Second edition of Park Leopold Day is taking place on September 10th 2022! In case you are wondering what this event is about – the institutions and organisations that call Park Leopold their home have joined forces with the aim to welcome visitors of all ages in this community event.
What to expect?
Locals and visitors alike can discover the free programme packed with diverse activities – from guided tours, to exhibitions and performances, there is something for everybody to enjoy. At the end of a day full of exciting discoveries, visitors can enjoy an inspiring cultural programme in the European Parliament Citizens’ Garden.
Located in the heart of the European quarter, leafy Park Leopold provides the backdrop for a variety of cultural centres, museums and political institutions that will take part in the one-day event including:
- the European Parliament and its’ visitor facilities: the Citizens’ Garden, Hemicycle, House of European History, and Station Europe,
- Czech Centre Brussels Equama Kiosk and Welcome desk, Kult XL Ateliers, Museum of Natural Sciences, Solvay Library and the Wiertz Museum,
- City of Brussels, Etterbeek Commune, Ixelles Commune.
Programme:
Plenty of possibilities to spend a lovely day on the 10th September – from all day visits to afternoon workshops and evening concerts. Some of our favourites are – European Parliament Walking Tours, guided visits to the “When Walls Talk!” exhibition at the House of European History, guided tour of the Wiertz Museum, visit Kult XL Ateliers, concerts and theatre play in the Citizen’s Garden. To consult a detailed programme, head to the dedicated website of the Park Leopold Day or the Facebook event page.
What spots can I discover in the Leopold Park?
Park Leopold, named after the first two Belgian Kings of the newly born state, has a stunning and long history that you can discover during dedicated walking tours linking the European Parliament to its historic neighbourhood. Here’s one fact – the ivy and lion reliefs decorating the brick kiosk buildings at the park entrance remind visitors that this used to be a zoo and botanic gardens!
Housed in the original building of the Brussels-Luxembourg train station, Station Europe bridges the area’s past as the Leopold Quarter and its present as the European Quarter. It serves as a starting point for guided tours on the day of the event.
The European Parliament Hemicycle is the vibrant heart of European democracy, where Members of the European Parliament gather during plenary sessions to hold the largest and most important debates. It also provides the setting for historic votes that change the way people live across the European Union.
The House of European History is located in the former Eastman dental clinic, which was financed by a donation in 1931 from the US-business man and philanthropist George Eastman, the inventor of the Kodak camera, to host a dental clinic for disadvantaged children. Today it hosts the House of European History’s permanent exhibition on six floors as well as the temporary exhibition “When Walls Talk!”.
The Solvay Library and the Lycée Jacqmain used to be the Institut de Physiologie, which hosted the Solvay congresses, bringing together great minds from around the world between the two world wars. Why not follow in the footsteps of Einstein, Bohr and Curie and take a picture on the stairs overlooking the park?
At the Museum of Natural Sciences visitors can explore human nature, evolution and biology, as well as the largest Dinosaur Gallery in Europe. The Museum of Natural Sciences has been a permanent fixture in Leopold Park, for the past 150 years. On Park Leopold Day the museum will be taken outside into its garden with lots of space for fun activities for all ages and especially for children.
Discover the Wiertz Museum in the heart of the Leopold district and get dazzled by this impressive piece of Belgian art history! The museum, which has preserved its original atmosphere, was once the home and studio of painter, sculptor and writer Antoine Wiertz (1806-1865), a somewhat controversial artistic figure of the Belgian Romantic movement. Since 1868, the Wiertz Museum has been part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
The garden of Wiertz’s former residence is now the Citizens’ Garden, thanks to renovation by the European Parliament. The garden is open to all and hosts a rich cultural programme with concerts, art installations and literary events.
Ixelles artists’ residency is a brand new cultural venue in the European district, which is dedicated to contemporary visual arts. The KULT XL Ateliers offers a new exhibition space and artists’ studios.
The Eggevoort Tower is the only remaining part of the medieval estate, dating from the 15th century, reminding visitors of Park Leopold’s long history in the Maalbeek valley. This magnificent example of civil architecture is among the oldest and best preserved in the Brussels Region and has recently been classified as a historical monument thanks to the efforts of the Association du Quartier Léopold.
Interested to know more about the activities in the area? Consult our neighbourhood Guide to the EU District and find more info on the upcoming events, museum exhibitions & guided tours on the Visit European Parliament‘s website.
