Europe, Belgium. April 18, 2005.

The Royal Greenhouses in Laeken cover six acres of neoclassical rotundas, domes and galleries. Twenty full time gardeners tend the giant ferns, fruit-bearing banana trees, grottoes, glades and grassy vistas. Highlights include the Azalea House, the rotunda, a colony of birds and the orange trees. Walkways are filled with climbing geraniums and fuchsias, whose blossoms form an overhead canopy. The visit ends with a short walk through the Royal Park.
Besides the greenhouses, the visit includes the Queen Elisabeth's workshop and the stables of the castle which were built in the beginning of the 20th century during the reign of King Leopold II and King Albert I. They are a masterpiece of the architects Girault and Flanneau.
Usual Opening hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:30 am until 4:00 pm. On Fridays from 01:00 until 04:00 pm and from 08:00 pm until 11:00 pm; Saturdays and Sundays open from 09:30 am until 04:00 pm and from 08:00 pm until 11:00 pm. Attention: closed every Mondays. The entrance to the Royal Greenhouses is at the main gate of the Royal Castle of Laeken. Parking place : Avenue de la Dynastie (in front of the Castle of Laeken). Special arrangements for groups are no longer possible.

Source : europeetravel.net

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