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Belgium

Flanders

Flemish Brabant

Halle-Vilvoorde

Meise

Island Garden

Discover

Places to see

Belgium

Flanders

Flemish Brabant

Halle-Vilvoorde

Meise

Island Garden

Recommended by 37 hikers out of 39

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Location: Meise, Halle-Vilvoorde, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Island Garden

4.0

(2)

106

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1. Island Garden – Meise Botanic Garden loop from Meise

5.67km

01:30

50m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

5.0

(7)

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2. Island Garden – Church Sint-Stephanuskerk loop from Meise

15.8km

04:09

130m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.1

(8)

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3. View of the Brussels outskirts – Church Sint-Stephanuskerk loop from Meise

22.2km

05:52

200m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Expert

Tips

Dominiek Van Dooren

August 8, 2023

In the heart of Botanic Garden Meise, a former castle domain, there is a small island in the middle of the pond of Boechout Castle. An ideal place to house a new botanical collection with various water, bank and marsh plants and trees from all over the world. The winning competition design by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh architects i.s.m. Atelier Arne Deruyter proposed to realize the project in 2 conceptual steps.

To make the water and marsh garden accessible and to enable crossing from the shore, a 400 m long, meandering concrete platform was first poured through the island. By pouring directly on the existing island (and on deeper pile foundations), one large structure was created in a simple 'in situ' manner that traverses the entire water garden. The existing island served as 'formwork' for this path.

The excavation and raising in various places then brought the water into the original island. The island thus changed into an archipelago of several islands, with a 'microtopography' of levels just below and above the water surface, creating a broad spectrum of diverse water and swamp biotopes: a mangrove, a fern moss, an alder marsh forest, a Japanese water garden, an indoor pool...

(Tourism Flanders)

Translated by Google •

Els Q

December 22, 2022

The new garden is formed by a group of islands with different orientations and levels and creates a range of aquatic biotopes, which can only be visited via a 400-meter meandering walk on the water.

The garden also provides a suitable infrastructure for the expansion of a scientific collection of aquatic and marsh plants. Visitors get a major attraction, because the design by artist-architects Gijs Van Vaerenbergh and landscape architect Atelier Arne Deruyter takes the garden experience to a higher level.

Source: plantentuinmeise.be

Translated by Google •

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

July 26, 2025

An island has lain in the castle pond in the Botanical Garden since the estate was redeveloped as an English landscape garden in the 19th century. The new Island Garden elevates this romantic garden style, characterized by winding paths and "lost walks," to a contemporary level.

The garden consists of a group of islands with various orientations and levels, creating a range of new biotopes. These can be accessed via a 400-meter-long, meandering concrete jetty over the water. Around every bend, you'll discover a different world.

All these spots along and in the water are ideal locations for developing and expanding our scientific collection of aquatic and marsh plants. The islands provide space for new trees, adding structure to the overall landscape.

Source: plantentuinmeise.be/nl/pQNAahd/eilandtuin

Translated by Google •

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Details

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Elevation 30 m

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Tuesday 16 September

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Max wind speed: 22.0 km/h

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Take Me There

Location: Meise, Halle-Vilvoorde, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

Island Garden

1. Island Garden – Meise Botanic Garden loop from Meise

2. Island Garden – Church Sint-Stephanuskerk loop from Meise

3. View of the Brussels outskirts – Church Sint-Stephanuskerk loop from Meise

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