The Atomium
The gleaming symbol of modern Brussels - a giant model of an iron crystal magnified billions of times, its nine steel spheres linked by tubes you can travel through.
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The Atomium is the gleaming symbol of modern Brussels, a monument built for the 1958 World's Fair in the shape of a single iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Its nine great stainless-steel spheres, linked by tubes containing escalators and stairs, rise over a hundred metres, and visitors travel between them to exhibitions and a panoramic restaurant in the topmost sphere.
What you actually see
- The steel spheres - the nine gleaming spheres of the giant crystal.
- The panoramic sphere - the top sphere with views over Brussels.
- The connecting tubes - the escalators and stairs linking the spheres.
- Mini-Europe - the park of European landmarks in miniature nearby.
When to go
Year-round; a mostly indoor attraction, good in any weather, and lit strikingly after dark. It sits away from the centre near the Heysel exhibition grounds, easily reached by metro.
Honest expectations
It sits away from the historic centre, so it takes a metro trip, and the interior exhibitions are modest for the ticket price; the draw is the structure and the view. It is a mid-century icon rather than an ancient monument. It pairs well with the Mini-Europe park next door for families.
Nearby
Mini-Europe and the Heysel grounds are alongside; central Brussels is a metro ride away.
What to pack for The Atomium
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
