The National Library has made it a little easier to reach its hidden rooftop terrace.
In the past, you had to figure out a route through the labyrinthine library to reach the fifth-floor hideaway. But there’s now a glass lift that takes you straight to the rooftop from the library entrance on the Mont des Arts.
And, because this is Brussels, the lift isn’t just a lift. It provides an audio experience as you rise through the floors. You hear the sounds of the modern city mixed with mediaeval music.
You can enjoy an unusual view of Brussels from the library roof, then sit on the terrace with a coffee or a Belgian beer. It’s an inspiring transformation for an institution that was once rather forbidding.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
