Warande Park: the green crossroads of power

Het Warandepark is the oldest park in Brussels and the first public park of the city, where the people of Brussels could freely walk and recreate starting from the 18th century. Originally, it was a hunting ground for the dukes and the nobility, complete with vineyards, fish ponds, a labyrinth, a field for tournaments, and a real tennis court. Later, water features were also added. The park thus illustrates the transition from a closed princely domain to a green, public space where city dwellers could enjoy peace, nature, and fresh air in the heart of the city. A backdrop for power and relaxation After the fire of the palace on the Coudenberg in 1731, the area was redesigned into a symmetrical park, inspired by French garden design. Wide avenues, long sightlines, and carefully placed statues made the Warandepark an elegant promenade for the Brussels elite. The park became a place to walk, to see and be seen, and at the same time formed a green link between the palace, the city, and the emerging bourgeois neighborhoods. In addition, the Warandepark is surrounded by authority, with on one side the Koninklijk Paleis, the workplace of Koning Filip, and directly opposite it the Federaal Parlement. As a result, the park lies literally between the seats of monarch and state. This green lung in the city has also always been a center of culture and entertainment. In the Koninklijk Parktheater, visitors could attend children’s performances, circus acts, variety theater, comic operas, and operettas. De Vauxhall offered space for dance, drink, and amusement, and the bandstand housed summer balls and open-air concerts. During this guided tour, you will discover how the park has been a meeting place for centuries where power, culture, and pleasure come together.