Maaltebruggepark

Maaltebruggepark is one of Ghent's larger city parks, covering roughly 10.5 hectares in the southern part of the city. Its name comes from a historic estate known as "Goed te Maalte," first documented as far back as 1140. Today the park functions as a favorite green retreat for residents of the surrounding neighborhood and as a natural starting point for longer walks toward the extensive Parkbos forest-and-park complex just beyond the city.

Where does the name and history come from?

The land now occupied by the park appears on the famous Ferraris map of 1775 under the name "Blauwe Poorte." By the end of the 17th century, a walled farmstead stood on the site, owned by a secretary of Ghent's aldermen's bench. It was a later owner of the estate who, in 1754, commissioned a country house built in the Louis XV style — a structure whose core still survives today as the Maaltebruggekasteel, or Maaltebrugge Castle. The castle stands within the park grounds and remains one of its most distinctive architectural features, even though the park's present layout owes far more to the 19th-century fashion for landscape gardens.

How was the park designed?

Maaltebruggepark was laid out in the English landscape style — a romantic approach to park design that favored naturalistic, picturesque compositions over strict symmetry. Typical of this style are winding paths, small bridges crossing over water, and carefully placed solitary specimen trees, above all red beeches and oaks, which give the park a monumental, almost forest-like presence. Water plays a central role in the composition: ponds and channels form natural boundaries between different sections of greenery and introduce the play of reflections and light so characteristic of romantic gardens.

What has changed over the years?

Not all of the historic estate survives in its original form. Part of the former parkland was lost to the construction of the ring canal, which cut through the estate's original spatial layout. Despite these changes, the park has retained its ecological and landscape value, largely thanks to the surviving mature trees that still stand alone across open lawns. The city of Ghent continues to run projects aimed at further developing and maintaining the site, treating it as an important piece of green infrastructure for the district.

What is there to see in and around the park?

Besides Maaltebrugge Castle itself, visitors strolling through the park can admire broad clearings framed by old-growth trees, bridges spanning the water, and viewpoints typical of landscape-style composition. The park borders the expanding Parkbos complex, making it a natural extension of walking and cycling routes leading out of the city. A Park & Ride facility operates nearby as well, making the area a convenient starting point both for local residents and for visitors arriving in Ghent by car.

Frequently asked questions

How big is Maaltebruggepark? The park covers approximately 10.5 hectares, making it one of the larger city parks in Ghent.

Where does the park's name come from? The name refers to the historic "Goed te Maalte" estate, first mentioned as early as 1140.

Is there a historic building inside the park? Yes — the park contains Maaltebruggekasteel, a Louis XV-style country house built in 1754 on the site of an earlier walled farmstead.

In what style was the park designed? It was laid out as a romantic English landscape garden, featuring bridges, waterways, and solitary specimen trees such as oaks and red beeches.