Last week to visit the Royal Greenhouse!

It only opens every year for three weeks in spring, it's in the Northern part of Brussels (Laeken) and... it's almost over! Nice and cheap activity, but pick the most suitable time for it.

There are four days left (5th, 6th, 7th and 8th May) on which you can visit the Royal Greenhouse of Laeken from 9:30am to 4:00pm. On the last day, it also opens from 8pm to 10pm. It is pretty cheap: only €2.50 per person; it's even free if you're younger than 18.

Situated next to the Royal Castle of Laeken (pronounced "Lah-kun") and some other architectural monuments like the Japanese Tower, this huge heaven on earth is located in Avenue du Parc Royal, 1020 Bruxelles, so it takes around 35-40 min from Central Station with buses and trams (and a bit less from North Station). Follow the signs and find the big fence where the entrance is. You really ought to come by during the week and/or early in the morning, because you may have to queue for a long time at the entrance otherwise.

The place has a collection of plants from different countries under Leopold II (1835-1909) as sorts of keepsakes from our colonial past. The few beautiful greenhouses are surrounded by vast gardens with ponds and some Asian trees. You may just picture yourself as a little prince(ss) playing around in the area and having a daydream and you completely forget that you're in Brussels.

The smell of flowers surrounds you everywhere (if you are allergic, take your medicine!)... You will admire the magnificent structure of the different greenhouses from a different century, as well as the different shapes of the royal plants, which come from the Philippines, India, Australia, and other remote places, and vary from incredibly esthetic to really quirky, animal-like or carnivore. Some are rarity and may not be found anywhere else than there!

Cameras are authorised, so take your best one. But also take your time to enjoy everything with your own eyes! I would say that it is good for any age, so bringing your kids with you is a good idea (but tell them that touching the plants is forbidden!).

In a strange hobbit-like house, you can see former Belgian queen Elizabeth's sculpture workshop. And next to the greenhouse's exit door, you can eat a "couque/koek" (Belgian word for a brioche-like cake) and drink some coffee in an actual greenhouse (without the plants though) with a splendid view on the garden.

If I could point out one negative side of the activity, I'd say that, because the greenhouse is only available for such a short period every year, it becomes full of people. You can't really walk around freely from a greenhouse to another and you have to follow the crowd if you don't want to lose your friends and/or family. Sometimes you have to wait 10 minutes before being able to get into the next greenhouse because some are not that big.