Parc Louise-Marie - Namur

The park was created in 1879-1880 on the site of the former fourteenth-century moat , which later became a refuge for ships. It is named after the first Belgian queen.

When the fortress walls were demolished and the moat filled in, a competition was held for the construction of a park. This was won by landscape architect Constantin Smits. He created a park on two levels with a rural appearance.

The park contains a pond as a reminder of the former canal, lawns, a waterfall , an artificial limestone cave and a playground. There is also a bridge that was built by the Dutch between 1815 and 1820 . This bridge previously led to the Brussels Gate. In 1990 the bridge was excavated so that it became visible again.

The stairs on the avenue de Stassart are a copy of the stairs that the Namur engraver Félicien Rops designed for the garden of his own house la Demi-Lune in Corbeil-Essonnes, south of Paris.

Willem Vandenameele