Ticket sales begin for public opening of Royal Greenhouses at Laeken
The annual public opening of the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken will take place from 17 April to 10 May. The famous Winter Garden, the largest conservatory, cannot be visited this year due to restoration works, but the Grand Gallery of Honour at Laeken Castle will be open to the public for the first time.
Visitors can choose a short or long trail. The 2km trail only visits the greenhouses, while the 3km trail also passes by the Royal Gardens and starts in the Grand Gallery of Honour. This is the castle’s largest hall, where state banquets take place. The Winter Garden is closed for renovation works that will continue for at least another two years.
Apart from the regular walks, there are nocturnes that follow the short trail and take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Ticket sales start on Friday at 13:00 via the Royal Greenhouses website. Entry costs 7 euros. Children up to 12 years old can visit the conservatories for free but reservations are required.
Gardener Johan Lauwers, the head of service for the conservatories, and his team are working hard to get everything ready. "We have to clean up everything, transplant, control insects and so much more so that visitors can walk and enjoy in a beautiful setting," he said.
"With several days with temperatures of 19 degrees and above, some plants flower too early"
Due to global warming, however, the weather is increasingly difficult to predict and the warm weather of the past few weeks is playing tricks on the gardeners, Lauwers says. "The sun is our first boss. With several days with temperatures of 19 degrees and above, some plants flower too early. These will then have already flowered out during the opening period."
The Palace of Laeken in the north of Brussels is the official residence of the King and Queen. Beginning in 1873, architect Alphonse Balat designed a greenhouse complex to complement the palace's classical style. The greenhouses were designed to offer the silhouette of a glass city in the undulating park landscape. Normally private, each spring the greenhouses are opened to the public for a short time.
New this year is a collaboration with rail operator SNCB/NMBS. Visitors will receive a code entitling them to a 40 per cent discount on the outward and return journey to Brussels North or Bockstael.
© BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM / BELGA VIDEO MAARTEN WEYNANTS
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