The Citadel Park covers approximately 15.3 hectares

Ghent’s Citadel Park was built at the end of the 19th century. The construction processwas gradual. The Citadel Park was designed based on the English landscapestyle, which was all the rage in the 19th century. It was designed by landscapearchitect Hubert Van Hulle. Other designers put their own ideas for the park onpaper afterwards. Pieces of these, both large and small, have been carried out.

New parts of the park have been constructed and other parts renovated throughout thepark’s history. A few constants here were the statues, the structure of themain pathways, and the buildings, which were all given other functions over theyears.

Today, the Citadel Park is a heterogeneous whole, but the original design can still berecognised in the underlying structure.

A garden for the neighbourhood, a park for the city

The Citadel Park has welcomed a large and very diverse audience over the years. Local residents come here to play with their children or stroll around the park. Plus, residents from other parts of Ghent, students, museum or Gent ICC visitors, and tourists have also often found their way here. Thanks to its location between the train station and the city centre, the park also has a lot of commuters passing through it.

A special park, a protected landscape

The Citadel Park features many of the characteristics that are so typical of the English landscape style, including a hilly landscape, winding pathways, picturesque spaces, and structures planted throughout. Every bend in the pathleads to a new, unexpected view.

An other characteristic is the old and rare trees. The Citadel Park has a very special collection of trees. There are approximately 1,253 trees comprised of 100 different species. Thirty-eight of these species are (very) rare. Because ofall these special things, the park is a protected landscape.

A historic park with a modern look

Although the Citadel Park is already a spirited centenarian, it still functions very well. And yet, there’s still a need for renewal, which is why the City of Ghent has launched a revitalisation process. You’ll be able to see the concrete results of this in the coming years.