Missing link in Brussels' green belt reopens to public after 60 years

Walckiers Park in Schaarbeek, which had been closed since 1965, has finally reopened to the public this week, filling a gap in the green belt that circles the Brussels region.

“This is the final section of the green walk, the last missing piece of this much-loved promenade for strollers, workers and school children alike,” said Brussels Environment.

“This last section provides a new green connection, sheltered from road traffic, between the northern districts of Schaerbeek and Evere. One of the first English-style parks established in Europe in the middle of the 18th century, it’s a site of great biological value.”

The site had become overgrown in its 60 years of non-use, but Brussels Environment began managing the area in 2003 and submitted an urban planning permit in 2011 to rebuild the park.

In the years after its establishment and before its closing, the park served numerous functions, including housing a girls' boarding school and later railway infrastructure. The park is now part of the Promenade Verte, a loop of about 60km along the region's borders.

In terms of biological value, the park is home to ferrets. The park is only partially open to the public and remains closed at night in order to safeguard that ecological aspect.

The park is also protected for its scientific, aesthetic and historical value. The fragile tree heritage has an important ecological function and the park also includes a number of ancient remains, including artificial caves and an obelisk.