An oasis in the EU Quarter

Noteworthy for: What was once the Maelbeek Valley now resembles an English landscaped park, surrounded by imposing buildings.

This small park is a haven of tranquillity amid the bustle of rue Belliard on the edge of the European Parliament zone. The green space began life as a zoo in 1851 but proved unpopular and reinvented itself as a public park in 1880.

Some of its historical buildings have remained - the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences among them - and as you stroll around, you can still see the remains of the medieval Eggevoort Tower. In summer, take a picnic and chill-out by the lovely pond.