Uccle (in Dutch Ukkel ) is one of the 19 common bilingual of Belgium located in the Région of Brussels-Capital.

It counts 74.976 inhabitants ( Ucclois ) (at January 1st 2005 according to INS) on a surface of 22,9 km ².

It is bordering on the communes of Brussels-city, Forest, Ixelles, Watermael-Boitsfort, Linkebeek, Rhode-St-Genesis and Drogenbos.

Located in the suburbs southern of Brussels, it is famous for its residential districts, its high green areas, and its rents.

The colors of the commune are blue and the white.

History

The commune of Uccle was created in 1795 pennies the French mode. It was then the legal capital of Brussels. Many noble big families had settled there like, for example, the Stalle families and Carloo.

The economic advancement that Brussels at the XIXe century knew made it possible Uccle to know an excellent population growth because this one was located on the way of two important axes: the roadway of Waterloo towards Charleroi (then field) and the roadway of Alsemberg. Thus in less than 200 years the commune passed from approximately 3000 to 70000 inhabitants.

The commune profited then from an private interest of the easy families, which found there the calm one and the green areas not far from the capital.

Citizens of honor

Famous personalities

Famous districts

  • District of the Prince d' Orange: name drawn at the origin of the avenue of Prince d' Orange who is in the extreme south of the commune and, by extension, name given to the streets close to this one. This district is regarded as richest of the commune because it is partly made up of villas with four frontages with imposing dimensions (castles). It is only residential and enjoys much peace because circulation is hardly dense there. The prices of this district are regarded as highest of the commune. It is besides one from the only places in Brussels which saw flowering of the agencies of safety deprived for the monitoring of the houses. This district is next to that of Strong Jaco.

  • Fish pond of Goose.

  • the Strong Jaco: Peaceful and favoured district of the south of Uccle. It is composed of many stores. Its geographical location (not far from the Prince of Orange and the place of Saint-job) brings an easy population to him. District living mainly the week and saturdays, it is alas extremely bottled. However, the rush hour spent, the district becomes peaceful.

  • Saint-Job: District being located not far from the roadway of Waterloo. It concentrates around a place a multitude of small shops. The district points out the small village which it was formerly because by taking certain paths on the basis of the place, one arrives in green areas or meadows.

  • the Saint-Pierre square: Located close to the roadway of Alsemberg it is an alive district and it is many small shops there. One finds there at any hour of the day, a crowd, rather dense, arrival to make his purchases. In week, many schoolboys cross there because there are in the vicinity several schools. The communal house of Uccle is not very far opposite the Saint-Pierre church while following the street Xavier de Bue.

  • Dieweg: District centered on Dieweg, street extending from the Observatory at the station of Calevoet. The district in oneself is rather centered on the top of the Park of Wolvendael, the Cimetière of Dieweg and the trade which border it. It is an easy district, although a certain social diversity there is found.

  • List of the streets of Uccle

Green areas

  • the Plate Avijl: Pastoral site of a surface of a little more than 8,5 ha, which is composed of a subtle mixture of kitchen gardens, meadows and of two wooded areas. Recently, a construction project was born threatening there the park. Association " Protection and future of Avijl" is to safeguard the existing pastoral site, by respecting its character rural, by preserving balance of its fauna and its flora, by developing its social role and educational. Opened with all, association gathers all the sensitivities and all the components of the inhabitants of the district, who linked themselves for better defending the plate.

  • the wood of Cambers: True green lung of the south of Brussels, it is located at the intersection of several communes. The weekend, it is pleasant to walk there and there to meet a population very heterogeneous energy of the sportsman seeking the form with the small Sunday walk in family or with the musician wishing to announce his talent. Sunday, the bituminized roads of wood empty its cars to leave room with the bicycles and the rollers. The bicycle is besides with the honor every year, around March, at the time of the " 24:00 bicycles of the Wood of Cambers " organized by associations of scouting.

  • the Montjoie park:

  • the Brugmann park:

  • the park of Wolvendael: Before being sold with the commune of Uccle by the Jansen family, the castle and the park of Wolvendael belonged to the Coghen family, from which goes down the Paola queen. His/her paternal grandparents, prince Ruffo di Calabria and Laure Mosselman of Chenoy, married with the castle of Wolvendael in 1877.

  • the Raspail garden:

  • the wood of Wolvenberg (Keyenbempt):

  • Kinsendael/Kriekenput and the Engeland plate:

  • the park Fond' Roy:

  • the wood of Verrewinkel and Buysdelle:

Teaching with Uccle

  • primary school education is composed of several elementary schools (Homborch, St Job, Val Flowered, Verrewinkel, Messidor, Uccle-Center, Eglantiers, Longchamps,…) but also of private schools (Outdoor, Regina Pacis,…), of private schools, catholic confession (Saint-Vincent de Paul, Saint-Joseph, Saint-Paul, Notre Dame of the Consolation, Montjoie Institute…)

  • There are also 2 athenaeums: the Royal Athenaeum of Uccle 1 (located close to the royal Observatory of Belgium) and the Royal Athenaeum of Uccle 2 (located close to the station of Linkebeek and the elementary school of Homborch)

  • Without forgetting one of the most famous colleges of the French Community of Belgium: the Saint-Pierre College. One still finds the Montjoie School, Notre Dame of the Fields, the School Decroly, the French College of Belgium, the European School Uccle 1,…

  • And of many establishments of higher education: IEPSCF, EFAP, ISES, HEB Defré, ISTI,…

Twinning

Internal bonds

  • Use of foreign workers (Belgium)
  • Cemetery of weather Dieweg
  • royal Institute of Belgium

External bonds

  • Official site of the commune
  • Site of the Observatory of Belgium: on this famous “roundabout” in fact three federal scientific institutes are: the IRM, the IASB as well as the observatory.
  • More information on some churches of Uccle

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