The dome panorama
360 degrees over Brussels from 53 metres — without crowds.
Giles Laurent — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Markus Koljonen (Dilaudid) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Giles Laurent — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Giles Laurent — CC BY-SA 4.0
Quieter, cheaper and wider: the Atomium is an icon but crowds, while Koekelberg gives you all Brussels from the west without queues. For view lovers: both — the Atomium for the experience, the basilica for the vista. The church itself deserves the free entry for its silent immensity.
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The Koekelberg Basilica is among the world's largest churches (fifth by size) and the largest Art Deco building ever: a huge mass of brick and concrete with a green dome rising 89 metres, dominating Brussels' western skyline. King Leopold II began it in 1905 to mark Belgium's 75th anniversary; two wars halted it, and it was not completed until 1970. The interior is vast and calm, with modern stained glass and soft light — it seats two thousand. But the star is the panorama: a lift rises to the dome terrace at 53 metres for a 360-degree view over all Brussels, from the Atomium to the centre — among the city's best and least crowded views. Two small museums inside. In Koekelberg west of the centre (metro Simonis, then a few minutes on foot through Elisabeth Park stretching before it) — for the lover of monumental architecture and seekers of views.
360 degrees over Brussels from 53 metres — without crowds.
Brick, concrete and a green dome dominating the western skyline.
The long green axis stretching before the façade.
Parvis de la Basilique 1, 1083 Koekelberg, Brussels