Greater ring (Brussels)
Encyclopedia
The Greater Ring in Brussels
, Belgium
(French
: Grande Ceinture, Dutch
: Grote Ring) is a set of roads in the shape of a ring, intermediate between the small ring
and the main Brussels ring
. This set of roads is numbered R21 and is long of about 30 km, for 8 km to the small ring and 80 to the main ring.
It crosses two highways (A12
and E40
-east) and offers a connection to the E40-west at Basilique/Basiliek via Avenue Charles Quint/Keizer Karellaan, to the E19-north and A201 at Leopold III via Avenue Leopold III/Leopold III Laan, to the E411 at Arsenal via Boulevard du Triomphe/Triumflaan and to the E19-south at Paepsem via Boulevard Industriel/Industrielaan.
This road passes through tunnels (the Boileau tunnel, Montgomery tunnel, Georges Henri tunnel), on bridges and viaducts (e.g. Diamant viaduct, Teichmann bridge and Van Praet bridge) and under bridges and viaducts (e.g. Luttre bridge). Among those bridges, 7 are used to cross railroads and 2 are used to cross the Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal
. Tunnels and the Diamant viaduct are used to avoid crossroads. The greater ring runs along many parks: the Royal Domain, the Josaphat park
, the Forest park
, the Astrid park, the Scheutbos park, the Elisabeth park, the Jeugdpark and the Laeken park. It also crosses the Bois de la Cambre
.
The road goes through 14 municipalities out of the 19 which form the Brussels Capital Region: City of Brussels
, Schaerbeek, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Etterbeek
, Ixelles, Uccle
, Forest
, Saint-Gilles
(only when riding counterclockwise), Anderlecht
, Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, Koekelberg
, Ganshoren
(only when riding counterclockwise) and Jette
.
At this point the greater ring is discontinued but can be joined via Boulevard Briand Aristide
/Briand Aristidelaan, Avenue Eugène Ysaÿe
/Eugène Ysayelaan and Avenue Théo Verbeeck
/Théo Verbeecklaan. Then the greater ring resumes:
stations (Boileau, Montgomery, Georges Henry and Diamant
) are connected by a tunnel for trams, which lies under the greater ring. This tunnel is used by tram routes 7 and 25. Albert underground tram station is also located under the greater ring at the Albert crossroad, where the tram routes 3 and 4 join the greater ring, route 3 stopping 3 stops later at Churchill whereas route 4 leave the ring two stops later at Vanderkindere.
Tram route 7 (previously 23/24) actually starts at stop Vanderkindere and follows the greater ring up to Gros Tilleul, only to leave the greater ring after having crossed the Royal Domain to end at Heysel. This makes it the route which drives the most along the ring. Old route 24 also started at Vanderkindere and ran up to Princesse Elisabeth stop only to terminate at the next stop at Schaerbeek railway station. Route 25 joins the ring at Buyl stop coming from Boondael railway station, follows it up to Meiser stop and terminates at Rogier metro station
.
Bus route 49 follows the ring on two occasions, first as it joins the Rue du Pont de Luttre at stop Wiels, coming from Brussels South railway station. It then leaves the ring at stop Veeweyde metro station, to come back at stop Peterbos up to stop Leopold I.
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Grande Ceinture, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: Grote Ring) is a set of roads in the shape of a ring, intermediate between the small ring
Small ring (Brussels)
The Brussels small ring or inner ring road is a series of roadways in central Brussels, Belgium, surrounding the historic city centre. It was built on the site of the Second walls of Brussels, built in the 16th century, after they were torn down....
and the main Brussels ring
Brussels Ring
The Brussels Ring numbered R0, is a ring road surrounding the city of Brussels as well as other smaller towns south of Brussels. The road is a circular highway road of about 75 km with 2 to 3 lanes in each direction...
. This set of roads is numbered R21 and is long of about 30 km, for 8 km to the small ring and 80 to the main ring.
It crosses two highways (A12
A12 road (Belgium)
The A12 is an incomplete motorway in Belgium. The road starts at the Dutch border near Zandvliet and goes to Antwerp. There the A12 goes onto the Antwerp ring road R1. Then the road goes via Wilrijk in the direction of Brussels . From here on, it has frontage roads on both sides...
and E40
European route E40
European route E 40 is the longest European route, more than long, connecting Calais in France via Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with Ridder in Kazakhstan near the border to China....
-east) and offers a connection to the E40-west at Basilique/Basiliek via Avenue Charles Quint/Keizer Karellaan, to the E19-north and A201 at Leopold III via Avenue Leopold III/Leopold III Laan, to the E411 at Arsenal via Boulevard du Triomphe/Triumflaan and to the E19-south at Paepsem via Boulevard Industriel/Industrielaan.
This road passes through tunnels (the Boileau tunnel, Montgomery tunnel, Georges Henri tunnel), on bridges and viaducts (e.g. Diamant viaduct, Teichmann bridge and Van Praet bridge) and under bridges and viaducts (e.g. Luttre bridge). Among those bridges, 7 are used to cross railroads and 2 are used to cross the Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal
Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal
The Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal, also named the Willebroek Canal, is a canal in Belgium linking Brussels with the river Scheldt. The canal was known as the Brussels-Rupel Maritime Canal, prior to the establishment of a direct link with the Scheldt in 1997.The canal is one of the oldest...
. Tunnels and the Diamant viaduct are used to avoid crossroads. The greater ring runs along many parks: the Royal Domain, the Josaphat park
Josaphat park
Josaphat Park is a public park designed by Edmond Galoppin of Melsbroek. It is located in the municipality of Schaerbeek in Brussels. The football stadium that was formerly used by the K.V.V. Crossing Elewijt lies on the North-West corner of the park. There is also an elementary school , a tennis...
, the Forest park
Forest park, Brussels
The Forest park is a park in Brussels, Belgium located in and named after the municipality of Forest. It was designed by Victor Besme and has 13 ha. It is adjacent to the Duden park to its south, which is home to the football ground of R. Union Saint-Gilloise, the legendary football club from the...
, the Astrid park, the Scheutbos park, the Elisabeth park, the Jeugdpark and the Laeken park. It also crosses the Bois de la Cambre
Bois de la Cambre
Ter Kamerenbos or Bois de la Cambre is an urban public park on the edge of the Sonian Forest in Brussels, Belgium. It has an area of 1.23 square kilometres. The park lies in the south of the Brussels-Capital Region, and in the municipality of the City of Brussels...
.
The road goes through 14 municipalities out of the 19 which form the Brussels Capital Region: City of Brussels
City of Brussels
The City of Brussels is the largest municipality of the Brussels-Capital Region, and the official capital of Belgium by law....
, Schaerbeek, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert or Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium...
, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Etterbeek
Etterbeek
Etterbeek is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It neighbours the municipalities of the City of Brussels, Ixelles, Auderghem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Schaerbeek....
, Ixelles, Uccle
Uccle
Uccle or Ukkel is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Uccle is known for its well-to-do areas, its green spots and its high rental rates.-History:...
, Forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, Saint-Gilles
Saint-Gilles, Belgium
Saint-Gilles or Sint-Gillis is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Saint-Gilles has a multicultural identity stemming from its diverse population...
(only when riding counterclockwise), Anderlecht
Anderlecht
Anderlecht is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region.There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within the Anderlecht municipality.-Pronunciation:* Dutch: * French:...
, Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, Koekelberg
Koekelberg
Koekelberg is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. On January 1, 2006 the municipality had a total population of 18,157...
, Ganshoren
Ganshoren
Ganshoren is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. On January 1, 2006 the municipality had a total population of 20,970. The total area is 2.46 km² which gives a population density of 8,541 inhabitants per km².-Pronunciation:* French: * Dutch:...
(only when riding counterclockwise) and Jette
Jette
Jette is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.The Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Dutch-speaking university of Brussels has built its hospital and medical campus in Jette, while its other buildings are in the so-called Etterbeek campus actually...
.
Crossroads
The greater ring counts 15 main crossroads with other main roads in Brussels. Starting from the north and going clockwise, those crossroads are:- Gros Tilleul/Dikke Linde: where highway A12A12 road (Belgium)The A12 is an incomplete motorway in Belgium. The road starts at the Dutch border near Zandvliet and goes to Antwerp. There the A12 goes onto the Antwerp ring road R1. Then the road goes via Wilrijk in the direction of Brussels . From here on, it has frontage roads on both sides...
starts, leading to Antwerp via WillebroekWillebroekWillebroek is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Blaasveld, Heindonk, Tisselt, Klein Willebroek and Willebroek proper. On January 1, 2006 Willebroek had a total population of 23,044... - Van Praet: crossroad with the Quai des Usines/Werkhuizenkaai (the road along the Brussels-Scheldt Maritime CanalBrussels-Scheldt Maritime CanalThe Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal, also named the Willebroek Canal, is a canal in Belgium linking Brussels with the river Scheldt. The canal was known as the Brussels-Rupel Maritime Canal, prior to the establishment of a direct link with the Scheldt in 1997.The canal is one of the oldest...
) and the Avenue de Vilvorde/Vilvoordselaan (N1 roadN1 road (Belgium)The N1 is a road connecting Brussels and Antwerp....
leading to Antwerp via MechelenMechelenMechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
) - Josaphat: crossroad with Avenue Chazal/Chazallaan located at the eastern end of the Josaphat parkJosaphat parkJosaphat Park is a public park designed by Edmond Galoppin of Melsbroek. It is located in the municipality of Schaerbeek in Brussels. The football stadium that was formerly used by the K.V.V. Crossing Elewijt lies on the North-West corner of the park. There is also an elementary school , a tennis...
- Meiser: crossroad with the Chaussée de Louvain/Leuvensesteenweg (N2 roadN2 road (Belgium)The N2 road in Belgium is a road connecting Brussels and Maastricht passing Leuven, Diest and Hasselt. It starts in Brussels at the Madou crossroad on the small ring, heading northeast as the Chaussée de Louvain/Leuvensesteenweg, which crosses the municipalities of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, City of...
) as well as the Avenue Rogier/Rogierlaan and the Avenue Eugène Plasky/Eugène Plaskylaan - Reyers: where the highway E40European route E40European route E 40 is the longest European route, more than long, connecting Calais in France via Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with Ridder in Kazakhstan near the border to China....
starts, leading to GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
via LeuvenLeuvenLeuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
and LiègeLiègeLiège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
, this is also the crossroad with Avenue de Roodebeek/Roodebeeklaan, Avenue des cerisiers/Kerselarenlaan and Avenue du Diamant/Diamantlaan; the Belgian national radios and televisions (RTBFRTBFRadio Télévision Belge Francophone is the public broadcasting organization of the French Community of Belgium, the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium...
and VRTVlaamse Radio- en TelevisieomroepThe Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie , or VRT, is a publicly-funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders ....
) are also located next to this crossroad - Montgomery: crossroad with the Avenue de Tervueren/Tervurenlaan (N3 roadN3 road (Belgium)The N3 road in Belgium is a national road connecting the capital city Brussels to Aachen in Germany via Leuven, Tienen, Sint-Truiden and Liège. Its course is quite similar to that of European route E40 between Brussels and Aachen, which it intersects 3 times...
) and the Avenue de Broqueville/De Broquevillelaan - Arsenal: crossroad with the Chaussée de WavreChaussée de WavreThe Chaussée de Wavre or Waversesteenweg in Brussels, Belgium is a major street crossing the municipalities of Ixelles, Etterbeek and Auderghem...
(N4 roadN4 road (Belgium)Route Nationale 4 or the N4 road in Belgium is a highway that runs from Brussels to Luxembourg. It starts as chausée de Wavre at Porte de Namur on the Brussels inner ring and runs south east through Wavre and Namur, Marche, Bastogne, Martelange and Arlon before terminating as route de Luxembourg...
) and the Boulevard du Triomphe/Triomflaan - Couronne/Kroon: crossroad with the Avenue de la Couronne/Kroonlaan
- La Cambre/Ter Kameren: crossroad with the Avenue Louise/Louizalaan, where the greater ring enters the Bois de La CambreBois de la CambreTer Kamerenbos or Bois de la Cambre is an urban public park on the edge of the Sonian Forest in Brussels, Belgium. It has an area of 1.23 square kilometres. The park lies in the south of the Brussels-Capital Region, and in the municipality of the City of Brussels...
/Ter Kameren Bos - Vanderkindere: crossroad with Avenue Brugmann/Brugmannlaan and rue Vanderkindere/Vanderkinderelaan
- Albert: crossroad with Chaussée d'Alsemberg/Alsembergse Steenweg
- Paepsem: crossroad with Boulevard Industriel/Industrielaan
- Dupuis: crossroad with Boulevard Sylvain Dupuis/Sylvain Dupuislaan
- Prince de Liège/Prins van Luik: crossroad with Chaussée de Ninove/Ninoofsesteenweg (N8 roadN8 road (Belgium)The N8 road in Belgium is a road connecting Brussels and Koksijde, passing Ninove, Oudenaarde, Kortrijk, Ypres and Veurne....
) and Boulevard Prince de Liège/Prins van Luiklaan - Basilique/Basiliek: crossroad with Boulevard Leopold II/Leopold II Laan next to the Basilica
Road names
The roads that form the greater ring are the following, starting from the Gros Tilleul/Dikke Linde crossroad and going clockwise:- Avenue Van PraetJules Van PraetJules Van Praet was a Belgian diplomat and personal secretary of King Leopold I of Belgium. He was born in Bruges, and died in Brussels aged 81.-External links:* *...
/Van Praetlaan (going southeast) and Avenue des Croix du Feu/Vuurkruisenlaan (going northwest) - Boulevard LambermontAuguste, Baron LambermontAuguste, Baron Lambermont , was a Belgian statesman. He came of a family of small farmer proprietors, who had held land during three centuries. He was intended for the priesthood and entered the seminary of Floreffe, but his energies claimed a more active sphere.He left the monastery for the...
/Lambermontlaan - Boulevard Général WahisThéophile WahisBaron Théophile Wahis was a Belgian officer and civil servant.Born in Menen, Belgium, he started his career as Sub-Lieutenant and later Lieutenant General in the Belgian army. He participated in the expeditionary army which was sent to Mexico. Later he became Governor-General of Congo Free State...
/Generaal Wahislaan - Boulevard Auguste Reyers/Auguste Reyerslaan
- Boulevard Brand WhitlockBrand WhitlockBrand Whitlock , an American municipal reformer, diplomat, journalist, and author. Born Joseph Brand Whitlock at Urbana, Ohio, son of the Rev. Elias and Mollie Lavinia Whitlock, he was educated in the public schools and by private tutors. He also studied law under Senator J. M...
/Brand Whitlocklaan - Boulevard Saint-MichelMichael (archangel)Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
/Sint-Michielslaan - Boulevard Louis Schmidt/Louis Schmidtlaan
- Boulevard Général Jacques/Generaal Jacqueslaan
- Avenue du CongoDemocratic Republic of the CongoThe Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
/Congolaan - Avenue Lloyd George/Lloyd Georgelaan
- Avenue de Flore/Floralaan
- Avenue de Diane/Dianalaan
- Avenue de la Lisière
- Avenue Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
/Winston Churchilllaan - Avenue Albert/Albertlaan
- Avenue BesmeBesmeBesme, real name apparently Charles Dianovitz, was a Bohemian in the pay of the Duke of Guise, is recorded as the assassin of Protestant leader Gaspard de Coligny in 1571, using either a dagger or a "big sword". The assassin group called itself Picards de Bohème.- External links :* *...
/Besmelaan and then Avenue Reine Marie-HenrietteMarie Henriette of AustriaMarie Henriette of Austria was the queen consort of King Leopold II of Belgium.-Family:...
/Koningin Maria-Hendrikalaan (going northwest) or Avenue des Villas and then Avenue du Mont KemmelKemmelbergThe Kemmelberg, also known as Kemmel Hill or Mont Kemmel, is a 156m high hill near Kemmel in the municipality of Heuvelland in West Flanders, Belgium....
(going southeast) - Avenue Wielemans Ceuppens/Wielemans Ceuppenslaan
- Avenue du Pont de Luttre/Luttrebruglaan
- Rue du Charroi/Gerijstraat
- Boulevard Paepsem/Paepsemlaan
- Avenue Frans Van Kalken/Frans Van Kalkenlaan
At this point the greater ring is discontinued but can be joined via Boulevard Briand Aristide
Aristide Briand
Aristide Briand was a French statesman who served eleven terms as Prime Minister of France during the French Third Republic and received the 1926 Nobel Peace Prize.- Early life :...
/Briand Aristidelaan, Avenue Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe was a Belgian violinist, composer and conductor born in Liège. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tzar"...
/Eugène Ysayelaan and Avenue Théo Verbeeck
Théo Verbeeck
Théo Verbeeck was a former football player and chairman, best known as chairman of Belgian club R.S.C. Anderlecht ....
/Théo Verbeecklaan. Then the greater ring resumes:
- Rue René Henry/René Henrystraat
- Rue de la Compétition
- Boulevard Maria Groeninckx De May/Maria Groeninckx De Maylaan
- Boulevard de la Grande Ceinture/Grote Ringlaan
- Boulevard Louis Mettewie/Louis Mettewielaan
- Avenue Emile Bossaert/Emile Bossaertlaan
- Avenue Jacques Sermon/Jacques Sermonlaan
- Avenue de Laeken/Lakenselaan
- Boulevard de Smet de Naeyer/De Smet de Naeyerlaan
- Avenue des Robiniers/Witte Acacialaan
- Avenue du Parc Royal/Koninklijk Parklaan
Public transport
The greater ring is extensively used by public transport. Between Boileau and Diamant, 4 underground tramBrussels trams
The Brussels tram system is one of the ten largest in the world, carrying some 75.6 million passengers in 2009. Its development demonstrates many of the quandaries that face local public transport planners...
stations (Boileau, Montgomery, Georges Henry and Diamant
Diamant premetro station
The Diamant premetro station is a station on the Brussels Metro located in the municipality of Schaerbeek in Brussels, Belgium. It was inaugurated on May 2, 1972. The station is a "premetro" station. It is thus not used by conventional subway trains, but by Brussels trams...
) are connected by a tunnel for trams, which lies under the greater ring. This tunnel is used by tram routes 7 and 25. Albert underground tram station is also located under the greater ring at the Albert crossroad, where the tram routes 3 and 4 join the greater ring, route 3 stopping 3 stops later at Churchill whereas route 4 leave the ring two stops later at Vanderkindere.
Tram route 7 (previously 23/24) actually starts at stop Vanderkindere and follows the greater ring up to Gros Tilleul, only to leave the greater ring after having crossed the Royal Domain to end at Heysel. This makes it the route which drives the most along the ring. Old route 24 also started at Vanderkindere and ran up to Princesse Elisabeth stop only to terminate at the next stop at Schaerbeek railway station. Route 25 joins the ring at Buyl stop coming from Boondael railway station, follows it up to Meiser stop and terminates at Rogier metro station
Rogier metro station
The Rogier metro station is an Brussels metro station on the northern segment of line 2 which also serves tram lines on the north-south axis. It opened as a premetro on 18 August 1974 and became a full metro station on 2 October 1988...
.
Bus route 49 follows the ring on two occasions, first as it joins the Rue du Pont de Luttre at stop Wiels, coming from Brussels South railway station. It then leaves the ring at stop Veeweyde metro station, to come back at stop Peterbos up to stop Leopold I.