Tag:

Parks

Parc Leopold

by Vincent July 23, 2008

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

July 23, 2008 3 comments

Parks

Bois de la Cambre

by Vincent July 4, 2008

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 ForÃªt 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 FÃªte, 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 SantÃ©

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’embarcadÃ¨re

Popular with families

Path leading to ForÃªt de Soigne

July 4, 2008 1 comment

Parks

Parc Malou

by Vincent June 9, 2008

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 ChÃ¢teau Malou (Castle), A large playground for children, a fishermen’s pond, walks along the riviÃ¨re 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 AllÃ©e 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 Ã‰tang de PÃªche (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

June 9, 2008 1 comment

Parks

Parc de Woluwe

by Vincent May 16, 2008

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 LaÃ®nÃ© 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

May 16, 2008 0 comment

Square

Square Marie-Louise

by Vincent January 16, 2008

written by Vincent

Square Marie-Louise has its own impressive sized lake surrounded by a little park. it’s in fact one of the only six ponds left in the city of Brussels.

A large sized fountain is found in the middle of the pond

walking around the pond

Statue of a naked woman surrounded by flowers

Closer look

Zooming in on the fountain

back on our walk around the park

Multi colored flowers

Statue of Lt General Bernheim a WWI Hero

The pond viewed by the side

Relaxing on a bench

This beautiful statue from was a gift from sculptor Marius Vos which stands among blooming trees and flowers

The statue ‘Naissance dâ€™une Nation’ or in English Birth of a Nation which won the gold medal at the international exhibit in Paris in 1937

Elderly men having a discussion

Pigeons being fed bread crumbs on the grass

Among trees

Foutain and rock structure in the back of the pond

January 16, 2008 10 comments

Square

Square Ambiorix

by Vincent January 5, 2008

written by Vincent

Square Ambiorix is a bowl of fresh air located just 120 meters away from Shuman that is home of the EU institutions. Its really worth the short walk if you ever are in that part of Brussels since it also has around 20 very interesting buildings dating back from 1890. One of them being the art nouveau masterpiece house of Saint Cyr.

You will always find a large number of flowers all along Square Ambiorix