King's Garden

King's Garden (French: Jardin du Roi, Dutch: Koningstuin) is a compact, formally landscaped park in Brussels, straddling the border between the municipality of Ixelles and the City of Brussels. It occupies a plot between the Avenue Louise roundabout and the streets Vallée, Buisson, Belle-Vue and Monastère, sloping gently down toward the Ixelles ponds.

How did the park come to be?

The land was purchased on 16 September 1873 from the Avenue Louise Company, a subsidiary of a Belgian real-estate firm. The project was driven by King Leopold II, who wanted to preserve the view from Avenue Louise toward the Ixelles ponds by linking them to the avenue's roundabout with a monumental sightline. The layout plan was drawn up in 1873 by Victor Besme, inspector of Brussels's outskirts, and construction was completed in 1876.

In 1900, under what became known as the Royal Donation, the garden passed into the ownership of the Belgian State. Its official name, "Jardin du Roi," was only formally adopted by a municipal council vote on 29 May 1969.

What does King's Garden look like today?

The park covers roughly 1.5 hectares and retains its formal, nineteenth-century layout. At its center lies a rectangular lawn, flanked by two circular flower beds added in the late 1960s — one to the north, one to the south. Each bed is enclosed by a hornbeam hedge and contains a children's playground. The park's main axis is defined by hornbeam-lined walks, along which commemorative busts are arranged.

A statue of Leopold II, created by sculptor René Cliquet in 1969, stands as the park's symbolic centerpiece. Its pedestal bears an inscription stating that the king created this garden and donated it "for our rest and joy" — a direct reference to the park's origin as a royal gift to the city.

Who owns the park today?

Since the 1900 transfer, the garden has remained state property and is now managed by the Brussels-Capital Region. Because of its historical and landscape value, King's Garden is listed among the sites in the region's inventory of natural and architectural heritage, which catalogues the capital's most notable green spaces.

Frequently asked questions

Is King's Garden the same place as Jardin du Roi? Yes — Jardin du Roi is the French name of the same park, formally adopted by a municipal council vote in 1969.

How old is the park? It was built between 1873 and 1876 on the initiative of King Leopold II, making it more than 150 years old.

Is there a playground in the park? Yes, both circular flower beds at the park's northern and southern ends contain playgrounds for children.

Who designed the park? The layout was designed in 1873 by Victor Besme, inspector of Brussels's outskirts.

Where exactly is King's Garden located? On the border between Ixelles and the City of Brussels, between the Avenue Louise roundabout and the Ixelles ponds, along Vallée, Buisson, Belle-Vue and Monastère streets.