This one not only updating/revising but splitting from an older post with the Atomium in Brussels, Belgium. We went out here as always heard of the Atomium and found out about the Mini Europe park on site! It was a nice family trip. Hope you enjoy it as we did.
Well the historical architecturally curious in me and my boys daring choices took me a bit out of Brussels to reach Heysel. The area is full of attractions that can keep you for a day or more alone. We came for the the Mini Europe park a while back. Let me tell you a bit more on the Mini Europe park.
The Heysel area has many other nice places that could be a whole day or more and an alternative staying base. Other attractions that require a lot of space including the Mini-Europe theme park, the Kinepolis cinema complex (28 screens and IMAX) and a water park with slides and pools are all in the area. Just down the road is also the Chinese Pavilion and Japanese Tower. We went to the Mini Europe park with the boys.
The Mini-Europe Park is a miniature park located in Bruparck at the foot of the Atomium in Brussels. The park presents reproductions of the most famous monuments of the European Union at a scale of 1/25. About 80 cities and 350 monuments are exhibited. The park contains many animations (train, windmills, eruption of Vesuvius, Airbus, self guided trucks, etc). At the end of the course an interactive exhibition “Spirit of Europe” presents the European Union in the form of interactivities and games. The park is built on 24 000 m2. Prince Philippe of Belgium inaugurates the park on June 1, 1989. The most popular monuments are the Monastery of El Escorial, the Westminster palace , the Nyhavn of Nyhavn, the Grand-Place of Brussels, the Arc de Triomphe of Paris, the Tower of Pisa, the Parthenon and the Brandenburg Gate. So they told me.
Most of the monuments are built by casting. The parts are constructed from various materials and then copied by silicone molding. The final copy is made of epoxy resin (at first) and polyester (currently). The models then are enriched with details such as statues.
Three monuments were made of stone (the tower of Pisa and the castle of Chenonceau are made of marble). A new computer-milling technique was used for three models. Then comes the painting on the site of Mini-Europe. Finally, the monument is set up on site with decorations and light. The Santiago de Compostela requested more than 24 000 hours of work. Of course, we like the Monumental of Sevilla and the Sacre Coeur of Paris as well.
Many monuments have been financed by countries or regions of Europe. The gardens have hedges , dwarf trees, bonsai and grafted trees are used near miniature monuments, while classic bushes and flowers decorate the promenade.
We decided to eat out in the Village between the Atomium and Mini Europe and not a good choice it was. L’Arbre d’Or was slow, unipersonal, pricey, touristic but then again nothing new , you are in a very heavy tourist area!! webpage: http://www.larbredor.be/arbredor/inter2rouge.htm
Some webpages to help you plan your trip to this mini Europe park are
The Official Mini Europe Park: https://www.minieurope.com/
The Brussels tourist office on the Mini Europe Park: https://visit.brussels/en/place/Mini-Europe
The Bruparck webpage covers the Mini Europe and Kinepolis cinema: http://bruparck.com/minieurope-fr.html
There you go a nice one day or two visit to Heysel, Brussels has never been more filling. The Mini Europe Park was interesting and the boys love it. Hope you enjoy the post as I do.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 