From Kersbeek station to Bempt Park

A lovely circular walk in the lower part of the municipality of Forest.

Firstly, Avenue Kersbeek with its beautiful houses. The avenue was built gradually from the 1880s onwards and throughout the^20th century. The oldest houses are small, neoclassical-style properties such as those atnos. 19 and 21, at no. 73A, the complex atnos. 204 to 210, and the villas atnos. 59, 67 and 150 (see these numbers). They were built by the bourgeoisie, who, at the time, appreciated the southern part of the Forêt area for its rural character.
The second phase took place in the 1890s and 1900s and comprises bourgeois buildings in an eclectic style, notably illustrated by a fine row of houses stretching from No. 60 to No. 70 (see these numbers). Also dating from this period is the villa designed in 1902 by the architect Paul Hamesse, situated at No. 232 (see this number).

Next, Brel Park: Notable trees

The avenue of chestnut trees at the park’s entrance. The ‘Joséphine’ oak, a pedunculate oak, is nearly 400 years old and is probably the oldest oak in the Brussels-Capital Region. It stands 20 metres tall and measures over 650 centimetres in diameter, and is listed as a monumental tree

Monuments: A bust created in 1982 by the artist Klaus depicts Jacques Brel along with a few lines from his song *Fils de... *: “Son of a bourgeois or son of an apostle, All children are like our own. Son of Caesar or son of nothing, All children are like yours...”

The sculpture of Olga, the lioness.

The Joséphine Pavilion, built in 1910 by Tayart de Borms. The pavilion, which had been vandalised, was rebuilt in 2019.

Then there is the Forest Miniature Railway, a miniature railway network located in Bempt Park in Forest, in the Brussels-Capital Region. Run by enthusiastic volunteers, it allows young and old alike to board authentic 1/8-scale replicas of steam or electric locomotives.

Take a stroll through Bempt Park, near the ponds, and you’ll see ducks swimming in groups. It’s a peaceful moment away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Finally,the Forest-Vert garden city is a mixed-use social housing estate situated in the lower part of Forest in Brussels. Designed in 1922 by the architect Henri Van Montfort and inaugurated in 1927, it is characterised by its leafy alleyways, its small Art Deco-style houses and its communal spaces, which are dynamically managed by the residents. Do pop into the ‘mothers-in-law’s’ vegetable garden and the sheepfold – you won’t regret it.

Finally, a delicious homemade ice cream at Tutta Panna is the perfect way to round off your walk!

As you head towards the station, you can’t miss a lovely, colourful mosaic under the Forest Est bridge. Also worth seeing: the cheerful murals on some of the station’s walls, to round off this short and revitalising stroll in style!

Forest Est Station: train and bus or tram at Place Saint-Denis