Boekenbergpark

Boekenbergpark is a ten-hectare landscape park in the Deurne district of Antwerp, with a history stretching back more than five centuries. The site began life as a summer residence around 1555, when it belonged to Jérôme van den Machare. Its present-day, picturesque form dates from roughly two and a half centuries later, around 1800, when a new owner, Guillaume Smets, laid out an English-style landscape garden enriched with oriental motifs and romantic landscape features.

What can you see in the park today?

The park's most striking landmark was once a twenty-six-metre Chinese pagoda tower – a classic example of the nineteenth-century taste for exotic "follies," ornamental structures with no practical function, built purely for decorative effect in landscaped estate gardens. In that period the grounds were dotted with such architectural whims, giving the estate the character of a rococo country residence dressed up with elaborate decorative follies.

Today, the site of the former ruined tower and its underground cave system houses the Boekenberg Natural History Museum, which has occupied the eighteenth-century cave complex since 1963. It's one of Antwerp's more unusual attractions, combining a museum visit with the chance to explore genuine, centuries-old underground architecture.

What makes the swimming pond special?

The park's modern-day highlight is its ecological swimming pond, opened in 2007. At the time of its creation, it was the first facility of its kind in Belgium and, according to available sources, the largest ecological swimming pond in Europe. Rather than relying on chlorinated water, the pond uses natural biological processes for purification, making it a more environmentally friendly alternative to a conventional municipal swimming pool, especially popular during the warmer months.

Who is Boekenbergpark for?

The park blends recreation, education, and history, drawing a wide range of visitors. Families with children make good use of the green spaces and the swimming pond in summer, enthusiasts of garden history and architecture can trace the remains of the old estate and its nineteenth-century decorative follies, and anyone curious about natural history will find a museum tucked into a genuinely unique underground cave setting.

Frequently asked questions

How far back does Boekenbergpark's history go? The park's history spans more than five hundred years – the first summer residence on the site dates to around 1555, while its current landscape layout dates from around 1800.

What is housed in the park's former tower and caves? Since 1963, the eighteenth-century cave complex has been home to the Boekenberg Natural History Museum.

What is distinctive about the swimming pond in Boekenbergpark? It's an ecological swimming pond opened in 2007 – Belgium's first facility of its kind and, at the time, one of the largest in Europe.

Where exactly is the park located? Boekenbergpark is located in the Deurne district of Antwerp, in the Flanders region of Belgium.