From the four originals pounds of Les Étangs d’Ixelles (French for The Ixelles Ponds) only two have survived the 1860 campaign of drying the Maalbeek valley wetlands. The Ixelles Ponds are imposing in size at 700X50 metres and were originally an extension of the gardens of the Abbey de La Cambre. Making up a long strip of almost non-stop greenery that goes deep into the Forêt de Soignes this is a very popular recreation area for residents of Brussels.
Location of Etangs d’Ixelles:
Photos of Etangs d’Ixelles (Ixelles Ponds):
Reaching the Ixelles Ponds arriving from the Abbaye de la Cambre
The Church Sainte-Croix in the back
Some ducks at the Étangs d’Ixelles
Man relaxing on the lawn alone by the water
Walk around the Ixelles Ponds
Urban scene on one side
Nature on the other
at the other end of the pond lies the Place Flagey
View backwards at the tip of the pond
Surrounding buildings
Impressive number of birds waiting to bed fed
Here comes the food
Man reading by the pond
Back on track
More wildlife
Nature in the city
Back where we started