Brussels Cemetery

Brussels Cemetery belongs administratively to the City of Brussels, yet it doesn't actually sit within the city's own boundaries. Instead, it's located in Evere, one of the nineteen municipalities that make up the Brussels-Capital Region. It's a detail that trips up plenty of visitors who assume a cemetery named after Brussels must physically be in Brussels proper.

Where it actually sits

The cemetery is positioned at approximately 50.8697°N, 4.4229°E, in the north-eastern part of the Brussels agglomeration. This spot places it right next to two other burial grounds: Schaerbeek Cemetery, belonging to the municipality of Schaerbeek, and Evere Cemetery, belonging to the municipality of Evere itself. The three cemeteries sit side by side, forming one large funerary complex on the edge of the city.

Easy to mix up

Because Brussels Cemetery, Schaerbeek Cemetery, and Evere Cemetery are direct neighbours, it's genuinely easy for a first-time visitor to lose track of where one ends and the next begins. Each, however, is a distinct entity with its own administrative owner — a different municipality or the city itself — even though physically they form a continuous green space. Brussels Cemetery, despite standing on Evere's territory, remains the property and responsibility of the City of Brussels, a setup that traces back to how the Belgian capital expanded historically without enough room left within its own formal borders for a large burial ground.

What kind of place this is

As a municipal cemetery, Brussels Cemetery serves as a burial site for residents of the capital — an arrangement not unusual in Europe, where larger cities often established cemeteries outside their own administrative limits once available land within the centre ran out. The clustering of three cemeteries in one location creates an extensive, quiet stretch of green space on the north-eastern edge of Brussels, well removed from the noise of the city centre.

Who ends up here

Visitors making their way to Evere — whether searching for a specific grave or simply walking through a quieter, less touristic part of the Brussels agglomeration — should keep in mind how large and layered this cemetery complex actually is. With three neighbouring burial grounds sitting practically on top of each other, it pays to know in advance exactly which of the three you're heading for, especially if you're trying to locate a particular grave.

Frequently asked questions

Is Brussels Cemetery actually located in Brussels? No — despite the name, it's situated in the municipality of Evere, next to the city of Brussels. It does, however, belong administratively to the City of Brussels.

How is it different from Evere Cemetery and Schaerbeek Cemetery? These are three separate cemeteries standing side by side, each under a different administrative authority: Brussels Cemetery under the City of Brussels, Evere Cemetery under the municipality of Evere, and Schaerbeek Cemetery under the municipality of Schaerbeek.

Is it easy to confuse them during a visit? Yes. Their direct adjacency and similar naming make it worth checking in advance exactly which of the three cemeteries you intend to visit.

Where exactly is the cemetery located? In the north-eastern part of the Brussels-Capital Region, at roughly 50.87°N, 4.42°E, within the municipality of Evere.