5 best jogging routes in Brussels

Running is one of the most accessible sport activities one can do in Brussels. All you need to start is a pair of shoes, serviceable weather and some vague sense of direction.

This ease of entry might explain much of its wide popularity – Brussels is home to several running clubs, including the popular Friskis & Svettis, a local chapter of the Hash House Harriers as well as a Brussels Runners Meetup group. Also, every May, some 40,000 people run in the Brussels 20km.

Want to join in on the fast-paced fun? Lace up your trainers and stretch out those calves! Here are five great places to start to jog in Brussels.

1. Parc du Cinquantenaire

Many people like to regularly mix up their jogging routes to keep things interesting. Then there are those who prefer to maintain a certain consistency, doing the same route day after day, week after week, so that they can track the minutest of progress in their jogs. For these folks, Parc Cinquantenaire is the perfect running route.

An easy rectangle with only the slightest of inclines and descents and counting just over 2.5km per loop, it’s perfect for beginners. One or two loops offers a happy evening or early morning jog for those not looking to push any boundaries or strain too hard, while adding a third or a fourth loop as you get better feels wonderfully achievable. The perimeter’s well-trodden running dirt paths are easy on the knees, and you’ll be joined by plenty of other runners against whom you can pace yourself.

2. Forêt du Soignes

When you tire of the doing the same old loop and are ready to set out on an adventure, you can’t do better than Forêt de Soignes. This 5,000-hectare forest offers practically endless trails for you to wind your way among fresh, cool trees. Find your nearest entry point and you’ll have enough wooded paths to keep you jogging for several years.

If that sounds a little overwhelming, don’t worry. There are also, for example, also well-laid, clearly marked 5, 10 and 20km routes you can follow, all of which start from the Centre ADEPS in Auderghem.

3. Parc de Forest and Parc Duden

These two adjoining parks in the south of Brussels aren’t huge, but they offer some of the steepest inclines in the city to give your quads a workout. The Parc de Forest is a graceful, grassy slant (which also provides a great sledging hill in the winter) that will leave you panting on the way up and flying on the way down.

Veer off to the south to climb up to Parc Duden. There you’ll encounter a beautiful network of forest paths through which you can zigzag for several kilometres. You’ll likely happen across an old estate or two along the way. But beware, what goes down must come up: the whole park is essentially a steep drop down into the depths of the neighbourhood around Forest National. Don’t expect to find an easy route back up.

4. Green belt

Exactly what it sounds like, the Green Belt (Groene gordel / Promenade verte) is a well-marked 60km loop that runs through the suburbs, tiny villages and farmlands surrounding Brussels.

While you’re unlikely to attempt the full 60km in one jog – unless you’re an ultra-marathon runner – the route can also easily be broken up into seven more manageable 5 to 12km sections. Start by taking a look at Bruxelles Environnement’s interactive map of the full route. The routes also connect easily to many other paths and parks throughout the city, including the Forêt de Soignes.

5. Parc Royal

For the same idea as the Cinquantenaire only at the opposite end of Rue de la Loi, try the Parc Royal, which lies between the royal palace and the Belgian parliament. Even smaller and flatter than the Cinquantenaire, and centrally located if you work anywhere near either the European Union institutions or the city centre, it’s ideal for a lunchtime jog during the work week.

Its main downside is that the perimeter runs close to the roads, which is especially noticeable on the side of the busy main drag of Rue Royale. It’s the same in Cinquantenaire, but the paths are set further away from the streets, so you have more of a feeling of being in a park. Still, a few laps are enough to put a little pump in your step for an afternoon at the office.