Cemeteries’ Spring: Annual event at Laeken focuses on women buried in the historic cemetery

The 3rd edition of Cemeteries’ Spring in Laeken Cemetery on 25 and 26 May offers guided tours in English among a programme of events honouring women.

Passionate guides will take visitors around one of the city's most beautiful cemeteries, paying tribute to those who have been forgotten, who have remained invisible or whose voices have rarely been heard.

Along the way, there are musical and poetic interludes by the literary nonprofit Amusea, a new artwork in progress by Maren Dubnick and classical music by the 'Ensemble Oncques pareille'.

All events are free of charge. There are eight tours per day: four in French, three in Dutch and one in English. Reservations are required via email: servicedespublics@brucity.be.

Visitors can also discover the former Atelier Ernest Salu, which exceptionally opens its doors for the weekend with an exhibition dedicated to the role of women. Three generations of the Salu family created many of the sculptures for the graves lying in the cemetery. The studio is now a small museum devoted to funerary art.

Laeken Cemetery is often known as the Père Lachaise of Belgium, in reference to the famous Parisian resting place.

Located next to the Church of Notre-Dame of Laeken and the Royal Palace, it is the oldest cemetery in Brussels still in operation. Housing the Royal Crypt, it is also the burial ground for the Belgian royal family.

For more information about the event, see Cemeteries’ Spring’s Facebook page.

Photos: ©City of Brussels