The surprises of Wezembeek-Oppem

Today, Wezembeek-Oppem is a municipality with many faces: partly urban and residential, partly with a village and sometimes even surprisingly rural character. First there was the Frenchification, now the increasing internationalization, as in the whole of the Brussels Periphery. Start on St. Peter's Square (V), protected as a village view (free parking, except on Thursdays). To the left of the church, find house No. 3 - with the beautiful old door frame - and turn into the descending path to the right of it. That path follows the fence of the castle domain of the de Burbure family. Below on the left is another private park with pond, once owned by the Gemeentekrediet. Then you come to the Tramlaan and turn right. Pedestrians have more space here than cars, because you walk on the old tram bed. After 350 m turn right into the Warandeberglaan. At the roundabout you choose the only field road, the Kievitlaan, immediately full of rapeseed and corn. This hiking trail suddenly winds through an unusual funerary landscape: on the left the cemetery of Etterbeek, on the right that of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. At the time, the Brussels suburbs preferred to bury their loved ones on the outside. At cemetery access 1, keep walking straight ahead, past the police building. Cross the Lange Eikstraat, after which you stroll through open field again. At the residential area you immediately turn right: the Krommestraat. Cross the tram bed and then the second left: the Nachtegalenlaan. She takes you with a bend to the Van Severlaan; here again to the left. Cross the Mechelsesteenweg (best at the nearby lights). On the other side of the Van Severlaan you choose the Breughellaan. Between apartment blocks you walk to a T. Here turn left to the terminus of tram line 39. At the tram stop, a beautiful green walking path leaves southwards on the right. Until 1970 a train track ran here. At the crossroads continue straight onto the grass road. Always following the old railway bed you end up on the Brabant farm outside. Surprisingly wide and unspoilt. Stay on the wide main road, the Albertlaan. It crosses the Astridlaan at the border with Tervuren. Continue to follow the Albertlaan along the H.-Hartcollege 2 . Then ignore the first exit on the right and take the second: the Hertogweg. It passes, slightly rising, into the Diepestraat. Above (altitude 100 m) you keep walking straight ahead, so descend. Yes, this suburb hides beautiful hollow roads like this one. Ignore the Lange Delle on the right, keep following the hollow road. Down between the houses you choose the first one on the right, the J. Bausstraat. Watch out: at the second left, at no. 39, you have to turn off: into the very narrow Koningstraatje. That brings you to the busy (!) Mechelsesteenweg, which you carefully cross. In the next bend straight ahead, always that Koningstraatje. At the intersection with the Grunnelaan, choose the Bosweg on the right, with the French-speaking primary school La Fermette. This is how you get to the castle de Grunne 3 . Count de Grunne was mayor of the municipality for 48 years. Before the castle gate you descend to the left until the Beekstraat, which you turn right. Perhaps walk straight ahead first, until you reach the town hall. In the park is the strange equestrian statue Strauff-Hein 4, by the famous Ghent artist Koenraad Tinel. Follow the Beekstraat to the Flemish Community Centre De Kam 5, a closed farm that was a gueuze brewery until the late 60s. Step left in front of the entrance, always in the Beekstraat. Next intersection: straight ahead. After that, the same Beekstraat dives through a tunnel under the high tram bed. Along a green strip you will again come to the Lange Eikstraat, next to the International German School. On the other side you walk into the Warandepark, to the right of the stream. You continue along the pond, from which three dolphins jump, and the playground, to the Kerkbergstraat, which climbs again to the left to the church hill.