Parc Fond’Roy - Vronerodepark

Parc Fond'Roy (known in Dutch as Vronerodepark) is one of the most rural-feeling corners of Uccle, in the southern part of the Brussels-Capital Region. Covering roughly 8.8 hectares, it preserves a countryside landscape and an old farm setting right at the edge of a major European capital.

Where does the park's name come from?

"Fond'Roy" is actually a distortion of the older Dutch name "Vronerode," a term referring to land cleared through corvée labor — work owed by peasants to a feudal lord. This dual French-Dutch naming reflects a pattern common to many place names across Brussels, where historical layers of language overlap in a single site.

What can visitors find inside the park?

At the heart of the park stands a farm roughly two hundred years old, painted in a distinctive pink color, surrounded by meadows, an orchard, and a small patch of woodland. A paved footpath crosses the site, connecting the entrance to the farm buildings at its center. Next to the farm, a small educational vegetable garden has been planted, used for nature- and farming-themed activities aimed at both children and adults.

Why does this site matter ecologically?

Fond'Roy is one of fifteen Natura 2000 sites designated in southern Brussels, underlining its role in preserving biodiversity within an otherwise densely built-up city. Two watercourses, the Geleytsbeek and its tributary the Roybeek, actually originate here. The combination of springs, damp meadows, and mature trees supports plant and animal species that have become increasingly rare habitats elsewhere in the highly urbanized Brussels region.

What is the history of the park's ownership?

Until 1991 the land remained in private hands. That year, the Brussels-Capital Region acquired the farm together with its surrounding meadows, orchard, and adjoining woodland, turning the site into a public space with an educational and recreational purpose open to residents and visitors alike.

What can you do at Parc Fond'Roy?

Today the park functions both as a green retreat for walks close to nature and as a hub for environmental education. The old farm buildings host workshops and activities centered on rural life and ecology, mostly aimed at school groups and families with children. The calm atmosphere, farm animals, and cultivated vegetable plot have earned the site an informal nickname: "a small village within the city."

Frequently asked questions

Is entry to the park free? As a public green space managed by the Brussels-Capital Region, the park is open to walkers without restriction.

What does the name Vronerodepark mean? It is a Dutch term for land cleared through corvée labor, the same historical root behind the French name Fond'Roy.

What wildlife can be found here? Thanks to its Natura 2000 status and the mix of meadows, orchard, and woodland, the park hosts a variety of flora and fauna typical of the damp lowlands of southern Brussels.

Can visitors tour the farm itself? The farm buildings serve an educational function, hosting themed activities — it's worth checking the current schedule before a visit.