Sixty-one meters high that’s the Zavelenberg. This isn’t just any hill. The Zavelenberg in Sint-Agatha-Berchem holds centuries of history. It’s a unique blend of nature and human history. A reminder of Brussels’s past.
Imagine the medieval stonemasons. They quarried Balegem stone here. This special stone built much of Brussels. The Zavelenberg’s uneven landscape is their legacy. They dug deep leaving behind the hollowed-out heart of the hill. The highest point a rounded wooded peak. Some called it ‘the Romans’ grave’. They thought it a tumulus a burial mound. No Roman remains were ever found. The hill’s form is likely from quarry waste and excavated earth.
The Zavelenberg wasn’t just a quarry though. For centuries it was a wooded area. It had grazing meadows and marshy patches. There were small farms and later even local vegetable gardens. A farmhouse stood along Dendermondestraat. It’s shown on the Ferraris map of 1770. Documents mention it as early as 1660. Some say it might have replaced a ‘Hof ter Zijpe’ mentioned in 1527. The farmhouse became a pub. It’s gone now. They say the Nationale Maatschappij voor de Huisvesting demolished it in 1955. They wanted to avoid its classification as a historical building. This would have halted their plans to build 400 social housing units. Those plans never happened.
The Keizer Karellaan’s construction changed the Zavelenberg drastically. This major road to Flanders and the coast cut the area in two. Rapid urbanisation in Sint-Agatha-Berchem and Ganshoren reduced the Zavelenberg’s size considerably. Only 16 hectares remain of the original agricultural land. This land was protected in 1989. The Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest acquired part of it from the Nationale Maatschappij voor Huisvesting in 1991. Today the Zavelenberg is a nature reserve. It preserves the authentic rural landscape. It protects the area’s unique biodiversity. Cattle still graze in the meadows. A stream flows at the base of the hill. It originates from a damp forest filled with rare plants. The Zavelenberg is a hidden jewel. A place where past and present blend. A reminder of Brussels’ quieter side.