Dailly Park

Dailly Park is a small but charming urban green space in Schaerbeek (Schaarbeek), one of the nineteen municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region. Covering roughly thirty ares, it offers a pocket of calm in a densely built-up south-eastern corner of the district, close to Dailly Square.

Where does the name come from and what happened here before?

The site's history stretches back centuries and unfolds in several distinct stages. As early as the 15th century, an old road toward Leuven (Louvain) ran through the area — a wide, tree-lined route where a toll was once collected at a barrier roughly where Dailly Square stands today. The square itself, and the surrounding neighbourhood, take their name from Eugène Dailly, who served as mayor of Schaerbeek between 1864 and 1873.

Starting in 1861 and for a quarter of a century afterward, the land hosted the National Shooting Range (Tir National), used to train the army and the civic guard. In 1886 the shooting range relocated to Kattepoel, freeing up the site for the construction of an infantry barracks, named Prince Baudouin Barracks in honour of the crown prince who died in 1891. The barracks were formally inaugurated on 10 September 1894 and served a military purpose for decades afterward.

How did the park come to be?

In the early 1990s, the former barracks were partly demolished. Residential buildings and shops gradually rose on the site, two new streets were laid out, and part of the grounds was set aside for a public park. The redevelopment was carried out by Bruxelles Environnement (Leefmilieu Brussel) over roughly two years of works, and Dailly Park was officially inaugurated in 2002 — the final step in transforming a former military site into public space for local residents.

What is the park like today?

Dailly Park today is a compact, intimate urban garden laid out in the style of an English-style square, with informal green landscaping, winding paths and open sightlines rather than rigid geometric design. This layout makes it well suited to quiet relaxation, strolling and short breaks away from the busy streets nearby. Its position also affords pleasant views over the surrounding architecture, letting visitors take in the character of this densely built neighbourhood of Schaerbeek while enjoying a patch of greenery.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Dailly Park located? The park sits in the municipality of Schaerbeek in the Brussels-Capital Region, next to Dailly Square, in the south-eastern part of the district.

How big is the park? It covers around thirty ares, making it a small, neighbourhood-scale park rather than a large green space.

What stood on this site before the park was created? The land was first occupied by the National Shooting Range (until 1886) and later by the Prince Baudouin military barracks, inaugurated in 1894 and used for military purposes for decades.

When was the park opened to the public? Dailly Park was built following roughly two years of works led by Bruxelles Environnement and was officially inaugurated in 2002.

Where does the name of the park and square come from? It honours Eugène Dailly, who was mayor of Schaerbeek from 1864 to 1873.