Royal Groenendaal racecourse in the Sonian Forest
For 112 years, with periodic interruptions, jockeys trotted their racehorses across what connoisseurs hailed as one of Europe's most beautiful hippodromes: the royal Groenendaal racecourse in Hoeilaart.
The Boitsfort racecourse, established in 1880? Too small and too unpredictable. The royal racecourse in Ostend, established in 1883? Also too small. In 1887, King Leopold II envisioned a new oval course near Brussels, stretching 3.6 km in length and designed without sharp turns. Perfect in every way, yet the opening race on Monday, 22 July 1889, failed to draw large crowds. Many seats in the two metal stands, adorned with wrought-iron ornamentation flanking the imposing royal lodge, remained empty as the proud monarch inaugurated his playground.
Peaks and troughs followed one another continuously until the eventual closure
Soon the tide turned. Starting in 1892, special trains operating on a branch of the Brussels-Namur railway line primarily transported passengers and racehorses on race days to the Groenendaal-Renbaan terminus, located 1.4 km away. There were six platform tracks, two sidings, and a turntable for the steam locomotives. In 1904, plans were made to double the required capacity.
Meanwhile, in 1893, a straight track measuring one mile (1.6 km) was added to the existing 3.6-mile oval track. What a magnificent sight it must have been as the horses thundered down the initial stretch from the Sonian Forest, then charged halfway uphill from the valley in a cloud of dust, all striving to be the first to cross the finish line in front of the royal lodge. Two different tracks within a single hippodrome? Downright unique. And as icing on the cake, a separate figure-eight obstacle course was introduced in 1910. There were three runs totalling over 9 km for three disciplines: flat racing, hurdles, and steeplechase. Up to 50 races were held annually there before World War I, earning Belgium recognition in the world press! In addition to the royal lodge and the two grandstands, there were stables, a wagon and changing room for jockeys, an infirmary for both horses and jockeys in the event of accidents, toilets, and a bookmakers' pavilion.
No races were held during World War I. Tuesday, 6 May 1919, proved to be an unfortunate day. A discarded cigarette ignited bales of straw, triggering a series of explosions from the accumulated German bombs and shells on the site. This resulted in dozens of casualties and damage that extended as far away as the village of Hoeilaart. Racing resumed in 1921 after repairs had been made. In 1924, a new royal lodge was built in Beaux-Arts style, following the complete destruction of the old one. It featured a cupola, four identical pseudoround arch pediments, a roof terrace, and two curved staircases leading to a balustraded platform. After a series of closures, improvements, renovations, extensions, reopenings, and demolitions over the decades, one final race was held on Saturday, 16 June 2001.
Renovated in 2016, the royal lodge—one of the few remnants of the site's former glory—is now available for hire for exclusive events and meetings.