Add a review about the palace of Karl Lorraine

The palace of Charles of Lorraine, the beginning of the construction of which was laid in 1757, was the Brussels refuge of Carl Alexander of Lorraine, who governed the governor general of the Austrian Netherlands from 1744 to 1780.

Karl Lorraine was an avid enthusiast in everything, which concerned science and art. Following the tradition, the Brusselians placed a museum of the 18th century in the building of the former palace, which was formed as a result of the cooperation of the Royal Museum of Art and History, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium and the Royal Library.

In 1794 the palace of Charles of Lorraine was looted by the French invaders, preserved in its original form, and they can be seen today. An impressive staircase, decorated with a statue of Hercules by Laurent Delvaux, leads to the rotunda, located on the first floor of the palace. The floor of the main hall is paved with marble, on the outlet in its center were taken 28 kinds of Belgian marble from the many thousands of minerals collection of Karl Lorraine.

Charles de Lorraine au Mont des Arts

From the main hall you can go to five rooms in which the governor-general received guests and ruled the state. There are still items that illustrate the life of aristocrats in the Austrian Netherlands and Brussels courtiers in the 18th century: furniture, palanquins, medals, Chinese porcelain and silverware, watches, scientific, technical and musical instruments.

Not long ago the palace of Charles Lorraine was completely restored, including the restoration of bas-reliefs, located along the main staircase. Their presence in the palace is very symbolic: depicting the four elements - earth, air, fire and water - they remind us that the governor-general was not only a well-known philanthropist, but also a keen interest in sciences, including alchemy.

The museum square, where the Palace of Charles of Lorraine is located, carries its name for good reason: the concentration of museums in this small area is astounding. One of the most interesting is the famous glowing well "Failure", in which the exhibitions of the Museum of Contemporary Arts are held from time to time.

Address of the Palace of Karl Lorraine: Museumplein 1, 1000 Brussel, Belgium

Working hours and ticket prices

The Palace of Karl Lorraine is open from 13.00 to 17.00 on Wednesdays and Fridays. There is an opportunity to reserve a tour by phone +32 (0) 2 519 53 72.

The price of the ticket is from 2 to 3 EUR, children under 13 years are free of charge

The museum has a gift shop where you can buy various books, CDs , maps, etc.

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Carl Lorarinsky's Snow-covered Palace
The original marble floor in the reception hall of the palace of Karl Lorarinsky, Brussels Carl of Lorraine Palace
Original marble floor in the reception hall of the palace of Karl Lorarinsky