The museum in the lovely, historic Hôtel Bellevue was renovated in 2005, and its displays given a much needed revamp. It was built in 1776 by the French architect Barnabé Guimard for wine merchant Philippe de Proft and later became a hotel. Many famous people have passed through its doors—Honoré de Balzac, Franz Liszt, and Sarah Bernhardt slept here, and the Duke of Wellington stayed just before the Battle of Waterloo. The museum charts Belgium's history from the 1830 revolution to the present day, using film, photographs, documents and objects. There's a decent café with outdoor seating in the summer.
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