Astrid Park lies at the centre of the Meir district and acts as its true green lung. It originated as a “country estate” acquired by the municipality of Anderlecht in 1905. When it opened in 1911, it was first named Parc du Meir. Over time, additional plots were added and the park continued to expand. In 1914, several parcels were made available to the Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht (RSCA) to create a playing field; by 1920, a first stand built entirely of wood marked the beginnings of today’s stadium. In 1926, the municipality entrusted landscape architect Jules Buyssens with the park’s redesign. He worked with the existing pond and rolling relief, while preserving several remarkable tree species. After Queen Astrid’s death, the municipality named the park in her honour. In the late 1950s, it was brought up to date with new facilities, including the Queen Fabiola Pavilion and the Cascatelles, two significant additions inaugurated in 1958.
At the heart of the park stands the emblematic guinguette, now known as Astrid – Café du Parc.