My partner and I live around the corner from one of the most wonderful public parks in Brussels, Parc Josaphat.
Brussels has many great parks, each of course has its own particular charms. Parc du Cinquanteniare has the mighty triumphal arch, tennis courts and 5-a-side football courts.
Parc de Bruxelles likewise is a wonderful public space, with fountains, pavilions, a bar and a plethora of events enticing people in.
But for me, it is Parc Josaphat that steals the show. It is less structured and formal than either of the two aforementioned parks and that is its charm.
There are pathways and grassy areas as you would expect. There are ponds and fountains and some wonderful sculptures dotted throughout – the standard thing for any Belgian park. Yet there are also areas where nature has been left to fend for itself. These areas make the park feel less like an actual park and more like woodland. This is because it is in fact the remnants of the old Linthout forest.
As a shared space for the people of Schaerbeek, it is a wonderful, almost magical place. Throughout the summer there are plenty of community events and people there all hours of the day.
Then there are the early mornings. Great to get there when there are few people around and feel the serenity of the woodlands. If you are lucky you will even see a rabbit or two.
One corner of the park is home to a couple of donkeys. And chickens. Our dog loves going to the park, but no park visit is complete without a visit to see the chickens.
There is a cafe in the centre of the park itself, which is lovely to stop at and have a break, and there are cafes and bars around the edge of the park too, mostly on the southern border, along Avenue Des Azalees and Avenue General Eisenhower.
For international visitors, Josaphat may be a bit out of the way, but it is no more that ride on the 25 tram from Rogier metro station to Place Des Bienfaiteurs, followed by a walk of a couple of hundred metres. If you have the time, get in some nature and take a walk through Josaphat.
