Panorama

Dominated by the dome of the Palace of Justice, you may have the best view of Brussels here. The ideal place for a large terrace, you might think, or, failing that, for a picnic spot. After the forest massifs, winding roads and steep slopes, this open spur of the Duden Park is astonishing.

At the bottom, a wide green strip connects to the park of Vorst. Both - that panorama and that strip - are typical ideas of King Leopold II, who always wanted to visually but also literally connect parks in the city into a larger whole.

Project developers could parcel out all around as long as it was prestigious and the houses had a front yard, suggesting that the park continued across the street. The fact that local residents recently converted part of that green strip into a vegetable garden is part of the urban agriculture movement that has penetrated into the most densely populated neighborhoods.

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