I grew up in Brussels and I never, ever visited the Atomium. Sure, I walked or drove by or under it a zillion of times. I even remember I was scared to death when I was a kid, scared one of its nine balls would come down straight on my head which led to drama and lots of tears whenever we passed it...
I did like the Atomium, however, but only from a distance. The Atomium meant home. On our way back from a trip, as soon as we could spot the Atomium, we knew we were almost there.
Last week I finally made it inside the Atomium and I just loved it. I'm not sure which part I liked best: the outside, with the nine spheres all shiny again after major restoration a couple of years ago, or the inside, which now resides collectibles from the 1950's (I want one of those Hardoy 198 chairs...). Also impressive are the stairs leading the visitors from one sphere to the other.
The Atomium doesn't have the elegance of the Eiffel Tower nor does it have the same notoriety (this is partly due to its location on the outskirts of Brussels), but I do believe it's worth a visit...
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