Royal Museum for Central Africa

The first question at the AfricaMuseum is how to look at the museum itself. Its story began with the colonial section of the 1897 Brussels exposition in Tervuren, staged to build support for King Leopold II’s project in Congo. Congolese people were exhibited in a recreated village; seven died during their stay. The grand museum building that followed was inaugurated in 1910, financed by profits from Leopold’s private Congo domain. That history belongs at the centre of a visit, not in a footnote.

The museum reopened in 2018 after a five-year renovation. You now enter through a contemporary welcome pavilion and pass along an underground gallery before reaching the older building. The permanent displays range across Central African history, art, languages, music and biodiversity. They also ask how objects entered the collection, who has interpreted them, and what those choices mean today.

The Grand Rotunda makes the tension visible. Colonial statues remain part of the protected architecture, while works by Congolese artist Aimé Mpane and the RE/STORE installation by Mpane and Jean-Pierre Müller intervene in the room. The museum acknowledges that its attempts to challenge the old imagery have drawn criticism. Spend time here rather than treating the building as a handsome backdrop.

There is plenty to see beyond that debate: natural-history displays, artistic work and a broad research collection, with a free digital guide and a separate route on the provenance of selected objects. The galleries are substantial, so allow at least two hours and more if you want to follow the interpretation closely. The park outside offers space to pause afterwards. Tram 44 stops opposite the museum, making the trip from Brussels straightforward.