Schoonselhof is one of the oldest cemeteries in Belgium, and one of the large historical ones. A vast park cemetery, it’s not just a place where people are laid to rest (you can still get buried here, they even have a system in place where you can get buried in an historical tomb), it’s also a park, with hiking and running paths and woods you can go for a walk in.
It is divided up in several sections, and if you want to see all of it, you’ll need the full day. There are several historical sections, where you will find Victorian-era graves, crypts and even a mausoleum. There is the children’s plot, as well as graveyard sections specifically dedicated to fallen soldiers from the great wars. There are specific religious sections, for Muslim and Jewish graves also.
Now, what makes Schoonselhof so special, other than that you can go look at pretty tombstones?
In short: you can go and live a little. This may sound crass, but Schoonselhof is one of those cemeteries that really invites the community. Come for a walk, come for a visit. Hang out with your friends (we saw a group of teenagers sitting in one of the shelter spots and just having a good time without bothering anyone). Go for a run, explore. Mind your surroundings, though, because a lot of the old graves aren’t well maintained and things like rusty hooks are a dime a dozen.
You can see the burial history of the eras that cover steam- and dieselpunk. Seeing how people went into the afterlife then can be as valuable as knowing how they lived. And many of the tombstones tell you a lot about how they lived!
Schoonselhof asks that you don’t publish direct imagery of the places of rest, even though you can go and take photos as much as you please. That is why we aren’t sharing any stand-out tombstones, but we hope you enjoy the photos we have included.
