Ixelles Ponds

Orientation

The Ixelles Ponds are two linked ponds in the Maelbeek valley, running roughly between Flagey at the northern end and La Cambre Abbey to the south. This is a public landscaped space rather than a park for sports or boating: come for a waterside walk, the formal planting and the architecture around the banks.

The lower, larger pond sits closest to Flagey. The smaller upper pond rises toward the abbey. Square du Souvenir lies between them.

Walk the ponds

Follow the path around the water rather than trying to reach the banks. A dolomite path, benches and low balustrades trace the ponds; the upper pond has longer, more wooded slopes.

Look for:

• The islands: each pond has a small willow-planted island and a fountain that oxygenates the water.
• The rocaille: between the ponds, a 19th-century artificial rock grotto sits beneath an unfinished temple-like structure.
• The memorial: Square du Souvenir holds the memorial to Ixelles civilians and soldiers killed in the two world wars.
• The streetscape: scan the surrounding avenues for late-19th- and early-20th-century townhouses, including Art Nouveau, Art Deco and modernist apartment buildings.

Why there are two ponds

The ponds began as wetlands formed by the Maelbeek. Four fishponds were dug for La Cambre Abbey in the early 13th century. Nineteenth-century urban development reshaped them into the two ponds seen today: the Grand Étang was partly filled to create what became Flagey, while two other ponds were combined. Landscape architect Édouard Keilig gave the banks their curving form.

That history explains the contrast between the formal waterside promenade and the dense residential streets around it.

Getting there and access

Start at Flagey for the lower pond, or approach from La Cambre Abbey for the quieter southern end. Tram 81 stops at Flagey; buses serve Flagey, Biarritz and Étangs d'Ixelles.

The site is open to the public at all times, except during high winds. It has step-free access and a drinking-water fountain. Do not enter the water or walk on the pond banks; stay on the paths edging the ponds. Fishing is currently prohibited.

Timing

Allow 30–45 minutes for a full circuit with pauses. Morning is best for an uncluttered walk; late afternoon gives the strongest light across the water. Combine the ponds with Flagey at one end or the gardens and buildings of La Cambre Abbey at the other.