Malou Park
Malou Park (, ) is an urban park in the Woluwe-Saint-Lambert municipality of Brussels, Belgium. It is in the valley of the Woluwe stream, to the southeast of the Woluwe Shopping Center. It is the municipality's oldest and biggest park. History. The park was established on the marshy, boggy field surrounding the banks of the Struybeek stream, a tributary of the Woluwe. In 1774 the park featured 7 fish ponds, a small hunting lodge called "t'Speelgoet" and a small reservoir. The gardens of the Speelgoet castle were laid out in the early 17th century by the hunting  lodge's first known owners, a local family called Preud'homme. In 1776, the local merchant and banker Lambert de Lamberts built his château residence in the park, which was to be later renamed after Jules Malou, the most famous of its residents. The château's successive owners transformed the formal gardens to the park's present form – a landscape largely covered by trees. The municipality acquired the park in 1951. The remains of the previously large bogs or marshy areas can still be seen behind the Lindekemale watermill. Situation. Malou Park lies to the east of the major thoroughfare /, bordered  from the north by /, from the south by / and from the east by /. The park overlooks the valley of the Woluwe, which is a tributary of the large lake on the western side of the park. It covers some in total, including the last remaining pond, home to several ducks and swans. There are four principal recreation areas within the park: Prominent sights. One of the most prominent features of the park is the Château Malou, a neoclassical castle built in 1776. In 1853, the building was occupied by the Belgian politician and statesmen Jules Malou and both the château  and the surrounding parkland bears his name. On the northern side of the park stands an enormous statue of a lion. The Lindekemale watermill is a 12th-century structure at the north side of the park, currently operating as a restaurant.