KBR

KBR

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed
About
KBR is the national scientific library and collects all Belgian publications. The institution preserves, manages and studies more than 8 million documents, a rich cultural and historical heritage. KBR provides access to all information in its collections, facilitates research and offers a broad cultural experience. We have a lot to offer, more than ‘just books’. That is why today, the Royal Library of Belgium becomes KBR. A unique and inspiring place with a wealth of outstanding knowledge – all protected and made accessible for you.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area

Address
How to get there
  • Park • 7 min walk
  • Naamsepoort • 9 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles35 reviews
Excellent
16
Very good
15
Average
3
Poor
1
Terrible
0

pancakesisters9
Springfield, VT62 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Solo
The KBR Museum is hidden within this large Library and well worth the explore. The interactive exhibit focuses on book making in the Middle Ages from many aspects.

The most wonderful portion of the Museum focuses on how illuminated manuscripts were made. Then the museum presents incredible 15th Century Bibles and Books of Hours from their rotating collection.

The self guided tours are available in many languages and you determine the intensity of the tour: Children, First time visitor or Advanced. The exhibit technology is well done.

The dull looking library faces the Mont des Arts a popular park with the Carillon Clock located near the Gare Centrale.

Go if you love books and are intrigued by the Middle Ages.
Written October 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Don_Juanila
London, UK48 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
We had a truly lovely time here. The museum is super interactive and really well thought out and designed. We didn't really have any prior knowledge or interest as such in manuscripts but by the end we felt very inspired. The exhibition is immersive and takes you on a journey through time and helps you get to know illuminated manuscripts in diverse and interesting ways. We finished the visit with an opportunity to try our hand at calligraphy and painting with pigments. The only shame is that KBR as an acronym doesn't adequately describe the richness of the experience! Highly recommended if you love museums and fancy something a bit different.
Written October 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tmazionsmith
Saint Paul, MN446 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
I am a fan of illuminated manuscripts, so this was a must-visit place for me when in Brussels. The presentation is well done, though it seemed as though it was geared maybe toward school groups rather than individual adults. Luckily, we were there was only 1 group was present, so we had much of the museum all to ourselves. It took us about 2 hours to go through everything.
Written December 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stefan G
Washington DC, DC1,095 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020
Excellent museum at the Royal Library of Belgium. Over roughly three floors, this small museum focuses on manuscripts from the Dukes of Burgundy collected during the Middle Ages. Really fascinating stuff. You learn how manuscripts are made and the detailed and intricate labor required to make one. Then you are presented with numerous wonderful manuscripts on display covering society during this medieval period, many focused on religion, but also some on chivalry, tales, general life, etc. All beautiful works of art. Excellent English throughout the museum, telling the story and describing in detail what you're looking at. Interactive, as well - you get a wrist band that you can touch on one of the many screens to bring up in even more detail in your chosen language information about the item you are viewing.

The museum is warm and welcoming, especially on a rainy day. Bathrooms and obligatory giftshop on site.

Recommended for both lovers of books and history in general.
Written December 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LexiV
Cleveland, OH1,741 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2013 • Couples
We accidently stumbled across this library, which contains a fascinating exhibit called Librarium. Anyone who is a reader needs to come and experience this free permanant exhibition. If I spoke Dutch or French I probably would've been in there for hours. As it was, I still stayed a long time enjoying the interesting and unique interactive elements as well as taking in the visuals of the art installations and the displayed books themselves. This attraction was not in any guidebook that I am aware of but should be in all of them. It was hands down my favorite attraction in Belgium.
Written May 30, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anna B
Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa366 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Solo
The Royal Library contains one of the most interesting and well set out museums in Belgium, and what's more, entry is free. It provides exhibits and presentations on the history of writing and books throughout the ages and the world, from ancient times, through some breath-taking medieval manuscripts, to e-books. Replicas of the studies of a number of famous Belgian writers are included. Don't miss it, as it is not very well publicised.
Written September 16, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tom R
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2015 • Couples
'Librarium', in the Royal Library of Belgium, is subtitled 'Museum of the History of Books and Writing'. It's free, which is unusual in Brussels, and it is a pleasure to walk round. There are fascinating exhibits, including a case of Charlie Hebdo comics when we were there, and a selection of books and manuscripts. There are touch-screens with information on the history of the book.

It's not very big, but for anyone interested in the written word it is well worth popping in. Captions are in French and Flemish, but there is an English-language audio guide. The curator was extremely friendly. We were just about the only people there, and he was probably glad to have some visitors; a shame as it deserves to be better known.

One criticism is that the captions are on small computer tablets, and they scroll through the exhibits in the case, so you have to wait for the one you want to come round, and then read quickly. It's the sort of idea that sounds great in a meeting but doesn't really work in practice. Small caption cards would have been better.

The canteen on the fifth floor is basic, but has great views.
Written March 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

blondeonamission
Leicester, UK59 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2011 • Friends
Who'd have thought that the second best view of the entire city was from the 5th floor of a public library? The cafateria is nothing to boast about but the panoramic views are pretty spectacular. Not only is the view great but so are the exhibitions on the below floors. Set in a modern surround with top notch technology there is a lot to do and learn in this building. Not only is it a beautiful building set in well kept grounds but it also houses a copy of every single Belgian book that has ever been published!!
Written January 6, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Trainbleu
Brussels, Belgium39,715 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
After visiting the disappointing ‘Beyond Bruegel’ exhibition at Palais des Congres we went to see ‘The World of Bruegel in Black and White’ at the nearby Bibliothèque royale de Belgique (Royal Library of Belgium). A totally different, but much more interesting exhibition. We gazed in awe at the details of Bruegel the Elder’s graphic work but also appreciated the focus on the technical aspects of transforming a drawing into a copper plate engraving and finally into a print for the art market. There is an audio guide but the text is also available in an illustrated visitor’s guide, which we took home to read at leisure.

Alone the surprising setting of the exhibition – a building on a slope - makes it worth a visit. We entered a non-descript modern building on Mont des Arts, climbed the stairs to the third floor (there is a lift) and found ourselves in the freshly restored remains of the 18th century Palace of Charles de Lorraine. Not at all the somewhat drab museum rooms we were expecting!
There are great views on the surroundings (Place des Musées, Mont des Arts). We were amazed to spot a paint spray can wielding vandal defacing a wall of Mont des Arts in plain view on a Sunday afternoon. Isn’t the private destruction of public property supposed to be illegal in Belgium?
Written November 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Soko37
Budapest, Hungary14,416 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019 • Family
Very close to central station 🚉 and on the way to Royale palace. You can rest in the park, play chess ♟ outside on table and listen 👂 big watch ringing full hour
Written June 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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