Atomium Brussels Belgium

Created in 1958 for the Brussels World’s Fair held in Heysel, Brussels, the Atomium Bruxelles is the only structure left standing after the fair. It was designed by André Waterkeyn to be a replica of a single unit of iron crystal blown up 165 billion times; stands at 102 metres; each sphere is 18 metres in diameter, about the size of a large apartment. There are 9 spheres all together connected up by tubes. The spheres are wrapped in stainless steel (originally aluminium).

In 2004, the spheres were restored to their original shine and lustre and opened up for the public to see again in 2006. 2008 marked the 50th anniversary of the Atomium. It is the most visited tourist attraction in Brussels today.

The top sphere has a restaurant and panoramic views; it is reachable by an elevator at the bottom of the structure. The other four spheres open to the public are reachable by escalators only, it could be difficult for persons with reduced mobility. Three of the upper spheres are reserved for events. There is also a kids sphere for school events, where children can sleep inside.

You may not notice at first glance by if you tilt your head sideways, you will see that the structure resembles a cube with an extra sphere in the centre.

Other attractions that require a lot of space including the Mini-Europe theme park, the Kinepolis cinema complext (28 screens and IMAX) and a water theme park are all in the area. Just the down the road is also the Chinese Pavilion and Japanese Tower which makes the Heysel area a complete daytrip in itself.

Basic entrance: Under 6 years…free, age 6-11…€2, adults…€9

Location in Brussels
You can find the Atomium in an area north of the city centre in Heysel. It is the last stop on line 6 of the metro. From the metro, the Atomium is a short walk – you can’t miss it, since it’s gigantic!

Atomium square
Eeuwfeestlaan / Boulevard de Centenaire
B-1020 Brussel (Laken)
Metro stop: Heysel
www.atomium.be