TravelF0rW0rkAndFun
We were here a couple of times with student groups. It takes about 45 minutes to go through. Worth going if you are an EU citizen.
748DavidL
Large place which took us 3 to 4 hours to get through what we wanted but certainly not everything. Left feeling rather knowledgeable of the founding, building and running of the EU. I even felt pride in the fact that as a Scottish citizen I was part of this. For what it is and the fact it is free this is an extraordinary must see exhibition. Also, to be honest, there was not a lot to do in Brussels that we'd want to do so this gets high marks.
antinoe
An excellent place to learn about Europe and the construction of the European Union from WWII until the present. There is nothing like it. Anyone who visits Brussels must go to the Parlamentarium.
Mllecoccinelle
Interactive museum, you need like 2 days to visit the entire place and see It all... very very long exhibition. After one hour we left the place, exhausted!Not sure you learn lot of things after all...It seems your brain is flooded by all those informations
pollydoodle53
Unless you are wildly interested in the European Union I would not bother to go here as I found it totally boring and, but that is a matter of opinion
Jean120557
I went on a Saturday and with all other surrounding buildings closed the area was very quiet and the museum was not that clearly signposted as open. We nearly gave up but glad we didn't. Very impressed with the helpful staff and interactivity. A timeline of the formation of the European union comes to life with your own navigation using a handset and earpiece and the processes and procedures of the European parliament are well explained through different visual images and participatory screens. Whilst being educational and propagandist it had all the young people visiting quite engaged in a practical and realistic way. All styles of learning and taking in information are catered for. It is well worth a couple of hours of visiting time with a cafe and shop at the end. I would put it in the top 10 of places to visit in Brussels. It is modern and thought provoking - even if you don't support the political messages it conveys.
geographyguy_11
Visited the Parlamentarium after doing a tour of the European Parliament chamber nearby. I was skeptical that it was going to be a propaganda palace, but was pleasantly surprised by the fascinating section on the history of the EU from plans for the internationalization of the Ruhr after WWII to the Treaties of Maastricht and Nice. The circular theater with desks like those in the Parliament chamber which plays a good film about how the Parliament works was also enjoyable. The rest of the centre was a bit airy-fairy (for lack of a better term): there are video messages from each MEP, sections to vote on topical questions and suggest ideas for EU policy, information on what the EU spends money on and people talking about how the EU affects them. You don't learn much from these sections. Nowhere deals with what people - or at least, I - really want to know (e.g. why doesn't the European Parliament sit in only one place? how is it a Parliament when it has no legislative initiative? how is it representative of the people when MEPs only get 2 mins to speak?). Some sections have information on a single touch screen, which can be frustrating to wait for so you can set it to your language. I had a better time than I thought I would and would probably go again.
dilly476
I was disappointed by the Parlamentarium, didn't particularly enjoy it or find it interesting or informative. We did it in conjunction with the European Parliament tour which I found far more interesting.
mgmgmg0
'Brussels' is synonymous with the European Union and the city wouldn't be complete without an EU-themed tourist attraction.Parlamentarium is the official visitor centre and gift shop, and it does what it says on the tin. Expect a multi-million pound utopia celebrating the Eastward march of the EU following its creation in the aftermath of the second world war. The depth of analysis is limited to colours spreading on a map; this is a world of progress without consequence.It appears to cater to all languages although one soundbite featuring the UK appeared only to play in French.There's a large room that allows you to walk over a map of Europe, positioning yourself over various cities to see a video describing how they owe their success to Brussels (York, for example has record low unemployment because of an EU grant - although I'm sure being outside the Eurozone certainly helped). There's another room with a wall showing you the the unrecognisable, smiling faces of the several hundred MEPs currently serving their time. You can listen to a 30-second soundbite from each of them. You can write your own policy suggestion and drop it in a postbox, although if one of these has ever become law I'll lick a shrimp.Of course, the experience all depends on your outlook - if you're more open minded you'll probably quite enjoy it - and the city of Brussels owes so much to the EU that it would be incomplete without this sort of attraction.Around the corner there's a guided tour of the parliament building itself, operating once or twice a day. Although we turned up on time, the tour was already full. Of the 500 million or so citizens of the EU, only about 20 at a time are permitted to visit. If you're not one of the chosen ones, you might as well tour Parlamentarium instead.
P9745XIcatherinem
We went to the Parlamentarium one morning as a break from museums and churches. We were staying in the European Parliament district for the weekend so walked past it on the way in to town.It's a highly visual and aural experience; the use of lighting and colours as well as the spoken guides (in many languages) make it a really sensory experience, as well as an informative one. The building itself is impressive, so it's an interesting experience from an architectural perspective. The exhibits give a sense of grandeur, space, and the enormity of the European political landscape. As such, you don't need to be a political buff to really get something from the visit.Definitely recommend a visit for all ages and backgrounds.
996lilys
We left a couple of hours spare to do the Parlamentarium, but to do everything they have to offer it would take a lot longer than this. It is exceptionally entertaining and I learnt an awful lot in such a short amount of time. I truly recommend a visit but leave enough time!
Biophil
We visited the Parlamentarium on a Sunday so it was not that easy to find the entrance. But once you find it you are very well received and can chose the language for your audio guide.I'm not too fond of politics, and as Swiss I'm not a big fan of European politics but the exhibition is well organized and covers the history of the EU (very interest) as well as the law making process in the European Parliament (which also affects Switzerland in the end) on a 360-degree digital surround screen. It's a great place to learn about politics, and it's worth a short visit. Go there when you visit the European quarter anyway or if you are really interested in European politics.
CC24_2011
Very nice set-up and quite informative. I found the round room where they show the video of how the Parliament works the most interesting. Also the area of the EU map and the mobile devices that talk to about about the cities that are on the map is quite interesting. Good when you are with family to teach the kids about the EU.
micking60
Lovely modern building with so much information via audio and visual letting you know what actually happens in the European Parliament, great souvenir shop
Andrewstratton
Our daughter enjoyed the visit to the parlamentarium. She enjoyed finding out about how politics work and really enjoyed the role play game, this is not a tour for very small children