Mini-Europe — Attraction in Brussels

It was a great experience to visit "Europe" in Mini-Version within hours. The park is well organized and neat. The directions are clearly marked and hence you won't miss anything. There are many interactive activities at each stations, so everyone can "experience" some of the specialties of the park.

If you book the tickets online, you can simply skip the queue and go directly to the entry gate. Booklets, describing the significance of each stations are available at the entry gate, free of cost in multiple languages. I found it really helpful and informative.

If you are planning to visit it with a wheelchair or with your kid in a stroller, it is really difficult to reach the entry gate from the parking area. The shortest path to the entrance from the parking place is through an over-bridge to the railway line, but there are no lifts to reach there. You have to walk all the way around the railway station or the parking lot to reach the entry point. And these routes are not so wheelchair friendly.

On the day we visited, there were a photographer and a mascot (a turtle) at the entry gate, literally insisting everyone to take photos with the mascot. The photographer tells that it's a "free service" and you don't need to pay for it (That's how he made us pose for the photo). Once we reached the end of the park, there was a small stall right outside the "spirit of Europe" building, where one can collect two copies of printed photos and two key-chains with the photos. But there you have to pay a decent amount to get the "free" items (nearly 20€). I found it really strange as I am concerned, what they are going to do with all the personal data if one refuses to take their "free-but-pay-first" photo service. It's not at all matching the European data protection policies at least: "Very very bad business model under European Tag name""...!!!

Other than that, it's a place really...

Belgium-By name you can find the European countries city icons like model of Eiffel tower, netherland windmills, Sweden stock exchange and so..it is worth of spending an hour for children..If we compare with cost of 16€, I dont think so an worth spending. Atomium just behind mini europe, so if you have time just visit. Mostly the sites close by 6pm. Preplan it.

Suggestion - Really planned to visit Belgium, then take a trip to Ghent, Bruges and out of Brussels and a day in Luxembourg country.

Travel and tickets - one day travel ticket cost 8€ (pink color). You can take any mode of transport. Dont get lost, check for i- icon for info abt tkts and travel. You find all help. If dont mind of leg pain just wander in and around the city.

Travel app - I used citymapper and google map.

Luggage - for single day trip, luggage locker is the best option. The best option is Brussels central luggage room. The luggage room is inside the station, dont roam just ask the guide where it is and then place it. And it is also hard to find lockers, as many people visit a day. The max num of locker is not more than 150, be pre plan. So I would suggest try to book thru online. For online booking plz chk any website or youtube videos. Max cost is 12 for XXL per day. In xxl you keep you check in luggage or medium size. In Medium size u can just keep ur hand bag not even your backpack.

Tourist spots - Some spots/museums are free on Month's first Wednesday (not all Wednesday).

Food - All types of restuarant you will find around Grand place. For 2, it will take around 35€ without drinks. You will find best waffle shops near mannekenn pis (famous spot).

I didnot spend much time in Brussels as I was planning to visit another nearby country. Some street...

More Mini EU than Mini Europe. Really enjoyed our visit there (UK Dad, 14 year old UK son). Displays are very detailed and its a great place to visit. The information boards are very informative. The pro EU propaganda is a bit off putting, some of the stats are a bit dubious. Also it's clear that the space allocated for this attraction was when the EU numbered 15 states. The additional 13 (well 12 now the UK has left) have been shoe horned in at the end. If memory serves me correct, Prague is represented by a windmill or something much less impressive than Prague Castle or Charles Bridge.

Back to the pro-EU theme, the UK display depicting "oh no, we never wanted to leave and now we're stuffed" is a bit of an indulgence, I guess the UK display arrangement was overseen by Donald Tusk or Ursula von Der Leyen.

Back to the stats, I get that you calculate wealth by dividing GDP per capita but when you have countries like Ireland and Luxembourg offering next to Zero corporation tax then when Microsoft, Apple and Amazon setup shop and then pump Billions into those economies only to play less tax then pump it straight back out again doesn't really paint a realistic picture of how wealthy the average man is. By this measure, Mr.Ireland s 2.69 times more wealthy than the Mr. UK, Mr. Germany and Mr. France.

Politics and flag waving aside, the displays of the the original 15 member states is very impressive.

Final mention to the obligatory photo on the way in that they try to sell on exit.

Not sure that a human dressed as a carrot with a blue EU t-shirt stood in front of a model of the soulless concrete and glass EU building in Brussels is the best way to sell photos. But hats off for trying.

Solid 4...