Long-neglected Uccle park finally reopens

Raspail Park in Uccle has reopened to the public following large-scale municipal works.

With temperatures soaring, the park “offers the people of Uccle a truly cool spot,” said environment alderwoman Maëlle De Brouwer (Ecolo), reports Bruzz.

Until 2009, the park was owned by Bpost and operated by the municipality of Uccle. But following the postal operator’s decision to sell the park and the municipality’s inability to purchase it, the green space fell into ruin.

The park was temporarily closed due to the lack of maintenance and the potential danger of its neglected trees. Residents complained that it was becoming a public dumping ground.

It was not until 2020, during the Covid pandemic, that the park was partially reopened following a neighbourhood initiative. The municipality, in possession of a long-term lease since 2016, announced its intention to restore and reopen the park.

The works, which started in March 2025, were “carried out with respect for the historical and rural character of the park,” said the municipality. One historical find during the renovation was the discovery of what appeared to be the brick foundations of an 18th-century greenhouse.

Many of the original elements of the park have been restored, including its enclosing brick wall, pond, walking paths, ice cellar and small chapel. Among additional features that will be principally installed in September are a communal compost site, picnic tables and information signs.

“A cooling island will also be constructed outside the park in the form of a wadi that will collect rainwater, contributing to the fight against flooding,” added De Brouwer.

The official inauguration of the park will take place on 12 September.

Raspail Park, on the corner of Rue de Stalle and Rue Victor Gambier is open from 9.00 to 20.00 between 1 April and 30 September 30. It closes at 18.00 from 1 October to 31 March.

Photos: ©Municipality of Uccle Facebook page