The Royal Greenhouses in Laeken

The Royal Greenhouses in Laeken ( Belgium ) are open to the public three weeks a year every spring. This tradition has been carried for almost a century.
The monumental glass palace is an architectural masterpiece designed by Alphonse Balat , the mentor of another legendary Belgian architect Victor Horta, between 1874 and 1876 for King Leopold II.
The complex of greenhouses which complement the castle of Laeken, built as a new type of construction of metal and glass which was a renovation in the second part of XIX century. The construction inspired further development of Belgian architecture especially Art Nouveau.
The current collections of the Greenhouses respect the original spirit of the Leopold II’s collection . The Royal Greenhouses still contain a huge number of rare tropical plants and original remarkable ceramic pieces.
Some of the plants belonging to Leopold II’s collection still exist, including the majority of the tall palm trees of the Winter Garden’s pavilion.
V-Zen Blog attended the Royal Greenhouses this spring and happy to share the original photos of this remarkable inspiring place