It’s one of the best-kept secrets in Brussels. Hidden among tall trees on the edge of the Brussels Park is an elegant arcade built of wood painted green along with a music kiosk.
Inspired by the 18th-century Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens in London, the Vaux-Hall was constructed in 1913 as a setting for concerts.
The timing wasn’t perfect. The complex was barely finished when the German army marched into Belgium. During the First World War, the kiosk was used by the occupying army for military concerts.
The wooden arcade was eventually abandoned. Finally, the city brought in skilled craftsmen from the Vosges region of France to restore the wooden structure. Completed in 2017, the arcade is now used in the summer months for open-air concerts, puppet theatres and film screenings. You can find the programme at vauxhallsummer.brussels
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
