Atomium, Brussels

...signposts directing you towards the Atomium, a quick check of the local landscape should give you some indication which way to head. The metro and tram stations are locate next to each other and if you need to get back into Brussels fast, the tram may be your better option. You really can't miss the structure, it sticks out like a sore thumb. After all, who can miss 9 ruddy great big balls suspended in mid air?

The Atomium has undergone ...
...unless you are visiting the Atomium, where you are stuck in a time warp in the 1950s.

The top sphere is split into two levels, the panorama platform where you can slowly walk around and have a good view over Brussels and, on a good day, probably the whole country. The upper level is the restaurant and can be reached by another staircase.

The restaurant is normally self service but on the say we visited it was closed. ... more

There isn't much to see in Brussels. One thing that is on a lot of tourists' agenda is the Atomium. While it isn't situated in the centre of Brussels, it is still only a fairly short tip away on the local underground (line 1a towards Boudouin) or tram.

The easiest way to find the Atomium is to get on a tram or underground train heading towards the Heysel/Heizel Stadium, known to many British tourists for all the wrong reasons. It's not really that expensive travelling on the Brussels' public transport system. My friend Michael and I bought a day pass for €4.00 (about £2.50) and travelled across the capital of Belgium all day for free.

Very short history of the Atomium

The Atomium was built for the 1958 World's Fair in Belgium. It was never designed to outlast the fair and like many other landmarks (the Eiffel Tower in Paris to name just one) it outlasted the initial expectation. With its 50th anniversary approaching fast, it's only appropriate to review this landmark.

Designed by André Waterkeyn, it is 103-metre (335-feet) tall, with nine steel spheres connected so that the whole forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Tubes which connect the spheres along the 12 edges of the cube and from all eight vertices to the centre; these tubes enclose escalators containing exhibit halls and other public spaces; the top sphere provides a panoramic view of Brussels.
© http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomium

To be honest, I really couldn't be bothered to look up the history of this particular landmark. But then again, I really shouldn't be too dismissive. After all, the Atomium is one of the best known landmarks in Belgium, something the country is famous for, something that is going to celebrate its golden jubilee in 2008.

It was a cold December afternoon when my friend Michael and I decide that one of the things we had to do while on a day tip to Brussels was a visit to the Atomium. Brussels had not met our expectations at all and while we were hoping for an upturn in fortune, the weather and everything was against us. While on the underground train heading towards Heysel, the heavens opened and icy rain fell upon the city.

Michael and I exited the station with little idea which way to go. There aren't many signposts directing you towards the Atomium, a quick check of the local landscape should give you some indication which way to head. The metro and tram stations are locate next to each other and if you need to get back into Brussels fast, the tram may be your better option. You really can't miss the structure, it sticks out like a sore thumb. After all, who can miss 9 ruddy great big balls suspended in mid air?

The Atomium has undergone refurbishment and was closed for a while. When Michael and I arrived it was very much open and charged €9.00 per adult to get inside the Atomium. While I appreciate that not every sphere can be visited, I do expect a lot of information for my money. After all, €9.00 translates to well over £6.00 in English money and I expect a lot for it. You buy the tickets in the building next to the Atomium. Inside you will also find toilets, but be prepared to pay €0.30 for it. (There are toilets in the top sphere, but from what I could gather, they are reserved for restaurant patrons and not for the other people walking around. But I'm sure they will let you in if you get caught short.

Once inside the inner sanctum of the 'spheres' you may lower your guard (and expectations) and just get on with it. There is a sign next to a set of stairs telling you that you can visit a number of spheres from there, however, the restaurant level is only accessible via the lift in the centre of the hall you were in.

Not to waste time and money, Michael and I, along with a large number of visitors, opted to use the obscure stairway entrance to the Atomium to get on the way. There are a lot of stairs to consider, but you are warned about them. Before you enter the first sphere you are made aware of how many steps you will have to climb so that you can make an informed decision as to the value of the visit. The problem is, if you are not prepared to climb the stairs, there is little or no value to visiting the Atomium in the first place.

It's certainly a good indicator how out of shape you are when you're trying to climb the stairs to the first sphere. We arrived inside the first sphere and felt like we had gone through a time warp and ended up somewhere in the 1950s. A film was running in one area, but there was no sound so we didn't bother with that. There were some exhibits that had come straight out of the 50s, chairs, buildings, tables. And the whole place was pretty empty. Barely anything to look at or read. We headed up towards the next spheres but things didn't get better. There just wasn't anything of interest there for us to do.

At some point we arrived in one sphere where there was a small café. The place was a little underwhelming, rarely anything to chose from and the tables were a little messy to say the least. Most people here were just sitting down without buying anything, just to take the weight off the feet after climbing up the steep staircases.

On our way down again we passed one sphere that was closed for the public. It turned out to be a children's sphere, reserved for children between 6 to 12 years, in particular school classes on outings.

With barely anything to see, it didn't take us long to reach ground level again and it was time to queue for the lift taking us to the top level.

There is a long queue of people waiting to enter the lift (aided by bored looking employees at the best of time - in rather tacky uniforms, at least where the girls are concerned, with balls representing the spheres of the Atomium on their skirts).

The wait for the list was longer than it had taken us to visit the other spheres. People were herded into the lift, at least 20+ at a time and the lift took us up at speed. It is still pretty fast but a long time ago they lost the fasted lift record. After all, time doesn't stand still and advances are made - unless you are visiting the Atomium, where you are stuck in a time warp in the 1950s.

The top sphere is split into two levels, the panorama platform where you can slowly walk around and have a good view over Brussels and, on a good day, probably the whole country. The upper level is the restaurant and can be reached by another staircase.

The restaurant is normally self service but on the say we visited it was closed. They had taken enough bookings and weren't letting anyone else in, not even to have a look out of the top floor windows.

It was a shame that the weather wasn't particularly good, with low hanging clouds and rain. I'm sure we would have been able to see a lot further than we could. But I've never actually fancied the idea of overlooking towns and cities from high above. It may give you an idea of its size but it's not often that breathtaking - unless you are on top of the CN Tower in Toronto/Canada or similar high buildings. The Atomium is relatively small and low rise by comparison and because the sphere does not actually move, it's not even a interesting and fun as the London Eye.

Altogether we spent about 90 minutes at the Atomium but that was only because we sat inside for a while waiting for the rain to stop - or at least let off a little.

I'm glad I went to see it. At least I can say I was there. If I had to go again I would most definitely refuse, in particular at the price they are charging. On a nice day you can spend some more time in the area. Also, the Atomium itself will look much brighter and shinier than it did on the gloomy December day we went. But even a glorious day will not cover the fact that there really isn't anything of interest inside the spheres. Someone should bring it kicking and screaming into the 21st century with a modern exhibitions and technology you expect nowadays, computers and digital display, and of course an area where visitors can find out for themselves what can be achieved. Activity areas are always more fun than a plaque telling you that 50 years ago something was top of the range.

Of course, if you are going to the stadium next door and have some time to kill, you could have a look, it won't take long and you, too, can say you've been. Then again, you might rather go and see a movie in the cinema centre or visit 'Little Europe', an exhibition of famous buildings in miniature.

All in all, nice to go and have a look but do not expect too much and you won't be disappointed. 

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