Before us stands the Clos du Zavelenberg Zavelenberggaarde a green space unlike any other in Brussels. Its history whispers of ancient quarries and a landscape shaped by time. This isn’t just a park. It’s a living testament to a rural past preserved within the city’s embrace.
The Clos du Zavelenberg Zavelenberggaarde was once part of a much larger area. A medieval stone quarry carved its unique topography. The name itself Zavelenberg meaning ‘sand mountain’ hints at this sandy soil. The highest point a wooded hill once called ‘den Romeinen graf’ or ‘the Roman’s grave’ fuelled speculation of a Roman tumulus. No Roman remains were ever found. The hill likely formed from quarry waste.
For centuries the area was a patchwork of meadows and pastures. Small plots were cultivated. Hedges bordered the land. A square farmhouse connected to the Rue de Termonde appeared on the Ferraris map of 1770. This farmhouse possibly replaced an earlier Hof ter Zijpe mentioned in 1527. It was occupied by a gardener then a pub before its eventual disappearance.
Legend says the Société nationale du logement a housing company purchased the Zavelenberg. They planned to build 400 social housing units. They supposedly demolished the farmhouse in 1955 to avoid the site being classified a protected area. That would have thwarted their plans. The project never happened.
Today the Clos du Zavelenberg Zavelenberggaarde is a much smaller remnant. About 16 hectares were classified in 1989. A portion was acquired by the Brussels-Capital Region in 1991. It’s a unique green space. It shows a blend of nature and history. A playground and vegetable gardens now stand where fields and pastures once were.
The Zavelenberg is a place where the past meets the present. It’s a pocket of rural charm. It shows the enduring spirit of nature within a bustling city. A reminder of what was and a promise of what can be. It stands as a testament to preserving the past within the present. A place of tranquility and reflection in the heart of Brussels. A treasure of history and nature worth protecting and cherishing.