Beautiful Brussels

On our way back to Eindhoven from Paris we chose Brussels as our stop for two nights. We only planned a whole day to explore around. Actually all we planned was a visit to Mini-Europe. But we found that there is a museum called as Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen (Museum for Natural Sciences) and husband is quite fond of natural history museums. So, change in plan. First going to the museum and then to Mini-Europe.

Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen definitely was the right choice. The museum was divided into 18 sections. Overview of the museum is as follows sequentially: 1) Entrance (Eingang), 2) Services (Dienste), 3) Dinosaurs (Dinosaurier), 4) Dinosaurs (Dinosaurier), 5) Dinosaurs (Dinosaurier), 6) Dinosaurs (Dinosaurier), 7) Discovery of the Iguanodons (Entdeckung der Iguanodons), 8) Mosasaurs (Mosasaurier), 9) Evolution, 10) Shells (Muscheln), 11) Insects (Insekten), 12) Vivarium, 13) 250 Years of Natural Sciences (250 Jahre Natuurwissenschaften),    14) BiodiverCity, 15) Humankind (Mensch), 16) Poison Temporary Exhibition (Gift Wechselausstellung), 17) Minerals (Mineralien), 17) Services (Dienste) and 18) Exit.

From 3 to 17, everything was so vivid. We were lost among 3, 4, 5 and 6 for more than one and a half hour. We realized that it would be unfair and unjust to miss the rest of the wonderful displays. However, I couldn’t pull my nerves to explore two sections in detail: Vivarium and Poison temporary exhibition. Guilty I am. Since we had to go to Mini-Europe, we shortened our last few sections. Yet, we came out smiling, thrilled and startled.

Before going to Mini-Europe we had our lunch and took a quick return to our room. Then rushed towards Mini-Europe. Wow! It was so huge and why not. After all we were going to have a tour around whole Europe. We needed at least two hours to complete the tour as suggested and I think two hours was all we needed. I didn’t give much look at the motive behind the establishment of Mini-Europe until now. Back then the amazing architectural look mesmerized us and we enjoyed our hours. Now I realize how important it is and worth sharing.

Mini-Europe:

“Mini-Europe offers a unique opportunity to experience and see first hand the beauty and diversity of our continent. Europe is a political endeavour which we in the European Parliament fight to defend, but it is also a cultural treasure whose value must be learnt and seen by Europeans and foreigners alike.”  (Martin SCHULZ- President of the European Parliament.)

“I said that Europe needs to be big on big things and small on small things. Well, Mini-Europe is now the only place in the EU where it is allowed to be small on big things!” (Jean-Claude JUNCKER- President of the Commission of the European Union.)

“This concept, Europe, will make the common foundation of our civilisation clear to all of us and create little by little a link similar to the one with which the nations were forged in the past.” (Robert Schuman- One of the founding fathers of the European Communities, the first President of the European Parliament and President of the European Movement  http://www.eui.eu/DepartmentsAndCentres/RobertSchumanCentre/AboutRSCAS/WhowasRobertSchuman.aspx.)

A park of outstanding quality: all models are built down to the finest detail to a scale of 1:25. You can easily compare the different constructions and technological achievements such as the HST, Ariane space rocket, the Berlin wall, etc…

The park offers something to everybody’s taste; lovers of history, enthusiasts of the European Union, people remembering their latest journey, people preparing their next tour or people just having a nice stroll.

Monuments in Mini-Europe exhibit European value (Democracy, The Spirit of Adventure, The Spirit of Enterprise, Technology, Culture and Influence, The Christian Heritage, social Thought and Secularism and Multiculturalism) and European heritage (Greek heritage, Roman heritage, Viking heritage, The heritage of the French Revolution and The heritage of the 1914-18 war). Some of the monuments evoke fairly strong links with the 1914-18 war (in the order that they appear along the route). There was also a small quip about the Great Britain leaving the European Union (or Brexit as known popularly).