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Couple arriving on bike at parc du Viaduc in Ixelles
Parks

Parc du Viaduc

by Vincent
written by Vincent

The Park du Viaduc is one of the lesser known green areas of Brussels. Hidden behind a street of the same name, it is very unlikely that you’ll meet here anyone else than residents of this Ixelles neighborhood. I am a big fan of these small lesser known parks where you can come and spend some quiet time reading a book or just relax under a peaceful apple tree. The place is always uncrowded, a little less on Wednesday afternoons when school is off or on holidays where you might encounter a few families with children investing the playground but even then there’s still plenty of room for everyone to coexist peacefully. Also a great place to enjoy a peaceful picnic with friends, just the right mix of shade, sun for everyone to enjoy on the well kept lawns . Park personnel are always present and do their little round and make sure that everyone respects the rules in a friendly and pleasant manner.

Parc du Viaduc is best for those who:

  • Are already in the neighborhood and are looking for a quiet and lesser known alternative
  • Those who love small parks
  • Those who don’t want to see too many people
  • Those who like to discover new places
Coupe relaxing on the lawn of parc du viaduc in Brussels
The place is usually always uncrowded
Parc du viaduc and Maison de la Solidarité in the back
Parc du viaduc and Maison de la Solidarité in the back
The pleasant little urban green space is well maintained
Man having a rest in parc du viaduc
At the entrance of Park of the Viaduct arriving with my bike
Path circling around parc du Viaduc
The path circling around the parc du Viaduc
kids playing in Park du viaduc Brussels
At the center of the park du Viaduc
Yellowed lawns by the hot sun at Parc du Viaduc
Laws near la maison de la solidarité
Path going all around the parc du Viaduc
A path circles all around the parc du Viaduc
Big green lawns of the quiet Parc du Viaduc
Big green lawns run through the quiet little Parc du Viaduc
Coupe relaxing on the lawns of the parc du viaduc
Coupe relaxing on the lawns of the parc du viaduc
Path circling around park du Viaduc
stone walkway across park du viaduc
Way out of the park
Toilets at Parc du viaduct in Brussels
Pilon vous souhaite un heureux caca 🙂
Entrance of the parc du viaduc by the walkway is just to the left
Entrance is on the left
Train tracks just right of the parc du viaduc
Train tracks run along down to Gare de la Chapelle where the EU institutions are
Grafiti art: Mèle toi de ton cul
Grafiti art: Mèle toi de ton cul outside of the park of the viaduct
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Parks

Parc Félix Hap

by Vincent
written by Vincent

Some things just manage to keep a low profile and remain hidden little gems which surely could describe the Felix Hap park. Although located in a very urban part of Brussels and tucked away behind a wall, the Parc Félix Hap is one of the best kept secrets of Etterbeek. Considered by many the the most beautiful park of the commune it was originally a family mansion that was donated in 1988 to the public. The garden today retains it’s peacefull quiet quaint charm and is very inviting to visitors.

Photos of Parc Félix Hap in Etterbeek (location):

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Parks

Parc d’Egmont

by Vincent
written by Vincent

Le Parc d’Egmont (The Egmont Park) is composed of the formed-gardens of the Egmont palace which were modified several times between the XVI century and 1902, dates on which architect Galoppin laid it out as it is now. This park forms a pleasant little oasis of peace and tranquility in the heart of a very busy urban district.

Location of the Parc d’Egmont :


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Park in front of the Egmont Palace

The Palais d’Egmont dates from 1533-34

Commissioned by the Princess of Gavre, mother of Lamoral of Egmont

The Neo-classical orangery

And its popular outside terrace

People relaxing on a hot summer day

Road around the park

More sun bathing in the park

Peter Pan bronze by Sir George Frampton

bronze statue of Prince Louis-Eugene de Ligne by J. Cluysenaar

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Parks

Parc Leopold

by Vincent
written by Vincent

Parc Leopold

Park Leopold’s Main entrance on rue Belliard just beyond the Parliament buildings. Set on the edge of the new European Union infrastructures and following on from the Maelbeek Valley, which stretches from the woods at La Cambre and the lakes in Ixelles to square Marie-Louise, this public park is a haven of peace and tranquility in the midst of the bustle of the urban thoroughfare that is rue Belliard.

Location of Parc Leopold:


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Photos of Parc Leopold:

One end of the Park Leopold pond

The district is currently undergoing a total transformation as is obvious from the impressive number of tower cranes around.

The park was originally designed to be used as a zoo, hence the inscriptions visible on each side of the main entrance.

The park was opened in the middle of the 19C and given its current name to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Independence.

This pleasant, peaceful spot has a lake on which it is not unusual to see herons. The park lies on a steep slope and is overlooked by the rear facades of the two wings of the Museum des Sciences Naturelles.

From the other end of the pond

One of the many other species of birds

View across the pond

European Parliament buildings looming in the back

Georges Eastman dentistry institute in the back

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Parks

Botanique

by Vincent
written by Vincent

Le Botanique or the Former Botanical Garden

Since 1983, this complex hosts the Cultural Center of the French-speaking Community of Brussels and Wallonia. It was built in 1826-29 by T.-F Suys and P.-F. Gineste. The monumental structure is typical of XVIllth century orangeries: a central rotunda with a wing on each side, each ending on a pavilion.

The building was enlarged several times during the XIXth century. In 1939 most of the plant collections were transferred to the botanical garden at Meise. Truncated and mutilated after the works of the North-South junction, the former botanical garden was re-arranged according to the drawings of René Pechère.

Location of the Botanique:


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The botanical gardens lie in particularly pleasant surroundings and now host and organise a wide range of special events such as theatrical productions (in the great central rotunda), musical evenings (song, dance), cinema and temporary exhibitions. In September, the gardens play host to Les Nuits Botanique Festival, with numerous pop, rock and soul concerts.


Originally the gardens. which were partly laid out by Charles Henri Petersen, consisted of three terraces overlooking a lake, each in a different style.

way across the pound

The pond of the botanical gardens

They have since been altered slightly as a result of the construction of the Gare du Nord railway station.

the relocation of the plant collection in Meise, the damage caused during the war, and the building of an underpass which decreased the overall area by half.

The old botanical gardens building and its glasshouse

The back of the park

Few of the 52 sculptures that made up the ornamentation designed by Constantin Meunier and Charles van der Stappen, two brilliant late-19C artists, have survived to the present day.

Le laurier sculpture by Julien Dillens

l’olivier sculpture by Leon Mignon

Some of them can still be seen in front of the south façade of the building, including Spring (Hippolyte Le Roy). Summer (C Meunier), Autumn (C Meunier) and Winter (Pierre Braccke) flanking the central glasshouse.

Winter and Fall in the back

La Cigogne by Edmond Lefever

Spring at the forefront and summer in the back

A number of animal sculptures bear witness to the fashion for this new art form in the 1980s. In preparation for the 1958 World Fair. Rene Pechère was commissioned to turn the old gardens into a city centre park open to all.

Central glasshouse building

Finance tower seen in the back

It contains a few superb tree which are sure to delight those with a fondness for arboriculture or a nice spot to relax amongst the urban environment.

Maze of the Botanical gardens

The iris, the symbol of the Brussels-Capital City Region (“Region” because Belgium has been federal state since 17 February 1994), is given pride of place here and from Apri to June there are almost 40 different varieties to admire.

People relaxing on a hot summer day in the park

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Parks

Bois de la Cambre

by Vincent
written by Vincent

Bois de la Cambre in French or Ter Kamerenbos in Dutch

In 1852 Napoleon III sold Bois de Boulogne, the woods on the western side of Paris, to the City of Paris. Eight years later, the Belgian government also desirous of providing its capital with a public park sold the 304 acres of the Bois de la Cambre which occupy the part of the Forêt de Soignes closest to the conurbation. The woods owe their name to the Abbaye de la Cambre which owned several woods under the Old Regime. They were landscaped by Keilig, a German architect born in Saxony in 1827, who designed two oval-shaped landscaped meadows. This style is also known as the English style because of its origin, which aimed at imitating nature. The woods therefore include an artificial lake and a bridge over a gully, as well as a wide variety of trees. They were an immediate success and soon became the city’s favourite promenade for aristocrats. Queen Marie-Henrietta, the wife of Leopold II was often to be seen driving her own horse and carriage: she also participated in the Longchamp Fête, a revival of the Parisian tradition which was a pretext for the ladies to display their latest finery.

Location:


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The Two neoclassical pavilions which mark the entrance to the woods were erected 1835 at the Porte de Namur (Namur Gate) to collect the city toll: the tax was Abolished in 1860 and the buildings moved to the end of avenue Louise because of their somewhat faded beauty. The Bois de la Cambre is still very popular with the people of Brussels who like to come here for weekend strolls or on warm, sultry evenings in summer.

Photos of the Bois de la Cambre:

Piste Santé

Can get pretty crowded during the week-ends

The artificial lake

The walk around the lake

Home to many species of birds

Plenty of grass all around

Sentier de l’embarcadère

Popular with families

Path leading to Forêt de Soigne

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Parks

Parc Malou

by Vincent
written by Vincent

The Parc Malou with its 20 acres is the largest park of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert but also the oldest. Amoung other things It features the Moulin Lindekemale (old mill), The Château Malou (Castle), A large playground for children, a fishermen’s pond, walks along the rivière Woluwe (Woluwe river) and sightings of wildlife such as ducks and swans.

Location:



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Lindekemale Mill

Built downstream from the confluence of the Woluwe and Struykbeek, this former grist mill, mentioned in texts as early as 1129, used water from both of these streams to increase its power. In the 19th century, paper was also made here.

Around 1900, faced with competition from the milling industry, the managers opened the Mill Milk Bar a place where walkers stopped to quench their thirst.
Acquired by the town in 1955, this is the only mill to have survived the urbanisation of the valley. The paddle wheel was restored in 1994.

La Woluwe (river)

Marais du Struykbeek (Struykbeek pond)

The Allée du stade road crosses the park along the Marais du Struykbeek


The imposing statue of the roaring Lion by Raymond de Meester de Betzenbroeck

The road leading to tip of the large fisherman’s pond

the Malou lake from a corner

Closer look

View from across the lake

On the other side of the Étang de Pêche (fisherman’s pound)

Some of the wildlife birds living on the Lac Malou

On the lawn next of the Chateau Malou

Wild Bird Crossing

Chateau Malou

Built in 1776, as an engraved inscription notes, for Lambert
de Lamberts, a rich knighted merchant, this lovely Neoclassical
country residence stands among the foliage of around
eight hectares of property.

The chateau owes its current
name to one former owner, the Catholic politician and
financier Jules Malou (1810-1886), whose descendants gave
it to the town in 1951. It was transformed into a cultural
centre and since 1972 has housed the Gallery for Lending
Art Words which promotes contemporary visual artists.

ducks and swans returning into the pond

Path across the park

A large playground at one end of the Park called the Chalet Malou

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Parks

Parc de Woluwe

by Vincent
written by Vincent

Remarkably well preserved the 186 acres strong Parc de Woluwe is a bowl of fresh air just 10 minutes outside of the city center. The Woluwe Park was Built between 1895 and 1899 by a Frenchman named Laîné under the orders of King Leopold II who had envisioned an English style park made out of the marshlands bordering the avenue de Tervuren. To this day it has stayed a very popular spot during the summer time in part due to its varied and diverse landscape, bird species and flora that counts around 200 different kinds of trees alone. The park is also used for skiing and ice skating during the winter when it snows.

Location:


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Photos of the Park of Woluwe

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Parks

Georges-Henri park

by Vincent
written by Vincent

Here are some pictures of the Georges-Henri park located in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert of Brussels, it has some very odd feature of being an old cemetery where tombstones have been used has pavement to create walkways.

Entrance of the empty park on a cold December day

Entrance of the empty park on a cold December day

let’s chose to go down this road

The Ravensbrück Monument:

The Ravensbrück Monument:

The Ravensbrück Monument (Thérèse Chotteau, 2000). This monument, dedicated to two women members of the resistance and to their children who died in German camps during World War II. The monument depicts a woman standing on muddy ground, with her head thrown back and her body erect, Defying oppression. Her arm is Draped around a child huddled up against her. He represents both the painful memory of loss that is forever remembered and the struggle to safeguard children, hope and the future. On the lecturn, located to the right of the monument, is a passage from a letter written by Marguerite Bervoets, a young poet and teacher who was decapitated on August 8, 1944 in Wolfenbuttel. A bed of roses, symbol of the association of former political prisoners and survivors of the Ravensbrück camp, has been planted to the left of the monument.

Notice the paved road…

Give it a closer look, there is something weird with the pavement…

Anyone starting to have an idea of what it’s made of now ?

Yes tombstones!

It is actually an old recycled cemetery where everything was used in the process of giving it a new vocation as a park. A good reminder that our brief passage on this earth will be totally forgotten from anyone’s memory less than 100 years from now. Be sure to enjoy the short time you have among the living 🙂

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