Parks and green spaces

Green space is distributed unequally around the Brussels-Capital Region. 70 % of them are in the outer suburbs, while only 10 % is found in the city centre. But you will always find the ideal place for a walk, a jog or some downtime.

The website of Bruxelles Environnement provides comprehensive information on green spaces and biodiversity in Brussels (FR/NL).

Where to go when you want to go green

Parc Royal between the Belgian Parliament and the Royal palace (Parc metro station) is the green centre of the city. Not too far away, you can also take a stroll around the Botanical Garden, Parc Egmont – a real hidden gem – and the gardens of Mont des Arts or Petit Sablon.

The green lung of the Brussels-Capital Region is undoubtedly the Forêt de Soignes (Hermann-Debroux metro station), also sometimes called the Sonian Forest in English. It is the ideal way of enjoying nature without leaving the city. There are plenty more parks and woodlands around the capital – too many to name here.

The following destinations are certainly worth a visit:

• 
  Parc du Cinquantenaire with the triumph arch in the background
• Parc Léopold behind the European Parliament in the EU district
• the Ixelles lakes in the art deco neighbourhood
• the Forest Park en the Duden Park in Forest
• Bois de la Cambre, which is partly closed to motorised traffic at the weekends to allow walkers, cyclists and skaters to explore it in peace
• Parc de la Woluwe, hilly and with ponds
• Continue a little farther after Parc de la Woluwe, to just outside of Brussels, Parc de Tervueren, which houses the Royal Museum for Central Africa
• Josaphatpark (FR/NL), the great park in Schaerbeek
• The large part next to the Palace of Laeken and the Atomium (Heysel metro)
• Or take a trip to the van Buuren art deco museum and gardens, with maze and Jardin du cœur (tram 92 – get off at Vanderkindere, trams 3, 23 and 24 – get off at Churchill).