Five exquisite must-visit parks and gardens on the outskirts of Brussels

Belgium’s nobility once delighted in building mighty fortresses, idyllic pleasure gardens and vast hunting grounds in the verdant countryside around Brussels. Today, many of these irresistibly beautiful parks and gardens are open to the public and simply a stroll away from the clamour of the city. Here are some of Flemish Brabant’s best walking gems set in a variety of lush landscapes.

Gaasbeek Museum Garden & Park Unparalleled world-class gardens

They ate sea kale, leafy goosefoot (a sister of the spinach plant) and plucked ripe fruit with abandon. The castle’s garden was a treasure trove of culinary delights for the lords and ladies that graced the romantic domain. Everything they tasted in the garden was of course untouched by the pesticides and weed killers that were yet to be invented. The castle’s occupants thrived on the horticultural expertise of their gardeners, who were master growers of their time. Gardeners from all over the world flocked to the Green Belt to learn how to grow vegetables and berries from the very best. Even now, the gardeners of Gaasbeek Museum Garden preserve the heritage and wisdom of the past as good stewards of Belgium’s time-honoured gardening tradition. Kasteelstraat 40, 1750 Gaasbeek

Hidden gems and tips: The Castles Walk 

The Coloma Rose Garden A kaleidoscope of colour and scent

Where else in Belgium could you discover 3,000 rose varieties from 25 different countries ornamenting 60,000 bushes? Some 200,000 roses make Coloma Rose Garden a singular floral experience. Visitors can immerse themselves in a world of rose varieties that date from the Late Eocene, Early Oligocene and China’s oldest Old Blush Group to newer hybrid tea roses that are the product of cutting-edge cultivation techniques. Coloma Rose Garden is the largest, most beautiful rose garden in Europe, an enchanting 15-hectare park that is ideal for a scented stroll. Joseph Depauwstraat 25, 1600 Sint-Pieters-Leeuw

Hidden gems and tips: The Bosveld Walk 

Meise Botanic Garden Home to the biggest flower on the planet

Belgium may be home to 1,400 native wild plant species, but Meise boasts some 18,000 specimens from all four corners of the world. Founded in 1796, the botanic garden pre-dates Belgium as a nation and is home to Europe’s largest, most enthralling network of greenhouses. It also offers a taste of every kind of landscape. One minute you’re in the desert wilderness, the next, you’re crossing the savannah flats. Don’t be surprised when a wave of hot humidity hits you in the tropical rainforest zone. In total, the garden covers an expanse of 92 hectares. But above all, Meise Botanic Garden is an enchanting oasis that invites visitors to explore extraordinary flowers and plants and marvel at the Earth’s natural splendour. It is also home to the planet’s biggest flower – the titan arum, which blooms every year. Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise

Hidden gems and tips: d'Hoogvorst Walk 

The Huizingen Rock Garden Expo 58’s natural splendour unleashed

A gurgling stream could fool you into thinking you’re in the Alps, when in fact you’re in Huizingen, only a short distance from the capital. The provincial domain’s five-hectare rock garden was designed for Expo 58 by architect Paul Dewit, an unabashed fan of Le Nouveau Jardin Pittoresque landscape design. Some 150,000 plants, over 1,000 tonnes of rock and stone, along with a 330-metre-long stream, were all planted and arranged with meticulous care to create a natural, living masterpiece for botanists and a peaceful oasis for walkers. Henry Torleylaan 100, 1654 Beersel

Hidden gems and tips: The Dworp Walk  

Tervuren’s Warande Park Centuries of elegant heritage

Warande is another word for hunting grounds, which is precisely what Tervuren’s Warande Park once was in the 12th century when the Dukes of Brabant rode their steeds through field and forest, sounding their hunting horns. Remnants from Flemish Brabant’s age of noblesse hint at the glory of those bygone days, from the ruins of the ducal palace, the baroque 1617 St Hubert Chapel, the grand Colonial Palace and the elegant lines of the AfricaMuseum with its ornate French and English gardens. The sprawling 205-hectare park is quite simply majestic. Keizerinnedreef, 3080 Tervuren

Hidden gems and tips: The Tervuren Warande Walk  

Photos: (main image) Meise Botanic Garden ©Tourism Flemish Brabant