Brussels, Day 2 - Musée Royaux des Beaux-Arts

We took the metro back from the Quartier Européen and jumped off at the Quartier Royale, to go visit the two of the museums under the umbrella of Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts. We started with the Old Masters, this museum is housed in a beautiful Neo-Classical building. Its collection is known as the finest collection of 15th- to 18th century Flemish art in the world.

I said "we", but Linnea had a little break and sat out while I discovered the Old Masters. I was pretty quick through the collection as well I must admit, as there was just sooo much... I focused on the artists I knew, or motives that interested me. Like this - a painting by Rogier van der Weyden, of Antoine de Bourgogne, wearing the Golden Fleece (which we have one piece of at the Louvre Abu Dhabi).

A triptych by Hieronymus Bosch:

Quinten Metsys, another artist we also have at the Louvre Abu Dhabi:

Bruegel, of course:

And Jacob Jordaens, another known artist from our Louvre Abu Dhabi collection:

Frans Hals and Rembrandt:

And an amazing Pronkestilleven that really caught my eye, by Maerten Boelema de Stomme:

Then we went just next door, to the Magritte Museum:

I must say I was slightly disappointed. It was curated over several floors, so a lot of walking in stairs, in and out of the galleries. The galleries were terribly dark as well, so I didn't enjoy this visit much.

On the way back to the hotel, we passed the Mont des Arts, and just before 4pm we found this big carillon clock, so we decided to give it the few minutes wait and see if it was going to move or play - which it did!

In the evening, we ended the day with the perfect Belgian dinner - moules-frites! Mussles! At least for me, Linnea had a burger, but she said it was "one of the best burgers ever", so I guess that was a winner too!

Great ending to a good day!