When Thanh and I planned an outing to Brussels for the Senne Park, the Pannenhuis Park also known as L28 Park and the Maritime Station, the weather forecast announced snow (!), then rain but in the end the weather gods were clement and it was dry and sometime sunny. The date was 11 April 2021. 

After Senne Park, we walked to Laken / Laeken and Bockstael Railway Station. In the vicinity, you can find the entrance L 28 Park and Pannenhuis Park. Look up Laeken Public Library and Place Emile Bockstaelplein to find your way in. 

Facing the main facade of the library, keep right and enter the Rue Tielemansstraat. On your right is the entrance. 

L28

The L28 Park – Dutch L28-park, in French Parc L28 – is named after railway line 28. The park uses the old railway tracks of Line 28A. There is still an active Line 28 adjacent to the park. 

The are was heavily polluted and needed to be cleaned. That happened in 2013 and 2014. 

Pannenhuis Park

On 3 April 2021 a new section was opened: Pannenhuis Park. In Dutch: Pannenhuispark, in French: Parc Pannenhuis. 

Pannenhuis Park links L28 Park, with the Coulée Verte (also known as Parckfarm, in the direction of Tour et Taxis) and Place Emile Bockstaelplein. 

Pannenhuis Park mixes 

• a slow path for pedestrians and cyclists;
• a fast strack between L28 Par, metro station Belgica and Place Emile Bockstaelplein;
• a quirky access ramp;
• a playzone and sporting zone;
• a Parkour zone;
• a tree zone.
• multiple access points.

As our Sunday outing was to take us to the Maritime Station, we followed less, we turned left in the direction of the Sation instead of keeping following the L28(A). 

Pannenhuis and L28 are clearly inspired by examples in Paris with the Promenade Plantée and The High Line in New York. Antwerp will have its own Spoorpark. That is fine. Such mixtures of industry, green space and heritage seem to work well.

Sources and maps

• Wikipedia.
• Database Publieke Ruimte.
• Leefmilieu Brussel.
• Public Space Brussels.
• L28 (Wikipedia).

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Exploring Brussels

• Brussels’ Senne Park.
• The Hotel. Brussels.
• REVIEW | Train World exhibition ‘From Peking to Hankow: a Belgian adventure in China’.
• Ducal and Imperial Palace of Coudenberg in Brussels.
• MIMA – Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art in Brussels.
• Villa Empain in Brussels.
• Pullman Brussels Centre Midi.
• Autoworld automobile museum in Brussels.
• Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels, Belgium.
• REVIEW | Thalys Lounge at Brussels South/Midi station.
• PHOTOS | Train World railway museum in Brussels.