Bois des Rêves
History
Let’s retrace the astonishing history of Bois des Rêves together…
Le Domaine de l’Étoile
At the beginning of the 20th century, what would later become Bois des Rêves was an integral part of a private estate made up of a castle (le Château de l’Etoile), a forest (Bois de l’Étoile) and the eponymous Park. The imposing castle built in 1912, which suffered from bombing during the Second World War, was demolished in 1956.
Swamps and a reed field
The origins of Bois des Rêves date back to 1930. At the time, Doctor Victorien Decorte, alderman and municipal councilor of the municipality of Ottignies, owned the marshy land at this location originally intended for the production of reed, bordered to the South-East by the creek named Ry Angon. The reed harvest having ceased, he had a lake developed there by a fish farming company.
A new era of pleasure
The bois des Rêves pond stimulates canoeing and its embellished banks offer many swimmers the opportunity to practice their favorite sport. A café and a restaurant complete the joy of the customers of this enchanting site. During the Interwar Period, Bois des Rêves became the favorite place for young couples who came to spend their Saturday evenings at the lantern ball, under a large shelter in colonial style, on the site of the current Brasserie.
Aid for the youth
In 1941, Baron Louis Empain acquired the Parc de l’Étoile in order to assign it to his “Pro Juventute” foundation, which worked for the well-being of underprivileged youth. The castle being in poor condition, he had built, 5 years later, two buildings capable of accommodating 170 children. Baron Empain then acquired Bois des Rêves with the aim of allowing children staying at “Pro Juventute” to play freely, thus increasing the size of the property to 40 hectares.
The activities of Pro Juventute ceased in 1964 and the buildings, not finding a buyer, were demolished in 1969.
The Province of Brabant acquires Bois des Rêves
Two years later, in January 1971, the Province of Brabant proceeded with the acquisition of an area of 27 hectares including Bois des Rêves and part of the Parc de l’Étoile.
With the aim of enhancing family visits while maintaining the high botanical and faunal value of the places, Walloon Brabant established a strategic investment plan aimed at gradually providing the domain with various infrastructures.
A new development plan
Four years later, in 1975, the fishing pond was redesigned to create a walking path that goes around it. In 1980, the management of Bois des Rêves was tasked by the provincial authorities with submitting a draft development plan in which the forestry framework should occupy a predominant place. Three functions of the domain came out: the social and recreational function, the protection and production function and the scientific and didactic function.
The enlargement of the recreational offer
The ever-increasing number of visitors to the domain has led to the implementation of various projects to enrich the recreational offer of Bois des Rêves: inauguration of signposted walks in 1986, creation of the largest playground in Walloon Brabant in 1988, construction of a reception pavilion including a restaurant, a bar and conference rooms, inaugurated in 1992, and the opening in 1995 of a vast beach with swimming pool and toddler pool. In the year 2000 there was the opening of the mountain bike trail on a 2.3 km closed circuit.
An invitation to recharge the imagination
Currently ranked in the top ten tourist attractions in Wallonia, Bois des Rêves is part of an ambitious development program with the focus on improving the reception and comfort of the ever-increasing number of visitors.
In this perspective, Bois des Rêves adopted in 2021 a new visual identity referring to water and nature, supported by a promise: “Ressourcer l’imaginaire”(Refresh the imagination) , an invitation to (re)discover the world around us through the eyes of a child.
Today, Bois des Rêves is 67 hectares of natural and developed space, 17 km of marked paths and trails, some of which are accessible to people with reduced mobility, two playgrounds, a fishing pond, orienteering courses, a mountain bike trail and many activities throughout the seasons.
