BRUSSELS PARK

Description

Essentials about Brussels Park in brief

Brussels Park (also called “Warandepark”) was the first public park in Brussels and is today a popular recreational area in the center of Brussels. The park is characterized mainly by its symmetrical design and its wide avenues, which invite you to take a walk. Around Brussels Park are some of the most important buildings in Brussels, such as the Royal Palace and the Belgian Parliament building. The park is home to the Royal Park Theater, which hosts a regular program throughout the year. In addition, during the summer months, Brussels Park regularly hosts outdoor concerts.

The history of Brussels Park

Today’s Brussels Park is the green remnant of a municipal wild animal garden formerly belonging to the ducal Coudenberg Castle, in a sense a feudal hunting pleasure park of the Dukes of Brabant with deer, wild boar and other hunting animals. These medieval pleasure gardens for hunting were called “warande” in the Netherlands.

In 1731, the hunting idyll came to an abrupt end when Coudenberg Castle burned to the ground in a major fire and was never rebuilt afterwards. The adjacent park was also affected by the fire. Due to a lack of money, the ruinous condition of the area was not to change for the next 40 years.

It was not until 1775, under the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, that it was proposed to begin rebuilding a park at the expense of the city of Brussels. After long negotiations, it was agreed in 1776 that the city would level the area for the new park and the government would take over the creation of the actual park. More than 1,200 trees subsequently had to be felled to make room for the planned ground leveling, because the park area was originally much hillier than today’s Brussels Park.

Brussels Park today

On the edge of the rectangular park are some important buildings, such as the Royal Palace and the Palace of Academies to the south, the Parliament building opposite to the north, the U.S. Embassy to the east, and other banking and government facilities to the west. Within the park, in the northeast corner, is the Royal Park Theater, which offers regular programming throughout the year. Furthermore, open-air concerts are regularly held in Brussels Park during the summer months.