Parc Cinquantenaire

The U shaped arcades left and right of the Cinquantenaire Arch allows for several short traverses and two long traverses along the entire length of either the northern or southern wing. The climbable walls are around 3 – 4 meters high, out of Belgian granite and offer a vertical surface with a variety of holds.
In the afternoon and on sunny days the spot might be quite crowded with sun shining on the northern wall. However, the southern wall stays usually in the shade all day and is less busy.

History

The Parc du Cinquantenaire (French) or "Jubelpark" in Dutch, including the U-shaped building complex with its climbable wings, was designed for the fiftieth anniversary of the Belgian independence in 1880. However, the Arch and its two wings were finished just shortly before the 75th anniversary in 1905. The Traverse of Cinquantenaire has been a boulder spot for years. It is not an official spot, but climbers have been tolerated, so be nice and friendly to the authorities ;)