Ixelles Ponds
Encyclopedia
The Ixelles Ponds are two freshwater ponds in the Brussels
municipality of Ixelles. The ponds we can see today are those spared by a 19th-century campaign of drying the wetlands of the Maalbeek valley between the Abbey of La Cambre and Flagey Square
.
The two long and narrow ponds, whose total lengths are approximately 700 metres (2,200 feet), and widths are approximately 50 metres (170 feet), are aligned on a roughly North-South axis and are separated by a narrow strip of land. With the surrounding park, the Ixelles Ponds are the tip of a long strip of almost uninterrupted greenery reaching all the way from the Sonian Forest
deep into the urban tissue of Brussels.
The ponds are an extremely popular recreation area for local residents, pertaining to the Belgian upper-crust. However, the water is polluted with cyanobacteria and signs posted at regular intervals warn of a risk of botulism
. All contact with the water is prohibited, as is sitting on the grass in the immediate vicinity of the water, although the latter rule is not strictly enforced. In spite of the pollution, waterfowl thrive around the ponds.
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
municipality of Ixelles. The ponds we can see today are those spared by a 19th-century campaign of drying the wetlands of the Maalbeek valley between the Abbey of La Cambre and Flagey Square
Flagey Square
Place Eugène Flagey , is a square in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles, Belgium. It was named in honour of Eugène Flagey, mayor of Ixelles from 1935 to 1953...
.
The two long and narrow ponds, whose total lengths are approximately 700 metres (2,200 feet), and widths are approximately 50 metres (170 feet), are aligned on a roughly North-South axis and are separated by a narrow strip of land. With the surrounding park, the Ixelles Ponds are the tip of a long strip of almost uninterrupted greenery reaching all the way from the Sonian Forest
Sonian Forest
The Sonian Forest is a forest that lies across the south-eastern part of Brussels, Belgium.The forest lies in the Flemish municipalities of Sint-Genesius-Rode, Hoeilaart, Overijse and Tervuren, in Uccle, Watermael-Boitsfort, Auderghem and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre in the Brussels-Capital Region and in...
deep into the urban tissue of Brussels.
The ponds are an extremely popular recreation area for local residents, pertaining to the Belgian upper-crust. However, the water is polluted with cyanobacteria and signs posted at regular intervals warn of a risk of botulism
Botulism
Botulism also known as botulinus intoxication is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by botulinum toxin which is metabolic waste produced under anaerobic conditions by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and affecting a wide range of mammals, birds and fish...
. All contact with the water is prohibited, as is sitting on the grass in the immediate vicinity of the water, although the latter rule is not strictly enforced. In spite of the pollution, waterfowl thrive around the ponds.
See also
- Abbey of La Cambre/Ter Kameren
- Bois de la CambreBois de la CambreTer Kamerenbos or Bois de la Cambre is an urban public park on the edge of the Sonian Forest in Brussels, Belgium. It has an area of 1.23 square kilometres. The park lies in the south of the Brussels-Capital Region, and in the municipality of the City of Brussels...
- Flagey SquareFlagey SquarePlace Eugène Flagey , is a square in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles, Belgium. It was named in honour of Eugène Flagey, mayor of Ixelles from 1935 to 1953...
- Résidence de la CambreRésidence de la CambreThe Résidence de la Cambre is the first high-rise building ever built in Ixelles . It was built in 1938-1939 according to the plans of architect Marcel Peeters in a style inspired by New York Art Deco architecture...