Green: Fact: Brussels is the greenest capital of Europe. Bam! You can get a patch of nature a stone’s throw away from any of the CO-HOMING residences. Seriously, check the map here.
Green: the color of envy. The envy that all those European capitals feel about Brussels and her humongous green spaces. Since I am in a silly mood today, I will even throw the clichéest of the clichés: yes, it can be greener on the other side of the fence. Argh!…I do apologize… and I’ll spare you the green-eyed monster…
Ok, we don’t want to brag too much about it but there is one piece of stats that sticks out: imagine, there are 24m² of green space per inhabitant. Think, it’s 20 times as big as a bath towel, 250 times the size of an airplane tray table and even better, 4,500 times as big as a playing card. Brussels rocks.
Behind its appearance of a well-organised institutional capital, Brussels is home to a variety of green spaces scattered all around its territory. To see them all, check out the Brussels Environnement website. And if all this nature has put you in the mood for a stroll, do not hesitate to set out on the “Promenade Verte”, an amazing landscaped path linking the natural and semi-natural green spaces of Brussels’ outer limits. In all, it comprises a 60 km itinerary to make a full tour of the region on a secure and signposted route. Although it is generally done by bicycle, it can be split up into 3 pedestrian parts that can be considered training for the Brussels 20K. Huh? Why not?
Parks are everywhere in Brussels. Look:
Bois de la Cambre: the king of Brussels’ parks. I found out that it was created by German architect Edouard Keilig in 1861, around the same time Avenue Louise was laid out and I have no idea why I wrote this because, honestly, are we interested? I’d rather tell you that it’s my second favorite park in the world… after Central Park but it’s in my genes, can’t help it. Now, there is an easy way for you to experience this beautiful, peaceful and popular green patch. Just move in the Depage or Solbosch houses. They are right next to it.
Parc du Cinquantenaire: it commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of Belgium’s independence. Close to the European Quarter, it is surrounded by museums. It plays host to major events, including the start and finish of that Brussels 20K race. Tempted? Well, check in to the Cinquantenaire House.
Zavelenberg – Berchem Sainte-Agathe: And now, for something completely different, seriously, listen … there are cows, real cows, grazing in Brussels, no joke. Zavelenberg is home to the last farm of the city. Hedges, meadows, woods and clumps of poplars are precious biotopes. Though a little farther afield, it’s so urban that public transportation will take you there. And, if for any reason you were to decide to sleep with the cows, guess what, it’s open 24/7. Hey, seriously, can any capital city top that?
Alright my friends, I could go on for quite a while with this green stuff but I will let you check it all out on the visit.brussels website.
Micky
