Harry Potter Exhibition | Brussels | Belgium

My birthday was on the 28th of July, and to celebrate my friend and I visited the Harry Potter Exhibition in Brussels! We took a train to Brussels from Ghent where we then took the metro and arrived at the Expo Centre which is located down the street from the Atomium.

Our day started with some delicious cupcakes she had baked to get us ready for the adventure ahead. I had pre-booked our ticket online so we headed inside where the real waiting started. They were taking people in groups while the rest of us had to wait quite a while in anticipation to enter the magical world. When we finally became part of a group we were greeted by a “professor” who told us some rules and who sorted some people into houses. We were guided past the train by Hogwarts student with a lantern to where the exhibition started. By this time I was already ecstatic by the atmosphere as we left the muggle world behind.

The first part of the exhibition was the Singing Lady from the Gryffindor dorm entrance and after that there were various sets and props. Harry and Ron’s room, potions class with different objects and books, Madam Sprout’s greenhouse (you can actually pull out a Mandrake!), the office of Dolores Umbridge in all pink, Marauders map and even the golden egg. The next part was all about Quiddicth through the ages and the costumes with a net where we could practice our throwing skills.

Hagrid’s hut greeted us next with his enormous chair (which I sat in) and other peculiar objects which were placed all around. An assortment of magical creatures from the forest were also present and some pumpkins.

Everything dark arts and eerie was next, the Horcruxes, dementors, Death Eaters, wanted posters and creepy wands.

The last part of the exhibit was in the great hall and had different kinds of ridiculous food, candy, ball costumes, Dobby, the Triwizard Cup and newspaper articles, including Rita Skeeter’s book on Dumbledore.

The exhibit shop of all things magical awaited us at the exit where we could buy Bertie Botts Flavor Beans, cloaks, maps and other merchandise. The prices were quite expensive, but of course had to buy something! It was a great exhibition of the Harry Potter world; with just enough magical things. I did wish however that there had been more space, because there were a lot of people and it wasn’t so easy to stop and read everything when people were waiting impatiently to also read. However I feel it was worth it and I’m definitely looking forward to one day visiting the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London (The Making of Harry Potter) which has even more magic to offer.

Our trip to Brussels ended with some delicious Belgium fries. It was a day well spent with some drinks at an Irish pub with friends to celebrate later on. I still feel very grateful that I could experience this exhibition about something which I grew up with and still love to this day.