Tervuren

Before the reign of Leopold II, there were only woods and lakes in this area between the Dyle and the Senne. The course of the Avenue de Tervuren and construction of the Colonial Museum made it into a compulsory stop for tourism for the Brussels upper classes.

Leopold II… what a character! His «enlightened despotism» was legendary – no history book contradicts the fact that he was the most important Belgian monarch! – particularly because he left nothing to chance. The construction of Avenue de Tervuren coincided with him acquiring the Congo with his own money, because the Belgian government refused to pay! In the early 20th century, the King had a splendid Colonial Museum with its own park built in the French style, at the end of this impressive avenue that led nowhere. The Brussels upper classes naturally flocked to the place, to discover the riches from the foreign lands belonging to Leopold before they were passed over to the country shortly after the sovereign's death in 1908. This was the perfect way to bring everything to a natural close. Leopold II was also ahead of his time when it came to communication!Renamed Musée de l’Afrique, the Tervuren Museum is one of the richest and most magnificent in Belgium, and taking a walk here is a Sunday must for all Brussels residents who love going for a picnic lunch. Beside being a tourist haunt, Tervuren is also a very pretty commune with a quaint village centre and high quality residential areas.