Kraainem

Kraainem is a municipality on the outskirts of the Brussels Capital Region, administratively belonging to Flemish Brabant. It began as a rural village, but the expansion of Brussels has led to a fast-paced urbanization of Kraainem throughout the 20th century, and the municipality has become a popular residence for Eurocrats and expats alike.

Early history
Little is known about the early history of Kraainem, aside from a few lithic artifacts found during agricultural activities. During the urbanization of Stokkel and South Kraainem, a large concentration of artifacts was discovered in 1928 near the border with St.-Pieters-Woluwe. These finds are dated to the meso and neolithicum.

Remains of Roman settlements were uncovered at the end of the 18th century, and a Roman villa once stood at the location of the current town hall. It was known as Villa Crainham, and gave Kraainem its name. None of the classical remains were preserved, unfortunately. It is known that Villa Crainham remained until the 11th century, from 1003 also a church is recorded in charters: crainham villa cum ecclesia. The Keulsebaan crosses through Kraainem, connecting Roman Brussels to Cologne, parts of which remain today.

Most of Kraainems current territory remained uninhabited throughout the first millenium. The northern urbanised area of Kraainem, High Kraainem, evolved from a Frankish court centered around what is now known as the Jourdain Castle. It was little more than a fortification surrounded by a few dwellings in the first half of the 9th century. A map from 1771 shows the historic division of Kraainem between a high and low area: to the west a church built upon earlier fortifications, and to the east numerous farm houses and a few smaller dwellings. It is unknown how the fortifications might have looked, but remains of a double octagonal moat can be traced to the west of the church and remained prominent until 1836. The development of High Kraainem remained limited to this core until well into the 19th century, with a survey in 1830 counting only 15 houses.

The north-west of Kraainem hosts a second urbanization core, Low Kraainem. It was more densely populated than High Kraainem, but of less significance because it lacked High Kraainems church and defensive fortifications. Low Kraainem owed its importance to the confluence of the Maalbeek in the Woluwe. Water mills were already constructed in 1397 to harness the power of the water for agricultural purposes, and a residential core grew around these mills. Around 1427 the St. Anthony chapel was built, taking advantage of merchants crossing through the area over the Keulsebaan. Laag Kraainem flourished economically in the 14th and 15th century, but the St. Anthony chapel had disappeared again by 1850. The Jozef Van Hovestraat and ''Jef. Thumasstraat'' are the oldest remaining streets of Low Kraainem.

Stokkel is Kraainem's third core of habitation, and evolved from a small settlement in the 12th century as part of the Woluwe abbey. The abbey ensured the soil was made fertile, thus allowing agriculture and the development of a settlement there. The area south of Stokkel, now a residential neighbourhood, remained forested until the 19th century and a source of income from hunting.

In the 19th century
At the end of the 19th century, Stokkel gained a tram connection to Brussels, which still exists today as tram 92. The improved accessibility started rapid urbanization of Stokkel, whereas northern Kraainem retained its rural characteristics. Until the end of the Second World War, only two unpaved roads connected Low and High Kraainem to Stokkel, and they were only usable a few months a year.

Wheras Stokkel urbanised, northern Kraainem developed slowly and became industrialised in the early 19th century. Paper mills had existed in Kraainem since the Middle Ages, and gained importance from the Belgian independence in 1830 to supply the new capital city of Brussels with newspapers. By 1892, it had evolved into a large industrial complex with a hundred craftsmen. A grain mill and brewery were also part of the complex. Today, Kraainem still bears the fruits of this history, and is considered one of the richest municipalities of Belgium.

From 1860 onwards, the monumental construction projects in Brussels drove the bourgeoisie out of the capital city, and many found refuge around Stokkel, which gave it a development boost and much of its wealth.

Modern Kraainem
Improvements to the road network after the First World War led to a gradual decline of Kraainem's industrial importance, and by 1932 all mills had been closed and demolished. Very little of that industrial heritage remains today, as the industrial sites were reclaimed as residential areas after the Second World War when the connections between north Kraainem and Stokkel were paved, and subsequently also northern Kraainem experienced accelerated urbanization. Kraainem's population increased from 1739 in 1920 to 3330 inhabitants in 1947.

From 1927 onwards, the area south of Stokkel became the focus of further residential development. Still a part of the Sonian Forest until then, roads were constructed in the southern half of Kraainem, and soon afterwards the first villas were built. The Second World War put a temporary stop to the development of South Kraainem, but from the 1950s the deforestation accelerated and had completely urbanised the area by 1967. Only a small fraction of the Sonian Forest was preserved in the southern most point of Kraainem. It permanently shifted the municipality from an agricultural, forestry and trade to a residential focus. Kraainem is almost completely urbanised, although a few meadows remain in the northern half of Kraainem.

In the second half of the 20th century, Kraainem transformed from a Flemish town into an international community. Migration of Wallonian citizens settling in Kraainem gave it an increasingly mixed urban population, to which Eurocrats were added after establishment of the European institutions in nearby Brussels.

Orientation
Situated to the east of Brussels and to the north of Tervuren, Kraainems territory has the shape of an hourglass, with at its narrowest point a width of only 160 m. It is scarred by numerous highways, cutting into Kraainem from the west and north side. The north of Kraainem is a mostly flat area in the valley of the Maalbeek river, towards the centre and south its topography becomes hilly.

Districts
Kraainem has 5 districts, each with a distinct personality.

Language
The presence of European Institutions in Brussels led to a second wave of immigration in the 1980s and 1990s, Kraainem's quiet residential areas and easy accessibility being appreciated by European Union and NATO officials. The large influx of immigrants has replaced most of the original Flemish population, and caused Kraainem to become more francophone from 1960 onwards, and fully multilingual since the 1990s as a result of the numerous expats residing in Kraainem. Only a small fraction of the population still speaks Flemish, French is the de facto lingua franca. Many residents, especially the younger generation, have a fair understanding of English, too.

Language is still a sensitive topic of discussion in Kraainem, the older generation in particular does not embrace multiculturality and blames francophone and European immigrants for higher prices for housing and the increasing crime. Residents usually avoid discussing the topic in public, and it is advisable to not take a stance in the discussion as this may lead to starting a brawl.

Climate


Proximity to the North Sea grants Kraainem a mild sea climate. Temperatures are between 4°C and 20°C most of the year.

In winter, periods of a few successive colder days are common, when winds from Scandinavia drop temperatures subzero. Snowfall is rare and limited to a maximum of a few cm per day, so it is not necessary to bring snow boots along when visiting Kraainem in winter. Main roads are deiced quickly by municipality services, but secondary roads may remain slippery until the late afternoon. Although not formally prohibited, ice skating on the ponds of the Jourdain park should not be attempted because the ice is rarely thick enough to support the weight of adults.

In summer, temperatures occasionally rise above 20°C with peaks up to 35°C. When temperature rises above 30°C, locals will seek shelter from the heat, and social life tends to slow down a bit (slower service in restaurants or bars, understaffed public services, etc.) A few successive hot days usually end with a thunder storm and plenty of rain. During hot days, the safe threshold for ozone may be exceeded, at which point it is recommended to minimize physical efforts. Factor 50 sunscreen is recommended in summer, and can be purchased in any supermarket such as the Carrefour Planet, Delhaize or Colruyt. During heat waves and droughts, restrictions on water usage may be temporarily in place to discourage inhabitants of wasting tap water. For example, it may be prohibited to fill swimming pools, wash vehicles or water gardens during periods of drought. However, tourists are not formally expected to know these exceptional regulations of temporary nature, and are therefore unlikely to be fined by police when caught.

The climate in Kraainem is humid the year round, and rain can be expected at any moment, regardless of the time of the year. Visitors should take an umbrella along, a waterproof jacket, or at least spare clothing in a backpack. Weather can change quickly, a cloudless sky in the morning may turn into rain in the afternoon and vice versa, so be prepared to handle both warm and rainy days when visiting. Being more inland than its neighbour to the east, Brussels, Kraainem is usually slightly hotter in summer and colder in winter than Brussels.

By metro
The easiest way to reach Kraainem is by metro, get off at station (second last station on line  Weststation-Stokkel). Travel time is about 20 minutes from the.

By tram
Tram operated by the Brussels transport company MIVB traverses Central Kraainem from west to east, get off at.

By plane
Kraainem also shares an airport with Brussels, located to the north. A taxi from to Kraainem will cost about €22.

By bus
Numerous bus lines and a tram line cross Kraainem. Keep an eye on the logo on the vehicles, as there are 3 companies operating buses in Kraainem, and their tickets are incompatible. Thus, make sure to get a ticket for the company you're traveling with. When in doubt, ask the bus driver for directions.

Brussels transport company MIVB operates 2 lines, (direction Oppem) and  (direction Hippodroom), which also stop at the metro station.

By car
Proximity to the highways (E40 and R0) make it easily reachable by car if you choose to rent one, but during rush hour (07:00–09:30 and 16:00–18:00), massive traffic jams daily paralyze most of the highways surrounding Brussels, as well as the intercity between Brussels and Leuven.

Get around
Modern Kraainem has a strongly residential outlook with a well developed road network. It has been completely mapped on OpenStreetMap, which is likely more up to date than the official maps offered by the tourist office. Kraainem has excellent 3G coverage (see also Connect) but to prevent excessive bandwidth usage and costs related to streaming map data, it is recommendable to download the Kraainem map beforehand and view it offline on a mobile device.

On foot
From its total area of 5.8 km², only the northern half and centre are of touristic value, the south being residential areas without significant points of interest. With a good portable map, it is possible to cross Kraainem by foot in a single day. To most visitors, it will be most convenient to make a loop with start and end point at Kraainem metro station. From the metro station, walk east until the Grensstraat, then walk to the end until the Kapellelaan. On your way down the Kapellelaan, you'll encounter the Salesian monastery and further down the road, 't Kapelleke. Continue down the Jozef van Hovestraat, with numerous historic farmsteads and farmhouses, until the crossing with the Jef. Thumasstraat in Low Kraainem where you take right. Follow the Jef. Thumasstraat until the Old lease house on the corner, then take right and follow the Oudstrijderslaan with the Eclair park on your right until arriving in High Kraainem. At the Kraainem town hall, take left towards the Saint Pancras Church, and then right into the historic settlement of High Kraainem. Pass through the gate, turn left onto the Steenweg op Zaventem, and walk around the ponds of the Jourdain park, passing the Old vicarage and the Jourdain castle. Continue your walk towards the Vredesplaats/Konining Astridlaan where you'll cross the Peace Monument. Follow the Koningin Astridlaan, walking past the Industrial Heritage Monument, until the crossing with the Groenstraat. At the next intersection, turn right into the Jules Adantstraat past the Bouvier-Washer Cité, then finally at the crossing with the Wezembeeklaan turn right and continue your walk until the Kraainem Metro station. The entire tour takes between 2 and 5 hours, depending on the time you spend at the different landmarks.

By public transport
Kraainem is crossed by bus lines (316 and 352 from De Lijn), tram line passing through Stokkel, and metro line  connecting Stokkel and Kraainem with Brussels. The station is a local transport hub and bus terminal serving as a transit station between metro and bus lines from the Flemish transport company De Lijn, the Brussels transport company MIVB and the Walloon transport company TEC. Each company has its own tickets, which are not accepted by other companies. You can buy tickets on each bus directly from the driver, however, and they are only marginally more expensive than purchasing them beforehand. Travelers are responsible for paying fare rates, drivers may not check the validity of your ticket, but if you're caught without a ticket (zwartrijden in Dutch) you can expect heavy fines up to €150. Aside from local transport, numerous long distance coaches also depart from Kraainem metro, but these require prior reservation and tickets.

The easiest way to plan your public transport journey is using online route planners. The best planner is the one from the national railway company NMBS. If you're familiar with Google Maps, the Transit function may also be used to plan your journey.

By bicycle
Kraainem has an hilly topography, with the lowest point in the Maalbeek valley slightly below 40 m above sea level, the highest point is 120 m. Fortunately, inclinations are rarely steep, enabling convenient transport by bicycle. Unlike Brussels, no cycling experience in busy traffic is required; the few avenues and intersections with heavy traffic have dedicated cycle lanes. Many local residents own their own bike, and it is one of the most common modes of transportation. The  is also available in Kraainem, with a rental station close to the Kraainem metro station. The bikes are rather heavy but of good quality, and can be rented starting at €1.60 per day, with a fee of €0.50 per half hour after the first hour. A debet or credit card is required to rent a bike, as the ticketing machine does not accept cash.

See
The rich history of Kraainem, dating back to as early as the 9th century, leaves its numerous landmarks spread out over modern Kraainem. Many religious and agricultural historic buildings remain, and may be visited. Note that most of the historic residences and farmsteads are privately owned, and taking a close look may be regarded as trespassing by its residents. However, upon request, most owners will happily give tourists a tour and discuss the history in detail. With the exception of the Salesian monastery, all landmarks below can be easily reached by public transport.

Culture and architecture








Do
As a town with rich cultural patrimony, exploring Kraainem's history and architecture -- by foot or bike -- will be the likely focus for visitors making a day trip to Kraainem. If the unpredictable Belgian weather allows it, enjoying the parks and Sonian Forest are particularly popular among locals. Other cultural and sportive activities are

Currency
To obtain cash, there are 3 methods: ATMs can typically be found at banks, and are available to tourists without any surcharge. However, exchanging another currency for euros will often either require an account at that bank, or the exchange rate will be particularly unfavourable for you. At the intersection of the Koningin Astridlaan and Wezembeeklaan another bank office can be found, Belfius, but this bank has a poor reputation and has been involved in numerous corruption scandals. Make use of their services at your own risk. It is advisable to walk 200 m further down the Koningin Astridlaan to the Crelan office instead.
 * Exchange another currency against euros at the Zaventem airport upon arrival;
 * Withdraw cash from an ATM (beware, additional fees may apply);
 * Request additional cash from the cashier at Carrefour when paying electronically.

Businesses do not expect gratuity, although it is customary to round the amount in restaurants to the nearest bill (€5) if the service and food was good.

Shopping
The historic town centre of Kraainem is too small to provide satisfactory shopping experience, and commerce primarily consists of restaurants, bars and cafés. The best place for shoppers in Kraainem is the Kraainem Carrefour Planet shopping centre. Alternatively, shoppers may cross into Sint-Pieters-Woluwe for a shopping experience in Stokkel, or the much larger Woluwe Shopping Centre.

Food, drinks and convenience items
Kraainem has a few supermarkets, all with their own specialties: general groceries, organic foods, souvenirs & gifts, and so on. Those open on Fridays stay open an hour longer than the other days of the week, to give locals the opportunity to go shopping after work.

Eat
Getting the taste of real Belgian fries is a must when visiting Kraainem. A fritkot is the traditional Flemish version of a street vendor specializing in fries (and other types of fast food). Another local speciality are smoutebollen, dough pastries deep fried in vegetable oil and served with powdered sugar.

Drink
Bars in Kraainem still play a prominent social role in society, although their importance is declining. All bars serve a variety of warm and cold, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Some may not have a traditional menu with a listing of all the available drinks at every table, in which case you simply ask the waiter or waitress what you'd like. He/she will be happy to recommend you alternatives if your preference isn't available. There are no age restrictions for entering a bar, but minors won't be allowed to order alcoholic drinks or beverages with high caffeine content.

Although tap water is safe to drink, few restaurants or bars will serve it. When ordering still water, you'll be served more expensive bottled water (Spa, Bru, Chaudfontaine, ...) instead.

The popularity of ice tea as a soft drink is in Kraainem on par with Coca Cola, and widely available. When ordering ice tea, most restaurants and bars will serve you Lipton Ice Tea Lemon, a favourite among Belgians, which is sparkling unlike its variants in neighbouring countries (i.e. Germany). If you prefer non sparkling ice tea, order Nestea instead. The latter may not be universally available, however.

By far the most popular drink served in bars is beer, one of Belgium's national prides. Many types and brands are available, each having different flavors and alcoholic content. Some types may not be available around the year, particularly those based on fruits, or those meant for special occasions (i.e. Christmas beers with cinnamon). The most common beers are Stella, Jupiler and Maes, and bars will serve at least one of those. When ordering a pint or pintje (pronounced with the i of finish), you'll be served the common beer they have on hand. Since no tap water is served in bars, a pintje (33 cl) is often cheaper than still water (50 cl). There are around 130 officially recognised breweries in Belgium, producing over 1000 beer types. In addition, many locals brew their own beer as a hobby, with carefully developed recipes, and often better taste than commercial beers. Do not attempt to order industrially produced beers like Heineken or Budweiser in Belgian bars, these beers are regarded as inferior and you'll insult the waiter or waitress by doing so. While Belgian beers are widely regarded as the best in the world, they are also the strongest in alcoholic content, some reaching 10 - 13% vol. This may be an inconvenient surprise to those not expecting such a high concentration.

The traditional beer of Kraainem, Brussels and the Pajottenland is the lambic. These beers differ from other beers because they are fermented by wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Senne valley instead of cultivated brewer's yeast. This gives lambic beers their more accentuated flavour, often with a sour aftertaste. A popular variant is the kriek lambic, a type of fruit beer (fruitbier) which is made by fermenting lambic with sour Morello cherries native to the nearby municipality of Schaarbeek. The cherries are added in whole (including pits) and left to ripe for several months, their sugars are fermented completely, thus resulting in an unsweetened but fruit flavored beer. Some breweries add sugar after the fermentation process to obtain a less intense, mild flavour, targeting female customers. Variants with raspberries instead of cherries (frambozenlambiek) are also available. A special variant of the lambic is the geuze, which is produced by blending young (1 year old) and older (2 - 3 years old) lambic. The fermentable sugars present in the young lambic cause a second fermentation cycle in the bottle, resulting in a higher carbon dioxide content. Unlike other lambics, geuze bottles are therefore highly pressurised and should be handled with care. They will therefore not be allowed on airplanes, even checked in.



Sleep
Finding cheap lodging in Kraainem may be difficult in the touristic summer season. A convenient alternative is to find accommodations in Brussels and visit Kraainem by Metro (see "Get In") for a day. If you opt to stay in Kraainem, it is recommended to search for lodging offered by locals (B&Bs, guest houses, apartments etc.) to avoid high hotel prices.

A small camping site is located on the border between Kraainem and Wezembeek-Oppem. However, Belgian weather can be very unpredictable and wet, even in summer, if you consider camping. Under Belgian law, camping is only allowed on officially recognised camp sites, and camping in public parks or forests may result in a fine between €60 and €200.

Connect
Telephone boxes have been phased out, and Kraainem's last telephone box on the Wezembeeklaan was torn down in 2015. In case of emergency, local inhabitants or businesses will happily lend you their land line if necessary if you urgently need to make a call.

Kraainem also has complete 3G coverage, so with a European SIM card it is possible to connect to 3G Internet. Roaming may be expensive if your operator is not based in a European Union country (see also European Union article). Alternatively, a SIM card may be purchased from the local operator Mobile Vikings, which offers 2 GB data volume for €12 and accepts payment by PayPal, Bitcoin, and many mainstream payment options.

Free Wi-Fi is available at Carrefour (Wezembeeklaan 114) and the adjacent but very poor quality and thus not recommendable Lunch Garden restaurant. Many other smaller cafés, restaurants, bars and shops also offer free Wi-Fi.

Stay safe
Kraainem is usually safe, both during the day and at night. The dangerous Belgian traffic probably poses the most significant risk to visitors, so take care when crossing streets. Jaywalking is not a criminal offence in Belgium, but that does not mean drivers will slow down either, unless you're crossing on a marked pedestrian crossing. Beware of pickpockets in shopping areas and on public transport. Groups of youth are known to hang around the Kraainem metro station in the evening and harass travellers, so it is advised to avoid the immediate area around the station at night or travel in groups.

Stay healthy
There are few health hazards to worry about in Kraainem. Tap water in Kraainem, and most of the rest of Flanders, is drinkable, and as healthy as bottled mineral water. Fountains and wells on the other hand are not suitable for human consumption. In summer, ticks are routinely encountered in the region, and are known to carry Lyme disease, which can be deadly if left untreated. If you spot pink or red circles on your skin after a walk in the forests or parks, you may be infected, and should seek medical help immediately.

Medical supplies can be acquired from pharmacies:

In case of medical emergency, the nearby UCL hospital can provide medical services. To call an ambulance, dial 112 and specify your position. An ambulance will be dispatched to pick you up.

If pets get ill or hurt, a veterinarian office is available in the Kraainem town center.

Go next

 * — the capital of Belgium and host of many of the European Union institutions.
 * — famous for beer, technology, and one of the oldest universities in Western Europe. Well preserved historic city centre.
 * Hike through the, the "green lung" of Brussels, known for its century-old beech trees.
 * — a picturesque town in the shadow of the Sonian Forest with a large public park and former summer residence palace of the Belgian king.
 * — famous for its abbey and beer.