A Hidden Treasure in Brussels

Les Serres Royales de Laeken

Le Palais Royal

On Sunday, May 5^th, I had the final chance to visit one of the most beautiful attraction in Brussels—Les Serres Royales de Laeken (Laeken is a very green park area just outside of the city, where the King has his countryside palace). Les Serres Royales are giant greenhouses belonging to the King of Belgium, and they are filled with innumerable different kinds of flowers, plants and trees. It is made of iron (which has now turned a light pretty green from the years of rain) and this special glass which has a rainbow tint when hit by the sunlight. The main part of the greenhouse is so big and tall, it fits giant palm trees and banana trees! And all the different parts are connected by glass tunnels, which are lined top to bottom with colorful flowers growing on vines. The place is really magical, but is still unknown to many tourists because it is only open to the public for two weeks out of the year! Take a look at some pictures:

Strange fuzzy fern

There were hundreds of exotic flowers

All still help up by the original iron beams

The spire on top is actually shaped like a giant royal crown!

Chinese gardens across the field

Little room off one of he tunnels...all lined top top to bottom with these beautiful  flowers!

Two Swedish au pair friends I went with :)

This tree is strangling the lamp post! (or, you could think of it as giving a really big hug)

Marble statues like this one were in hidden areas all throughout the maze of greenhouses!

I thought this plant was one of the coolest.. It looks quite a bit like the head of a deer with tons of antlers..kind of a play on the deer-heads which you would find often in a King's countryside palace.

This is supposed to be a statue of the queen

This open area is in the main part of the greenhouse (under the crown-shaped spire). I could imagine hosting quite a unique ball or dinner party here! 

One my favorite flowers

The king's symbol made out of wrought iron

Outside of the entrance

Back side of the greenhouses

After visiting the Serres, we went into the little town nearby and found a cute little outdoor market taking place. There was a tent where women were selling homemade, fresh healthy quiches, salads and baked goods. We couldn't resist and each bought a plate for lunch. We walked back into the King's royal park and enjoyed the meal in the sun. After, we checked out the royal graveyard, which was actually quite rundown, with many very old graves falling apart.

That evening, we returned to Brussels to attend a free concert in the big square in front of the Palais Royale. The concert was a part of the Iris Festival, which I wrote about in one of my earlier posts. They had set up a big stage and lit up the palace—it was really beautiful! I have never been to a concert in front of a King’s palace before, and to think I actually live in a city where you can experience this! The band played covers of a bunch of fun 60’s and 70’s dance songs, and the other au pairs and I danced away, watching all the older Belgians get a bit tipsy and start giving each other piggy back rides and doing a hula-line. We would have joined in, but it was a Sunday night and unfortunately we all were thinking about work the next day!

Sun setting over Brussels

The Palais Royale (in Brussels center) The king is never here..he doesn't seem to like living in Brussels so much.

Well, I leave today for Stockholm! I am really excited, not only because I will get to visit two friends whom I have not seen in a very long time, but also because I have never been to any of the Nordic countries before! I've heard that the people there are all beautiful, tall and blonde and dress very well...so I hope I don't feel out of place. But my friend Antonia, who works as a party planner at one of the biggest clubs there, has planned some events and they are sure to be a blast. For example, an outdoor garden party on one of the islands off of Stockholm (I didn't even know Stockholm had islands until a few days ago!) with palm trees, bubbles, cocktails..and the dress code? A spring dress! Sounds perfect:) Anyway, it will surly be a fantastic new experience, and those are the kind of things I love most! Keep in touch!