Atomium, designed for the 1958 World Fair.

Atomium

Brussels

LoginSave

The space-age Atomium looms 102m over north Brussels’ suburbia, resembling a steel alien from a '60s Hollywood movie. It consists of nine house-sized metallic balls linked by steel tube-columns containing escalators and lifts. The balls are arranged like a school chemistry set to represent iron atoms in their crystal lattice…except these are 165 billion times bigger. It was built as a symbol of postwar progress for the 1958 World’s Fair and became an architectural icon, receiving a makeover in 2006.

At night the spheres sparkle magically, and the panorama-level restaurant reopens at 7pm (except during midsummer), putting starched cloths on its functional tables and serving decent dinners with a view. Dinner guests don’t pay the tower entrance fee, but reservations are essential.

Transportation

  • metro: Heysel
  • tram: 51

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Officials unveil the restored exterior panels of "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb", an altar piece painted by the Van Eyck brothers in 1432, at Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent on October 12, 2016. .The restoration of the exterior panels and frames started in 2012, and constitutes the first phase of restauration which will be followed by two other phases for the interior panels and is set to last until 2020. / AFP / EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

    The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb

    28.97 MILES

    Art enthusiasts swarm the Sint-Baafskathedraal to glimpse The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (De Aanbidding van het Lams God), a lavish representation of…

  • Belgium, Antwerp, garden in Peter Paul Ruben's house

    Rubenshuis

    22.47 MILES

    This delightfully indulgent 1611 mansion was built as a home and studio for celebrated painter Pieter Paul Rubens. It was rescued from ruins in 1937 and…

  • Interiors of Notre dame d'Anvers cathedral, Anvers, Belgium

    Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal

    22.64 MILES

    Belgium’s finest Gothic cathedral was 169 years in the making (1352–1521). Wherever you wander in Antwerp, its gracious, 123m-high spire has a habit of…

  • BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - August 09, 2014: General view of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, one of the most visited museums in Belgium with its large art collection.; Shutterstock ID 586734455; Your name (First / Last): Daniel Fahey; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts POI

    Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts

    3.74 MILES

    This prestigious museum incorporates the Musée d’Art Ancien (ancient art); the Musée d’Art Moderne (modern art), with works by surrealist Paul Delvaux and…

  • Belgium, Ghent

    Gravensteen

    29.32 MILES

    Flanders’ quintessential 12th-century stone castle comes complete with moat, turrets and arrow slits. It’s all the more remarkable considering that during…

  • Museum Plantin-Moretus

    Museum Plantin-Moretus

    22.49 MILES

    The medieval building and 1622 courtyard garden alone would be worth a visit, but it's the world's oldest printing press, priceless manuscripts and…

  • The museum of musical instruments "Old England", Brussels, Belgium

    Old England Building

    3.69 MILES

    This 1899 former department store is an art nouveau showpiece with a black facade aswirl with wrought iron and arched windows. The building contains the…

  • Triumphal Arch at Parc du Cinquantenaire in the EU Quarter.

    Parc du Cinquantenaire

    4.44 MILES

    Parc du Cinquantenaire was built during Léopold II's reign. It's best known for its cluster of museums – art, history, military and motor vehicles – which…

View more attractions

Nearby Brussels attractions

1. Mini Europe

0.12 MILES

Want to fool your friends that you saw all of Europe? Easy. Just photograph the dozens of 1:25-scale models of the continent’s top monuments at Mini…

2. ADAM

0.22 MILES

Worth seeing in combination with the Atomium, ADAM features a surprisingly intriguing collection of classic plastic: the 1965 Universale, which was the…

3. Palais du Centenaire

0.37 MILES

The distinctive 1930 art-deco Palais du Centenaire features a pyramid of terraced tiers capped by statues.

4. Château Stuyvenberg

0.49 MILES

Built in 1725, this chateau is a residence of the Belgian royal family and has been used to house visiting dignitaries. It is not open to the public.

5. Parc de Laeken

0.6 MILES

The Parc de Laeken starts opposite the Domaine Royal and stretches to the Atomium. Dotted with chestnut and magnolia trees, its focal point is Léopold I's…

6. Villa Belvédère

0.62 MILES

A residence of the Belgian royal family, the eighteenth-century villa is not open to the public.

7. Royal Greenhouses

0.81 MILES

The enormous Serres Royales were built by Alphonse Balat during Léopold II's reign. Fuchsias and all sorts of tropical species thrive inside, and Belgians…

8. Pavillon Chinois

0.82 MILES

The Pavillon Chinois is a Léopold II leftover, built after he saw similar at the 1890 Paris World's Fair. It is a gloriously glittering structure and…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "belgium/brussels/attractions/atomium/a/poi-sig/404662/358708",
  "destination": "Brussels",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "country": "Belgium",
  "city": "Brussels",
  "position": "superzone"
}