Atomium
An iron crystal magnified a hundred and sixty-five billion times, left standing after Expo 58.
Duration
1 hr 30 min – 2 hrs 30 min
Best time
At opening
Open
Every day
Entry price
17 EUR
The Atomium represents an iron crystal cell magnified a hundred and sixty-five billion times: nine eighteen-metre spheres joined by tubes, a hundred and two metres tall. It was built for the 1958 World's Fair and was to be dismantled six months later.
It stayed, like the Eiffel Tower before it, because the city grew attached to it. Five spheres are open, linked by escalators — one of the longest in Europe at the time — and the top sphere looks over Brussels and the Heysel park.
Getting there
Metro line 6, Heysel station, five minutes on foot. Twenty minutes from the city centre.
What the price covers
paid entry to go up into the spheres, rate to be confirmed
What to bring
- Walking shoes
Rules on site
Four of the nine spheres are closed to the public for want of a fire exit: the route is shorter than it looks. The central lift queues, and the connecting escalators are steep.
Checked on 29 August 2026 at Atomium — rates and reductions
