Founded in 1829, one year before the Belgian Revolution, a cabinet of curiosities in Tournai is the oldest museum in Belgium.
The Natural History Museum occupies a beautiful arcade inside the town hall designed by the architect Bruno Renard.
Here you can admire a fascinating collection of animals, including the first elephant to arrive in Belgium, along with rare Egyptian turtles and endangered boa constrictors.
The museum was recently restored to preserve its authentic 19th-century atmosphere.
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.
