Memorial Van Damme is an athletics event in late Aug/early Sep at the King Baudouin Stadium in the IAAF Diamond League. It was first organized in 1977 in honour of the athlete Ivo Van Damme (1954-76), who was killed in a car accident at the age of 22. The next event is 2 Sept 2022.

Buy
There is a under the Atomium if you feel the compulsive need to buy something here, but they sell mostly overpriced low quality junk. If you want Atomium souvenirs, look for them around the city centre instead.

Stay safe
As a popular leisure destination for locals and tourists, much of the Heysel plateau is well policed and safe during the day. After closure of attractions however, most of the area becomes deserted (which the exception of the immediate surroundings of Kinepolis which stays open until late at night), and is patrolled by shady individuals. Stay on the main roads and close to the locals whenever possible, and travel in groups after dark. The parks, although very safe during day time, should be avoided at night when they become a refuge for drug dealers and junkies.

Go next

 * The west of Brussels has more interesting sights, including the, the 5th largest church in the world.
 * Just over the Flemish border to the north is the picturesque town, home to the abbey brewing the internationally acclaimed Grimbergen beer.