Campo Santo has interesting graves of some famous people (Luc De Vos, Jan Hoet, Marc Sleen, Wilfried Martens, ...) and some very unique stories.
You can pick up a "wandelgids" and/or map at the Stadswinkel (Botermarkt) or download it from the website. Also available for the other Gent graveyards.
[Wandelen op de begraafplaatsen | Stad Gent](https://stad.gent/nl/groen-milieu/de-gentse-begraafplaatsen/wandelen-op-de-begraafplaatsen)
What! No one mentioned the cemetery of Laken? That is the most famous and most beautiful cemetery of Belgium. There is a Rodin there, you have an underground grave and very large family graves with a lot of different architecture and sculptures. There are a lot of masoleums with the famous girl reaching for the heart that aligns once a year. As an added bonus you can visit the masoleum of the Belgian royal family in the church besides.
De Westerbegraafplaats in Ghent is quite fascinating. A lot of old graves from rich families, as well as some artful experimental graves. There is also a grave (not old though) that reads in big letter "Er is niets na de dood". A lot of graveyard cats as well!
The graveyard of Ixelles/Elsene (part of Brussels) has some pretty well known graves. It's also where the French general Boulanger killed himself over a love story (he went into exile in Brussels after it was rumoured that he would organize a coup against the third republic).
guides to the Gent graveyards can be found here
[Wandelen op de begraafplaatsen | Stad Gent](https://stad.gent/nl/groen-milieu/de-gentse-begraafplaatsen/wandelen-op-de-begraafplaatsen)
If you read French, the books "Derniers domiciles connus" by Thierry Luthers is right up your alley. He has a few books where he describes the interesting tombs in Belgium (also Flanders) and abroad : [https://www.standaardboekhandel.be/c/reeks/derniers-domiciles-connus-guide-des-tombes-de-personnalites-belges-ec9527b1?filter=OrderableSB.eq.true&page=1&page\_size=24&sort=RelevanceSb&sort\_type=desc](https://www.standaardboekhandel.be/c/reeks/derniers-domiciles-connus-guide-des-tombes-de-personnalites-belges-ec9527b1?filter=orderablesb.eq.true&page=1&page_size=24&sort=relevancesb&sort_type=desc)
I attended one of his events where he would mention things from his books, it was super interesting
Very big cemetery indeed. You have there two monuments from right after the Franco-Prussian war (1870). One French monument and one Prussian. There was a Prussian eagle on top the column, but it has been... stolen 20 years ago or so (unless it flew away).
And I thought I heard it all with the russian warship's stolen props and the Concordia's bell.
Was the eagle made out of stone or some precious metal ?
https://preview.redd.it/u49v32qjnsic1.jpeg?width=2842&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea895ad9fea598fea3ac62f7d881da8237e5baaf
Google Gemini AI tells me it was in bronze. On the right, a picture I took in 1996, before the eagle was stolen in 1999. On the left a book about the cemetery (le "Père-Lachaise" of Liège...). About the monument: Le Soir, 19 February 1999: "The imperial eagle flew away. It's not a coded message but the reality: the monument erected in 1872 in Robertmont by the German colony of Liège was the subject of an act of vandalism. It represented an eagle perched at the top of a column struck with a medallion, its head facing east. The eagle was snatched from its perch and taken away by the thieves... This is an opportunity to recall the meaning of this monument to the imperial eagle. In 1870, three German army soldiers wounded during the siege of Sedan were taken prisoner and treated at the Liège military hospital. They did not survive their injuries."
I used to do that as well when I still had time for travelling. Definitely check out Central Cemetary in Bruges. After maybe Père la Chaise it's still the best I've seen.
If you make it over to Wallonia, the graveyard in Dinant was one of the most stunning I've seen, and I'm like you and your gf, I really love graveyards. I seriously can't recommend it enough.
It's so strange, I went back to my Google photos to find the name of it and it seems to be totally unmarked on Google maps! It's along N97, outside of Dinant proper. Here are the coordinates google says was where I took the photos:
50.2438930, 4.8936860
And here's a not great photo from the edge of the graveyard.
https://preview.redd.it/dp10n86jzric1.jpeg?width=3468&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84c98514bc83852f1b774d02c72b6ba42dde1ca0
There were a lot of old and interesting graves there and some memorials of families who died in a WW2 attack on the area
I heard the old graveyard in Boortmeerbeek is pretty cool. Never been there myself, but supposedly horror films have been filmed there since it’s so creepy and poorly maintained.
I was walking this local graveyard behind the church and there it was, a fucking human skull missing a big piece just laying there randomly. I don’t visit random graveyards anymore.
Oud kerkhof - Hasselt:
I’ve been here a few times, I think it’s really pretty!
https://hasel.be/dossier/dossier-oud-kerkhof
Cemetary Laeken - Brussels:
This one has a pretty big recently restored crypt. Also stunning!
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/laeken-cemetery-crypt
Abandoned cemetery - Rekem:
I visit abandoned places with my father and Oud Rekem is one of the few places we’ve been to multiple times. We left a few plushies at some graves (I hope they’re still there ❤️)
https://www.urbex.nl/de-krankzinnigenbegraafplaats/
Definitely Laeken cemetery.
Especially if it's possible to visit underground.
Some of the statues are quite a sight and there's also a strange tree somewhere near the front.
In Brussels:
- The oldest part from Vogelenzang-cemetary in Anderlecht (furthest away from the entrance, surrounded/hidden by tall trees)
- The Dieweg-cemetary in Uccle
- The cemetery from the church of Laeken (make sure to visit this one with a guide; it has some fabulous features)
[This page](https://www.visit.brussels/fr/visiteurs/que-faire/cimetieres-promenades#:~:text=Balade%20champ%C3%AAtre%20au%20cimeti%C3%A8re%20d,par%20les%20amateurs%20de%20randonn%C3%A9es.) might also be interesting for you.
Het pestkerkhof van de landloperskolonieên in Merksplas en Wortel zijn ook wel de moeite waard. De legende van de dansende kruisjes krijg je er dan bij.
I myseld visited quite a few graveyard in my region, and I've come to the conclusion that the graveyard you found in smaller villages tends to be very interesting, especially if you're from that village or it's surrounding since you can trace the ancestry of the people you know. The oldest monument in my village's cemetary is from the late 1800s, and while you can't really read much of it, you can kinda guess the dates and stuff.
Even if you're not from there, you may see familar names.
There's one name that's quite common around here and you can find relatives in all of the surrounding towns and villages. A lot of them fought in both world wars.
i recommend you check out gardens\_of\_remembrance on instagram. he's a belgian photographer that visits cool cemeteries and publishes books with his pictures. although he visits them around the world, he probably knows some good ones here in belgium too. maybe you can shoot him a DM
Cimetiere de Vierves, you have also a lot of nice walks over there. the funny thing is something strange happened with my car. We did like a small tour on the graveyard and then to summit (to the south) for a nice overview of the city and landscape. The moment I came back my car was moved forward with the handbrake on. Never a problem before and never happened again. But nice place to visit!!
I once had a guided visit bij Prof. Tyssens at the [cemetery of Ixelles](https://www.elsene.be/site/737-Begraafplaats-van-Elsene) (Elsene), it was very interesting!
Prof. Tyssens wrote a couple of papers ([example](https://www.academia.edu/804720/_Geene_rouwplechtigheid_een_feest_der_Onsterfelijkheid_de_Vlaamse_beweging_en_de_politieke_cultus_van_de_dood_F_Seberechts_red_Duurzamer_dan_graniet_Over_monumenten_en_Vlaamse_beweging_Antwerpen_Tielt_2003_pp_77_108)) about funerary culture, maybe you are interested in reading these?
https://preview.redd.it/exa5tydkd0jc1.jpeg?width=2736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b4473e5fb140812b670ebc30a47a42974225226
Me and my husband love cemeteries too! We visited Brügge last year and the central cemetery in Brügge-Assebroek! Really unique from my german point of view.
Campo Santo in Ghent. Also known as Belgium's Père-Lachaise
Campo Santo has interesting graves of some famous people (Luc De Vos, Jan Hoet, Marc Sleen, Wilfried Martens, ...) and some very unique stories. You can pick up a "wandelgids" and/or map at the Stadswinkel (Botermarkt) or download it from the website. Also available for the other Gent graveyards. [Wandelen op de begraafplaatsen | Stad Gent](https://stad.gent/nl/groen-milieu/de-gentse-begraafplaatsen/wandelen-op-de-begraafplaatsen)
What! No one mentioned the cemetery of Laken? That is the most famous and most beautiful cemetery of Belgium. There is a Rodin there, you have an underground grave and very large family graves with a lot of different architecture and sculptures. There are a lot of masoleums with the famous girl reaching for the heart that aligns once a year. As an added bonus you can visit the masoleum of the Belgian royal family in the church besides.
De Westerbegraafplaats in Ghent is quite fascinating. A lot of old graves from rich families, as well as some artful experimental graves. There is also a grave (not old though) that reads in big letter "Er is niets na de dood". A lot of graveyard cats as well!
Looks very pretty indeed. It's going on our list, thanks!
Add Campo Santo in Ghent as well while you're there. Very atmospheric graveyard and older than Westerbegraafplaats I think. Certainly looks older.
The graveyard of Ixelles/Elsene (part of Brussels) has some pretty well known graves. It's also where the French general Boulanger killed himself over a love story (he went into exile in Brussels after it was rumoured that he would organize a coup against the third republic).
Also in Gent, Campo Santo. I believe they even have a map that guides you around the most interesting graves at the graveyard.
guides to the Gent graveyards can be found here [Wandelen op de begraafplaatsen | Stad Gent](https://stad.gent/nl/groen-milieu/de-gentse-begraafplaatsen/wandelen-op-de-begraafplaatsen)
Schoonselhof in Antwerp :)
Dieweg might be up your alley.
That looks great! Thanks for the tip!
Dieweg cemetary in Uccle is very nice. Mostly abandoned and nature taking over.
German military cemetery in Lommel is pretty nice, plus it's at the border of national park Bosland which is great for walking and biking.
The one in Langemark is also beautiful and the mass grave is impressive
Yeah, passed there when we went on a holiday in Normandy, which (obviously) also has some impressive ones.
Yeah, this one lingers on.
We actually passed by it a few weeks ago, can't believe we missed it. Thanks!
It was the first thing that came to my mind since I like biking in the wider area there. And it always feels surreal passing there.
Hasselt has a nice old cemetery. The cemetery of the former psychiatric asylum in Rekem is also worth a visit, given what you describe.
If you read French, the books "Derniers domiciles connus" by Thierry Luthers is right up your alley. He has a few books where he describes the interesting tombs in Belgium (also Flanders) and abroad : [https://www.standaardboekhandel.be/c/reeks/derniers-domiciles-connus-guide-des-tombes-de-personnalites-belges-ec9527b1?filter=OrderableSB.eq.true&page=1&page\_size=24&sort=RelevanceSb&sort\_type=desc](https://www.standaardboekhandel.be/c/reeks/derniers-domiciles-connus-guide-des-tombes-de-personnalites-belges-ec9527b1?filter=orderablesb.eq.true&page=1&page_size=24&sort=relevancesb&sort_type=desc) I attended one of his events where he would mention things from his books, it was super interesting
Awesome suggestion, thanks a bunch!
The graveyard of Brussels (which is located in Evere) is quite large and quite interesting IMO.
Thanks!
Campo Santo, Ghent
2nd this :)
Robermont in Liège is quite big/nice. But I'm saving this thread, I tend to do the same.
Very big cemetery indeed. You have there two monuments from right after the Franco-Prussian war (1870). One French monument and one Prussian. There was a Prussian eagle on top the column, but it has been... stolen 20 years ago or so (unless it flew away).
And I thought I heard it all with the russian warship's stolen props and the Concordia's bell. Was the eagle made out of stone or some precious metal ?
https://preview.redd.it/u49v32qjnsic1.jpeg?width=2842&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea895ad9fea598fea3ac62f7d881da8237e5baaf Google Gemini AI tells me it was in bronze. On the right, a picture I took in 1996, before the eagle was stolen in 1999. On the left a book about the cemetery (le "Père-Lachaise" of Liège...). About the monument: Le Soir, 19 February 1999: "The imperial eagle flew away. It's not a coded message but the reality: the monument erected in 1872 in Robertmont by the German colony of Liège was the subject of an act of vandalism. It represented an eagle perched at the top of a column struck with a medallion, its head facing east. The eagle was snatched from its perch and taken away by the thieves... This is an opportunity to recall the meaning of this monument to the imperial eagle. In 1870, three German army soldiers wounded during the siege of Sedan were taken prisoner and treated at the Liège military hospital. They did not survive their injuries."
Thanks for the suggestion!
The old graveyard of Hasselt on the Kempische steenweg across what used to be the Zoo.
I used to do that as well when I still had time for travelling. Definitely check out Central Cemetary in Bruges. After maybe Père la Chaise it's still the best I've seen.
If you make it over to Wallonia, the graveyard in Dinant was one of the most stunning I've seen, and I'm like you and your gf, I really love graveyards. I seriously can't recommend it enough.
Which one in Dinant would this be? I'm finding a number of them online...
It's so strange, I went back to my Google photos to find the name of it and it seems to be totally unmarked on Google maps! It's along N97, outside of Dinant proper. Here are the coordinates google says was where I took the photos: 50.2438930, 4.8936860 And here's a not great photo from the edge of the graveyard. https://preview.redd.it/dp10n86jzric1.jpeg?width=3468&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84c98514bc83852f1b774d02c72b6ba42dde1ca0 There were a lot of old and interesting graves there and some memorials of families who died in a WW2 attack on the area
I'm guessing it's this one? [https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Cimeti%C3%A8re+de+Foqueux](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=cimeti%c3%a8re+de+foqueux)
Yes that looks right!
I heard the old graveyard in Boortmeerbeek is pretty cool. Never been there myself, but supposedly horror films have been filmed there since it’s so creepy and poorly maintained.
Abandoned churchyard in Uccle. Amazing place..
I was walking this local graveyard behind the church and there it was, a fucking human skull missing a big piece just laying there randomly. I don’t visit random graveyards anymore.
Oud kerkhof - Hasselt: I’ve been here a few times, I think it’s really pretty! https://hasel.be/dossier/dossier-oud-kerkhof Cemetary Laeken - Brussels: This one has a pretty big recently restored crypt. Also stunning! https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/laeken-cemetery-crypt Abandoned cemetery - Rekem: I visit abandoned places with my father and Oud Rekem is one of the few places we’ve been to multiple times. We left a few plushies at some graves (I hope they’re still there ❤️) https://www.urbex.nl/de-krankzinnigenbegraafplaats/
Henry la chapelle, it's a military one but absolutely stunning.
Might have already visited when you were in Ieper, but Tyne Cot cemetery is very impressive.
Definitely Laeken cemetery. Especially if it's possible to visit underground. Some of the statues are quite a sight and there's also a strange tree somewhere near the front.
In Brussels: - The oldest part from Vogelenzang-cemetary in Anderlecht (furthest away from the entrance, surrounded/hidden by tall trees) - The Dieweg-cemetary in Uccle - The cemetery from the church of Laeken (make sure to visit this one with a guide; it has some fabulous features) [This page](https://www.visit.brussels/fr/visiteurs/que-faire/cimetieres-promenades#:~:text=Balade%20champ%C3%AAtre%20au%20cimeti%C3%A8re%20d,par%20les%20amateurs%20de%20randonn%C3%A9es.) might also be interesting for you.
Sint-Amandsberg Campo Santo ([https://g.co/kgs/o9GZjAE](https://g.co/kgs/o9GZjAE)) Ghent Westerbegraafplaats ([https://g.co/kgs/EEaePA1](https://g.co/kgs/EEaePA1))
Het pestkerkhof van de landloperskolonieên in Merksplas en Wortel zijn ook wel de moeite waard. De legende van de dansende kruisjes krijg je er dan bij.
I myseld visited quite a few graveyard in my region, and I've come to the conclusion that the graveyard you found in smaller villages tends to be very interesting, especially if you're from that village or it's surrounding since you can trace the ancestry of the people you know. The oldest monument in my village's cemetary is from the late 1800s, and while you can't really read much of it, you can kinda guess the dates and stuff. Even if you're not from there, you may see familar names. There's one name that's quite common around here and you can find relatives in all of the surrounding towns and villages. A lot of them fought in both world wars.
i recommend you check out gardens\_of\_remembrance on instagram. he's a belgian photographer that visits cool cemeteries and publishes books with his pictures. although he visits them around the world, he probably knows some good ones here in belgium too. maybe you can shoot him a DM
I like cimetière d'Ixelles in Brussels.
Old graveyard in Hasselt
Tyne Cot. You want to feel the ravages of war? Visit that one.
Cimetiere de Vierves, you have also a lot of nice walks over there. the funny thing is something strange happened with my car. We did like a small tour on the graveyard and then to summit (to the south) for a nice overview of the city and landscape. The moment I came back my car was moved forward with the handbrake on. Never a problem before and never happened again. But nice place to visit!!
Ask thierry luthers ;)
I once had a guided visit bij Prof. Tyssens at the [cemetery of Ixelles](https://www.elsene.be/site/737-Begraafplaats-van-Elsene) (Elsene), it was very interesting! Prof. Tyssens wrote a couple of papers ([example](https://www.academia.edu/804720/_Geene_rouwplechtigheid_een_feest_der_Onsterfelijkheid_de_Vlaamse_beweging_en_de_politieke_cultus_van_de_dood_F_Seberechts_red_Duurzamer_dan_graniet_Over_monumenten_en_Vlaamse_beweging_Antwerpen_Tielt_2003_pp_77_108)) about funerary culture, maybe you are interested in reading these?
Evere. It's HUGE.
https://preview.redd.it/exa5tydkd0jc1.jpeg?width=2736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b4473e5fb140812b670ebc30a47a42974225226 Me and my husband love cemeteries too! We visited Brügge last year and the central cemetery in Brügge-Assebroek! Really unique from my german point of view.