Event “Spring in the cemeteries”

The City of Brussels is taking part in the event “Spring in the cemeteries” and for this first edition it will take place at Laeken Cemetery, on 21 and 22 May 2022.

About the Laeken Cemetery

The Laeken Cemetery counts a large number of important personalities from the 19th century and early 20th. Many of them have erected impressive monuments designed and built by the most prominent architects and craftsmen. In order to meet the large number of burial requests and to maximize the burial space, underground galleries were built. These were the first to be built in Belgium, and will later be extended on several occasions.

“Spring in the cemeteries” event

Throughout the weekend of 21 and 22 May 2022, from 10 am to 4 pm, several activities are proposed:

• Guided tours of the galleries with Epitaaf (in French and Dutch).
• Visit of the cemetery punctuated by artistic stops (singing and poetry) with Laeken Découverte in partnership with the Cours Florent located in Laeken.
• Visit for the deaf people, hearing impaired people and hearing people with the theatre company "Sur le bout des doigts".
• With the help of a map given a t the entrance, the public explores the cemetery in order to find the places where artistic breaks are offered in several languages (only on Sunday afternoon).
• The pianist Marie Pleyel is buried in the Laeken cemetery. On Sunday, Oxalys will pay a tribute to her in the choir of the old church. The programme of this classical music concert will include a selection of music composed by people who knew and admired her (Ignace Pleyel, Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin and Hector Berlioz).
• Next to the cemetery, from 10 am to 5 pm, multilingual guides from Epitaaf will welcome you in the old Salu workshops. A family that for three generations has built numerous funeral monuments.

The activities are free of charge.

Registration is compulsory by sending an e-mail specifying the activity desired and the number of participants to servicedespublics@brucity.be.

You can donload the original event program HERE.

Visit the cemetery at any time

If you are not in Brussels on the weekend of 21 and 22 May and would like to visit the cemetery, it is open every day from 8.30 am to 4 pm. 

Brochures and audio guides in French and Dutch are available at the reception desk. In preparation for your visit, you can also download the children's educational tour in French, Dutch and English (www.bruxelles.be).

Cemetery of Laeken (Brussels, Belgium)

The Cemetery of Laeken is the oldest of all the cemeteries in Brussels still in function.

About the cemetery

The Cemetery of Laeken covers 6.200 m² were you can find around 10.000 graves. The cemetery and its old church are painted as early as the XIIIth century.

When the first queen of the Belgians passed away she made the wish to be buried in Laeken / Laken where the royal family lived in the neighborhood. This royal funeral stimulated the growth of the cemetery where all nobility, “bourgeoisie” and notorious people of the country wanted to be buried. These wealthy families made build several impressive chapels and grave monuments with marble, golden letter, bronze decoration and sculptures. This generating to the place the nickname of “Père Lachaise of Brussels” where it is e.g. possible to find an original sculpture “The Thinker” of Rodin on a grave.

After some extension of the superficies the city council voted the construction of underground galeries which are unique in Brussels. This in order to have more capacity for burying and keeping in mind the hygienist concern of the XIXth century.

Nowadays the cemetery is still in use as such and also visited by many people in order to admire some impressive monuments and the graves of notorious people.

Cemetery address

Cemetery of Laeken
O.L. - Vrouwvoorplein 16,
1020 Brussels,
Belgium

Cemetery contacts

Phone: +32 2 478 04 43
Email: cimetieres@brucity.be
Email: begraafplaatsen@brucity.be

Facebook: CimetieresBXLBegraafplaatsen

Managing organization and contacts

City of Brussels, owner

Mr Ahmed EL KTIBI, alderman
Rue des Halles 4 Hallenstraat
1000 Bruxelles – Brussel
Belgium

Mr Kambaza NKUBIRI, general director
Rue des Halles 4 Hallenstraat
1000 Bruxelles – Brussel
Belgium

Location