Description

Essentials about the Castle of Laeken in brief

In Brussels die-hard royalists should make their way to Castle of Laeken in the north of the city. Built at the end of the 18th century, the castle has been the residence of the Belgian royal family since 1831. Unfortunately, since the Belgian royals still use the castle grounds today, the public must stay outside. Only the beautiful greenhouses of the castle park can be visited for three weeks in spring.

The history of the Castle of Laeken

The castle was built in the village of Laeken, which at that time was still outside Brussels, between 1782 and 1784 according to plans by the French architect Charles de Wailly as a summer residence for the governors of the Habsburg Netherlands, Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria and her husband Albert of Saxe-Teschen. The palace garden was laid out according to designs by the famous English landscape architect Lancelot Brown.

The French Revolution and the annexation of what is now Belgium by France in 1794/95 caused the dukes to abandon the castle. They sold the grounds and the surrounding properties were divided up. It is thanks to Napoleon Bonaparte, who had the property purchased to make it a residence, that the castle was saved from demolition.

After the fall of the French Empire, the residence was granted to the new Kingdom of the Netherlands. Under Dutch rule, the castle was embellished and the theater and orangery were added.

After the independence of Belgium, the new Belgian King Leopold I moved into the Castle of Laeken in 1831. The castle itself underwent no major structural changes during his reign. Leopold did, however, arrange for the enlargement of the castle grounds and the construction of a magnificent greenhouse complex.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Castle of Laeken was extended by two side wings. Today, the royal family of Belgium still resides at Laeken Castle, but no longer in the main building itself, but in the Belvédère, a palace on the grounds of the castle park.

The Castle of Laeken park

The Castle of Laeken is surrounded by a huge landscape garden in English style. The park grounds feature lakes, artworks and even a golf course. An architectural highlight of the castle park are the various pavilions, including the Chinese Pavilion and the Japanese Tower in the style of a pagoda.

Another architectural highlight of the park is the greenhouse complex commissioned by King Leopold II, built in 1873 according to plans by architect Alphonse Balat. The greenhouses have the silhouette of a glass city in the middle of the hilly park landscape. With their monumental pavilions, their glass domes and their extensive galleries, the greenhouses of Laeken Castle are among the most beautiful of their kind in the world. Today’s plant collection still contains plants that were planted in the time of Leopold II. In addition, the Royal Greenhouses are known for their many rare and valuable plants.

The bad news for amateur botanists is that the greenhouses are only open to the public for three weeks each year in the spring. The park of Laeken Castle is also still used by the royal family and is therefore usually closed to the public.

Website

monarchie.be/schloss-zu-laeken

Opening hours

Admission fees

Admission fees Greenhouses:

Adults: €5

Children (Ages 17 and under): free

Location

Getting there

By public transport:

Bus lines 53, 230, 231 and 232: Stop Serres Royales

By car:

There is parking on site.