Although one of Brussels’ largest suburbs and a busy transport junction, the heart of Ixelles remains a peaceful oasis of lakes and woodland.

The idyllic Abbaye de la Camber was founded in 1201, achieving fame and a degree of fortune in 1242, when Saint Boniface chose the site for his retirement. The abbey then endured a troubled history in the wars of religion during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It finally closed as an operational abbey in 1796 and now houses a school of architecture. The abbey’s pretty Gothic church can be toured and its grassy grounds and courtyards offer a peaceful walk.

South of the abbey, the Bois de la Cambre remains one of the city’s most popular public parks. Created in 1860, it achieved popularity almost immediately when royalty promenaded its main route. Lakes bridges and lush grass make it a favored picnic site.

The Musee Communal d’Ixelles nearby has a fine collection of posters by nineteenth and twentieth century greats, such as Toulouse Lautrec and Magritte, as well as sculptures by Rodin.