The grand, formal quarter on the hill above the Grand-Place, laid out in the late 18th century by the Austrian Habsburgs and extended by the Belgian state after independence. The centrepiece is the Place Royale, flanked by neoclassical buildings housing the Magritte Museum, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, and the BOZAR concert hall. Nearby are the Palais Royal (used only for state ceremonies; the royal family lives in Laeken), the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, and the Parc de Bruxelles. A half-day of museum-going is the standard itinerary.
Royal District
Habsburg-laid hilltop quarter with major museums and palace