KONINKLIJKE SERRES ROYALES VAN LAKEN
BEST OF THINGS TO DO IN BRUSSELS IN APRIL & MAY
It is a floral overload in my blog! But I can't help it, it's spring now after a tiring, tiring, very tiring, looooongg winter (that's the effect of dealing with a newborn in autumn & winter!). So, once the weather showed some improvement, neither Atyudarini nor I were interested in staying indoors. Following the floral boom in the Belgian Tulip Festival and the Mystical Blue Forest, it is now time for some Royalty to get involved!!!
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WHEN ARE THE ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN OPEN?
Well, the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, as the name says belong to the Royal family of Belgium. It opens its doors to the general public only 3 weeks a year in the Spring Season, during April & May (the actual palace is open to the public for another 6 weeks following BalNational - Jul 22 to Sep 2). While the Palace is located centrally in Brussels, the greenhouses are located very close to Atomium. A very small entry fee is there to support Queen's Charities that help in the restoration of artworks at the Royal Collection.
HOW TO VISIT KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN WITH BABIES?
Also read: Floralia Brussels, Hallerbos Hyacinten, Limburg Lavendel, Floraliën Gent
Usually, if I sense a crowd, I visit the place early in the morning, as the first person, to avoid the crowd. However on that day, early morning was chill and the weather was good for 11AM onwards, so we left a bit late, The queue to get into the gardens was sooooo long that it took easily 30-45 mins to just get to the ticket counter!
VIRTUAL TOUR OF ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN (KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN)
The Greenhouse Complex was built in 1873 by the architect Alphonse Balat, who was the teacher of Victor Horta. The idea was to complement the classical style of the Palace of Laeken.
The visitor route first leads to the Theatre Greenhouses. Beyond this was the long walk under the open sky to Palm Greenhouse, where the fore-mentioned queue was. But before this point were the most picturesque locations of this place. Long back, during my earlier trip to Brussels (before I moved here), I got lost and found myself walking in a street with some Japanese architecture, turns out it's the Far East Museum belonging to the Royal Museums of Art & History. The view of its pagoda looks splendid from here! The vast expanse of greenery itself is just so pleasing to the eyes!Also read: Europe's Largeset Japanese Gardens - Japanse Tuin Hasselt
The queue moved and we did witness 2-3 people giving up and moving out with their kids in strollers. Our perseverance paid off and we went in. The Palm Greenhouse itself is like a complex that includes the Azalea Greenhouse, the Geranium Gallery, the Diana Greenhouse, and the Mirror Greenhouse. It was definitely gorgeous and reminded me of Barbican Conservatory with indoor waterworks and more, but moving in a queue at a particular pace (as opposed to moving at our own pace) did spoil the overall experience, a bit.
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The route wraps with Winter Garden which is a huge circular room with a high dome filled with such stunning beauty. This was the first greenhouse built for King Leopold II in 1880, designed by, of course, architect Alphonse Balat who designed the rest of the Koninklijke Serres van Laken. It was intended to be used for Royal receptions! It is majestic, huge, and imposing, but is it ornate as the Winter Gardens of Ursuline nuns? No! This is just plain... The tour ends at the Orangery, which is just beside the starting point, the Theatre Greenhouses.
IS IT WORTH VISITING ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN (KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN)
It is a beautiful place. Yes, it is! Good to go on weekdays if you're with kids. Atyudarini did get a bit flustered halfway through but found a new friend in a little toddler who kept chatting with her and kept her calm. On weekends, yes it gets really really crowded, which is obvious as it is open only for 3 weeks a year!!!!! It is totally worth visiting, but bear the crowd in mind.
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WALKING MAP INSIDE THE ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN (KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN)
via the official website of Koninklijke Serres van Laken (downloads/opens as PDF)
TIPS TO VISIT THE ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN (KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN)
1. Skip the stroller if you can. It's not impossible with the stroller, but very difficult in crowds.
2. If you're visiting with kids, carry some easy-to-eat snacks. Unlike, say, Meise Plantentuin which is much larger where the kids walk, sit, and run at their own pace; here they can get cranky, hungry, or both!
3. There are 3 toilets - at the starting point, inside the greenhouses, and at the ending point.
4. Carry an umbrella if the weather demands it! Half of the long route is outdoors.
5. Try to weather multiple thin layers instead of a thick jacket! It can get pretty warm inside the greenhouses and the crowd increases the warmth!
6. Large bags/backpacks are not allowed. There are no lockers available.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED TO VISIT THE ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN (KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN)
There are 2 way-marked walking routes inside. The shorter route ideally takes 1.5 hours and the longer route ideally takes 2.5 hours each. This is after you enter inside. I'd easily recommend to set aside another 1 to 1.5 hours for the practicalities incl. queueing before entering, queueing at the toilets etc!
WHERE IS THE ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN (KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN)
On Google Maps - Serres royales de Laeken
On Google Maps - Serres royales de Laeken
HOW TO REACH ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN (KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN)
Nearest Tram station: De Wand
Nearest Bus stop: Koninklijke Serres / Serres Royales
Nearest Bus stop: Koninklijke Serres / Serres Royales
OPENING HOURS OF ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN (KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN)
Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (Koninklijke Serres van Laken) is open for the general public only for 3 weeks every Spring. The dates & timings vary every year and are announced on the official website of Koninklijke Serres Royales.
ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN (KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN) TICKETS
Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (Koninklijke Serres van Laken) Entry fee: €6
Free entry for children below the age of 12.
ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN 2024
KONINKLIJKE SERRES VAN LAKEN 2024
In 2024, Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (Koninklijke Serres van Laken) open its doors to the general public from 26th April 2024 to 20th May 2024 (closed on Apr 29, May 6, 13).
Timings of Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (Koninklijke Serres van Laken) 2024:
Sat-Sun - 9:30AM to 9:30PM
Fri - 1:00PM to 9:30PM (but varies on some days)
Mon, Tue, Thu - 9:30AM to 3:30PM
Wed - 9:30AM to 4:30PM
The tickets have to be bought online with a time slot. Still, about 400 visitors are let in every half hour, so still, it is going to be crowded, but thanks to the time slot entry, there may not be a waiting time outside. Tickets are already getting sold out quickly, so go buy yours quickly from the official website of Koninklijke Serres Royales.
Ohh I hope you didnt have too much hard time as a new mum. I was depressed on my first 6 month. The motherhood hitted me hard on my face!
ReplyDeleteThat said, I am happy that you didnt gave up and enterred to the royal greenhouses of Laeken in spite of the crowds. It looks like a great place to spend (minus the crowds) with a baby for a stroll among beautiful flowers!
Wow, three weeks a year? That's a pretty narrow window, so I can imagine how crowded the weekends could be! I love how beautiful all the colors are, and they seem to just pop out at you.
ReplyDeleteI'm perfectly okay with more flowers. I love spring so bring them on. The royal greenhouses are gorgeous. I can understand why you enjoyed the orangery on a slightly cold day and completely agree with you on hating the crowds. Standing in line is such a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteWinters in Belgium could be really uncomfortable. I have few friends living there, and they all complain about Belgium grey weather.
ReplyDeleteBut, let's not talk about the weather. Instead, let's talk about the Royal Greenhouses - wow, what a botanical paradise !! The royal botanical collection must be breathtaking !
What a beautiful place to explore in spring, I love the colourful flower overload on this page! It's a good tip to visit early in the morning to avoid the crowds, though I understand its a bit chilly so you'd probably want to go later. The queues look so big but I am not surprised, its such a fantastic place to go to see all these blooms. Royal Greenhouses of Laeken should be on one's list if they're visiting Brussels in the spring time, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely botanical garden, very colorful. I have one almost similar in Helsinki, I sometimes go there to practice macro photography.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the floral overload. I love flowers. It would be a dream to visit these greenhouses and botanical gardens. Thank you for sharing about this wonderful place.
ReplyDeleteGreenhouses of Laeken is such a lovely place to explore. So many colourful flowers and a lot of greenery – wow! Standing in slow-moving long queues can be painful and it does affect the experience of a place. But it seems to be obvious considering the stunning beauty of the place and a narrow window of 3 weeks a year. Thanks for sharing these amazing photographs.
ReplyDeleteWow, this must be something really interesting. I might be one of those people who waits this beautiful place to open since it is only available 3 weeks in a year. This Royal Greenhouses of Laeken is really stunning at its own right. The whole place seemed to be really magical with all its stunning garden. I will surely going to add this in my bucket list and I can't wait to traipse my feet here.
ReplyDeleteJust three weeks in a year? That's such a short time for such a beautiful place. But I can totally understand why. It looks gorgeous and worth visiting for. I am visiting the place in Aug and would love to explore it.
ReplyDeleteThe Royal Greenhouses of Laeken is heaven for flower lovers. The flower garden makes me feel so good. It gives me happiness. So many colors in spring. I loved the fact that you travel with your kid and also enjoys it like anything. I am definitely putting this on my list.
ReplyDeleteI love flowers and this place would suit my taste. The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken looks perfect place for outings in summer. Even the entry fee of 2.50Euro is nominally priced.
ReplyDelete