Watermael-Boitsfort: Green & Bohemian Oasis

Par Gabriel Goldberg 12 April 2026 4 min read

When you think of Brussels, images of the Grand-Place or EU institutions usually come to mind. Yet the capital hides a verdant secret: Watermael-Boitsfort. With more than half its area covered in forests and parks, this southeastern municipality is more than a neighbourhood — it's a way of life. Between majestic nature, modernist masterpieces and urban farming, welcome to the green lung of the capital. Key Takeaways Brussels' greenest municipality, bordering the UNESCO-listed Sonian Forest Exceptional modernist architecture: the ring-shaped Glaverbel and the former La Royale Belge headquarters The lifestyle operator Mix Brussels and its poolside espresso experience Urban farming at Le Chant des Cailles and an iconic Sunday market 1. The Call of the Forest You cannot understand Watermael-Boitsfort without understanding the Sonian Forest . This cathedral-like beech forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, borders the municipality along its entire southern edge. An early-morning walk beneath its centuries-old beech columns offers a rare urban sensory experience: the crunch of fallen leaves, the light filtered through the canopy, an almost monastic silence. The beech cathedral of the Sonian Forest, UNESCO heritage at Brussels' doorstep Nature extends into picturesque ponds, such as in the magnificent Parc Tournay-Solvay , where white villas reflect in the water. It's here, in this velvety silence, that you understand why Brusselers call Watermael-Boitsfort "the village within the…