If you happen to be traveling to Brussels this year, make sure to set your traveling dates between the period of Saturday 21 April until Friday 11 May 2018, except for Monday 23 April and Monday 07 May and be aware of the varying opening hours by day. These greenhouses are one of the most spectacular experience you’ll get to have in your life, so make sure to insert this visit in your agenda. It is a perfect spot even if you decide to travel to Brussels alone, reachable via any taxi service Brussels.

Creation history

The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken in Brussels are designed by Alphonse Balat in 1873 for Leopold II, King of Belgium, serving as an exceptional example of Art Nouveau style that offer a magnificent home for an exquisite variety of plants and special flowers in a very unique and spacious setting. Alphonse Balat is born in the Belgian municipality of Gochenée in 1819, and graduated from the Academy of Antwerp in 1838 with a degree in architecture. He spent some time in Paris until 1846, later moving to Brussels when he was introduced to the royal family. From then on, Balat became one of the most famous architects to have collaborated with the Belgian monarchy, constructing a few temporary festive decorations as well as permanent architectural designs.

Balat dedicated a large part of his career to creating an interesting combination of renaissance and neoclassical elements. For most of his interior designs, he used elements from the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. He was chosen by Leopold II as the principal architect for a number of designs for the exceptional reception rooms of the Royal Palace of Belgium, such as the ‘Throne Room’, ‘The Grand Staircase,’ and the ‘Grande Galerie.’ Among his most significant creations are the Salle de la Madeleine (Magdalenamarkt) and the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken. The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken were built between 1874 and 1895 and are located in the north part of Brussels. They consist of a vast complex of dome-shaped buildings connected with arched galleries. The total floor surface of this immense complex has been estimated to be 2.5 hectares (270,000 square feet), and 800,000 liters of fuel oil are needed each year to heat the structures.

While designing the Royal Greenhouses, Balat decided to introduce the innovation of combining glass and iron into his prestigious decoration motifs, intertwining them with the plants and flowers. Around this concept, he built an exemplary Glass City set in an undulating landscape. This was a first step towards the Art Nouveau architecture that Balat’s protégé Victor Horta would develop afterwards.
 

The Royal Greenhouses of Leaken exceed expectations

Every spring during April and May, this greenhouse complex opens its doors to the public during a three-week period when most flowers are in full bloom. It is an excellent opportunity to see both the wonderful architectural creations of the father of Belgian Art Nouveau and a distinguished plant collection. The complex offers an impressive variety of rare plants and flowers, a majority of which date back to Leopold II’s original collection. For most of the visitors, this was an experience that is out of the expected touristy agenda of sightseeing.

The amazing interior architecture further enriches the exotic combination of trees and plants kept and designed to blossom in the so-called Ideal Glass Palace of the King, opening an astonishing sight for all visitors walking through the monumental pavilions bridged with more than impressive glass arcades, featuring glorious iron details alongside climbing plants. Some parts of the complex, such as the Pier and the Winter Garden, are one of the finest examples of the interior and exterior architecture of Art Nouveau and therefore some of the most significant and architecturally interesting parts of the complex.

The Winter Garden was built between 1874 and 1876 and was the first greenhouse ever to be built. Its spectacular dimensions and spacious interior design allow for a wide variety of palm trees to grow and expand extensively in lasting symbiosis with the other plants. The Pier Greenhouse on the other hand, being one of the most popular greenhouses, was built later through 1886 and 1887, and was intended to welcome visitors when the King was busy in the Winter Garden or the Dining Room Greenhouse. With an impressive staircase leading to the Winter Garden, the interior of the Pier gives an opportunity for a lovely walk through the paved ways filled with tropical Medinilla flowers, before visitors come across the statues by Charles Van der Stappen, Dawn and Evening, at the very end of the Pier.

The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken are among the most interesting examples of Royal architectural masterpieces in Belgium, hence they worth every minute you’ll spend there. All you need to do is to carefully consider the dates when they are open to the public when planning your visit, and give yourself the opportunity to admire the variety of rare flowers and tropical plants in a gorgeous setting. It is simply one of the finest day activities you can plan for yourself in Brussels.

After treating yourself with a walk through the lovely Royal Greenhouses of Leaken, we warmly suggest for you to finish the daily adventure by tasting some of the best Belgian dishes in the most famous restaurants. When done, feel free to organize for a shuttle to airport and leave the city.