Best things to do in Sonian Forest

Sonian Forest: The Absolute Essentials

The Sonian Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site, spans over 4,000 hectares across the Brussels-Capital, Flemish, and Walloon regions. This ancient beech forest features historic landmarks like the 14th-century Rouge Cloître priory and the Château of Val-Duchesse. Visitors can explore the Domaine Solvay in La Hulpe, which houses the Fondation Folon museum, or visit the circular Glaverbel Building and the former Boitsfort racecourse. Accessible via the Groenendaal and Hoeilaart train stations, the area offers a network of trails connecting historic chapels, castles, and serene parklands.

Sonian Forest: The Absolute Essentials — Map

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Sonian Forest

The Sonian Forest or Sonian Wood is a 4,421-hectare forest at the south-eastern edge of Brussels, Belgium.

GdML / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Parc Tournay-Solvay - Tournay-Solvaypark

Landscape park in Watermael-Boitsfort featuring an English-style garden, ponds, and the ruins of a 19th-century château.

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT / CC BY 3.0

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Château of Val-Duchesse

The Château of Val-Duchesse is a mansion and estate situated in the municipality of Auderghem in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.

abxbay / Public domain

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Dry Borren

Dry Borren is a historic site in the Sonian Forest in the municiaplity Auderghem, Belgium.

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT / CC BY 3.0

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Rouge Cloître

Rouge Cloître or Rood-Klooster is a former Augustinian Priory, founded in 1367.

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT / CC BY 3.0

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Rouge Cloître Abbey

Rouge Cloître Abbey or Roodklooster Abbey is a former Augustinian priory, founded in 1367.

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Solvay Castle

Solvay Castle, is a château located in the municipality of La Hulpe, Walloon Brabant, Belgium.

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT / CC BY 3.0

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Domaine régional Solvay

A 227-hectare public park in La Hulpe featuring over 450 species of trees, several ponds, and extensive walking paths surrounding the Solvay Castle.

Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) / CC BY 4.0

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Fondation Folon

Museum located in the former farm of the Château de La Hulpe, showcasing over 300 works by Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon, including watercolors and sculptures.

Funkyxian / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Kapel Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Willerieken

A 19th-century Neo-Gothic pilgrimage chapel located in the heart of the forest on the territory of Hoeilaart.

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Kasteel Groenendael

Historic castle built on the site of the former Groenendael Priory, currently used as an office and event space near the forest entrance.

Guy Delsaut / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Glaverbel Building

A distinctive circular modernist office building designed by Renaat Braem and Pierre Guillissen, completed in 1967 in Watermael-Boitsfort.

GdML / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Hippodrome de Boitsfort - Renbaan van Bosvoorde

A former horse racing track established in 1875, now repurposed as a recreational area featuring a golf course and event spaces.

Japplemedia / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Groenendaal

Railway station on line 161 (Brussels-Namur), serving as a primary access point for the central Sonian Forest and the Groenendaal arboretum.

Japplemedia / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Hoeilaart

Train stop on the Brussels-Namur line, providing access to the southeastern sections of the forest and the nearby Jan van Ruusbroec Forest Museum.