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The football club of Kraainem is known for its multiculturalism, uniting over 300 players from 40 countries in sports. Aside from 2 senior teams, the club is carried by youngsters between 6 and 21 years old. Football courses are available to children in that age range in Dutch, English and French. Matches are played in the stadium at the Bosstraat, which has a rich history on its own. Entering the stadium is free, even during matches, only seats must be paid for. The cantina serves drinks and snacks, and hosts occasional cultural events.
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Klooster van de Visitatie
The order of the Salesians was founded in 1610 close to Annecy in France by Jeanne de Chantal and Francis of Sales, who gave his name to the order. On 12 February 1667, a monastery was founded in Brussels -- then part of the Southern Netherlands -- but the success of the order was strongly variable in time and by the first half of the 19th century it was nearly extinct in Brussels. A second start on 21 November 1845 had more success, and not even a century later the original location was too small to house the order. Architect Paul Bellot, born in 1876 and specialised in religious architecture, was tasked with the design of a new monastery located outside Brussels. Then still rural Kraainem was chosen because of its remote location, at the time there were no other buildings on the hill, and the closest settlement was Low Kraainem which was only accessible by a narrow unpaved road (now the Kapellelaan). Construction started in 1928, and by the end of 1930 when it was finished, the monastery had become a popular pilgrim destination. Unlike similar monasteries in Belgium, which started out small and were gradually expanded, the availability of sufficient space and budget allowed the entire site to be built at once between 1928 and 1930. All buildings thus show the same style elements, many of which were typical for the designs of Paul Bellot: polychrome bricks from Zandvoorde (a municipality close to Oostende near the Belgian coast) and extensive use of concrete for structural and decorative purposes. Art deco and brick modernism influences can be observed in all aspects of construction. Only the building sides facing the streets (Kapellelaan and Hebronlaan) are decorated (for example, a Madonna sculpture above the entrance), the sides facing the inner sanctum, gardens and orchards do not have any decoration. The architecture and degree of decoration reveals the originally intended purpose of the rooms in the buildings, a feature called architecture parlante. The facades are also hierarchically decorated, with the chapel as most important and thus most extensively decorated part of the structure. The interior resembles a Medieval monastery, with style elements of the Arabic and Mozarabic arts. Illumination was considered paramount by Paul Bellot, and windows are consequently large enough to illuminate the rooms they are intended for, without penalizing decoration. Much of the original woodworking, both indoor and outdoor, has been preserved, as evidenced by the oak inner doors and staircases. The monastery is still in use, and remains the only Salesian monastery in Belgium. It is not normally opened to visitors, reservations are mandatory. The monastery can be reached from Low Kraainem by following the Jozef van Hovestraat and afterwards the Kappellelaan up the hill.
Evenwicht
The monument consists of three giant splinters, one wooden and two aluminum, commemorating the rich industrial legacy of Kraainem in the 19th and 20th century. Paper mills in particular have been historically important for employment in Low Kraainem, which was ideally located because of the water supply from the Woluwe and Kleine Maalbeek, and the supply of wood from the nearby Sonian Forest. From the extensive industrial complexes with paper mills, grain mills and brewery, nothing remains. The monument was designed by Rainer Gross and inaugurated in 2000. Easily reachable from either High and Low Kraainem with a 15- to 20-min walk up the hill towards Stokkel. Alternatively, take bus 352 and get off at Koningin Astrid.
Vredesmonument
Memorial site for the local casualties of the two world wars. The square and its monument were constructed in 1930 when the adjacent Queen Astrid Avenue was conceived as the connection between High Kraainem and Stokkel. Before 1930, there were no buildings or roads at the current location. The monument is signed by Victor Demanet who led its construction. Later, inscriptions in memorial of the Second World War were added along with the text gij hebt den dank verdiend van 't vaderland (you have deserved the gratitude of the fatherland). The monument was inaugurated by King Albert I.
The chapel referred to as 't kapelleke by local residents (literally, the chapel) is located at the intersection point of the Jozef van Hovestraat, the Lijsterbessenbomenlaan, the Bossstraat and the Kapellelaan. At the time of its construction in 1932, there were no buildings around its current site, and with the exception of the Jozef van Hovestraat, all streets were unpaved roads. By 1932 however, the crossing became increasingly important because of the expansion of the Laag Kraainem residential area, and the construction of the Salesian Monastery along the Kapellelaan 1 km further between 1928 and 1930. As more streets were added in later years, a roundabout was constructed to divert traffic away from the immediate surroundings of the chapel and preserve the original roads. The chapel is one of the most iconic landmarks of Kraainem, and known by local children because of the adjacent kindergarten and primary school. The chapel is completely surrounded by buildings, and therefor lost most of its authentic outlook. Can be easily reached from Low Kraainem by following the Jozef van Hovestraat up the hill, around a 5-min walk.
Cultureel Centrum
A modern theater hall, grown into the cultural centre of Kraainem. New shows on a weekly basis. An opportunity for tourists to get a taste of Flemish culture and lifestyle. Don't forget to have a drink at the bar afterwards, where local residents hang out for smalltalk.
Sint-Pancratiuskerk
The oldest building in Kraainem, the Saint Pancras Church has its origins in the 12th century. The massive Roman tower with walls up to 1.7 meters thick most likely had a military function. Initially, the church was added to the tower and had a simple rectangular shape. In the 13th and 14th century, the northern wing was added to the church. With financial help of the Affligem abbey, the small choir was transformed in the 16th century into the Gothic choir that remains. Until the 18th century, the entrance to the church was a small door in the south wall, the side that now faces the Kraainem town hall. Around 1720, the entrance was moved to the current baroque gate in the tower. From 1170 onwards, the church underwent significant changes: the asymmetric layout was abandoned, and a third section was added under the same saddle roof. The current sacristy, pulpit and two confessionals were also added. The interior was enhanced with furniture that was not originally intended for the church: the origin of the organ is still a mystery, and in 1873 two altars were purchased for 100 francs each from a Brussels church. At the end of the 19th century, the church escaped a complete transformation in Neo-Romanian style, and a more humble design of Jules Van Ysendyck was chosen instead, which preserved much of the antique interior. In 1984, pastor Vanzulpele observed a depression in the archway above the choir, which started a sequence of restorations finally completed in 2012. The current interior is based on the interior after the renovations of 1770. The graveyard around the church is no longer in use and only serves to preserve the historic image of the building. Religious ceremonies are still being held on Saturday and Sunday, when the church can be visited.