Royal Greenhouses of Laeken

The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (French: Serres Royales de Laeken, Dutch: Koninklijke Serres van Laken) are a vast complex of monumental heated greenhouses in the park of the Royal Palace of Laeken in the north of Brussels, Belgium. The historic complex contains tropical, subtropical and cold greenhouses.[1] The greenhouses are part of the Royal Domain, and the royal private gardens and usually not open for visitors.

Royal Greenhouses of Laeken
Serres Royales de Laeken  (French)
Koninklijke Serres van Laken  (Dutch)
The Greenhouse of the Congo (left) and the Grand Winter Garden (right), part of the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken
LocationLaeken, City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium

History

Creation

The gardens date back to the 18th century, but King Leopold II changed their appearance. A new complex was commissioned by Leopold and designed by the architect Alphonse Balat. Built between 1874 and 1895, it was finished with the completion of the so-called Iron Church, a domed greenhouse, which would originally serve as the royal chapel. The total floor surface of this immense complex is 2.5 ha (270,000 sq ft). Approximately 800,000 litres (210,000 US gallons) of fuel oil are needed each year to heat the buildings. After the death of the king, in 1909, the greenhouses were preserved, but the Iron Church was converted into a private royal bathing house.

Royal botanic collection

Famous is the royal botanic collection, with old plants from Africa and various species of flowers which are cultivated inside the royal greenhouses for use at court. Though the current collection has lost many cultivars since the death of Leopold II, the collection is still famous.[1] In 1909, there were 314 species of camellias in the royal collection, with more than 1000 plants. Today, only 305 remain. The camellias are the world's largest and oldest collection in a greenhouse. The Orange tree collection of Leopold II was renowned with 130 trees aged 200 to 300 years, and one even 400 years old. In the 1970s, only 45 trees were still alive.[1]

Visit
Engagement of Rudolf of Austria and Princess Stéphanie of Belgium in the Grand Winter Garden

The royal complex can only be visited each year during a two-week period in April–May, when most flowers are in full bloom. Other times, the greenhouses are visited by heads of state during official visits.

Famous visitors have included:

Exterior
  • Orangery
  • View of the Orangery in the direction of the theatre
  • Grand Winter Garden
  • Embarcadère and Greenhouse of the Congo
  • Greenhouse view

Interior
  • Under the dome of the Grand Winter Garden
  • Junction between the Grand Winter Garden and the Orangery
  • Interior of the Embarcadère
  • Interior of the Greenhouse of the Congo
  • The long glass gallery in bloom
  • Interior of the Greenhouse of Diana
  • Alexandre Dang exhibit in the royal Greenhouses

See also

References

Notes
  1. De tuinman & de koning: Het domein van Laken & zijn bewoners Boek van Erlend Hamerlijnck en Paul Van Gorp

Further reading
  • Karin Borghouts, Irene Smets, Baudouin d'Hoore, Les Serres royales de Laeken (in French), BAI, 2019, 160 p. ISBN 978-90-8586-796-8
  • Edgard Goedleven, Les Serres royales de Laeken (in French), Brussels, Duculot, Inbel, 1988
  • Edgard Goedleven, Les Serres royales de Laeken (in French), Brussels, Racine & SFI, 1997
  • Piet Lombaerde et Ronny Gobyn, Léopold II Roi-Bâtisseur (in French), Ghent, Pandora, 1995
  • Liane Ranieri, Léopold II urbaniste (in French), Brussels, Hayez, 1973
  • Irène Smets, Les Serres royales de Laeken (in French), Ghent, Ludion, 2001
  • Emiel Vandewoude, Jos. Vandenbreeden, Paul Van Gorp, Les Serres royales à Laeken (in French), Brussels, Donation Royale, 1981
  • Emiel Vandewoude, De bouw van de Wintertuin te Laken, 1874-1876, een initiatief van Leopold II (in Dutch), Brussels, Album Carlos Wyffels, 1987

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