Watermael-Boitsfort (French, ) or Watermaal-Bosvoorde (Dutch, ; ), often simply called Boitsfort in French or Bosvoorde in Dutch, is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-eastern part of the region, it is bordered by Auderghem, the City of Brussels (namely the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos), Ixelles, and Uccle, as well as the Flemish municipalities of Hoeilaart, Overijse and Sint-Genesius-Rode. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch).

, the municipality had a population of 25,187 inhabitants. The total area is of which 58% is covered by the Sonian Forest, which gives a population density of , four times less than the average of Brussels.

  • Château de Jolimont, residence of among others the painter Jacques d'Arthois
  • Château Bischoffsheim, housing the International School of Brussels
  • Château Charle-Albert; former house of Belgian Prime Minister Paul van Zeeland
  • Château Morel
  • Château des Fougères; now part of a luxury condominium complex

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File:Château Bischoffsheim actuellement École Internationale Avenue de la Foresterie 19 Kattenberg 19.jpg|Château Bischoffsheim

File:Château Charle-Albert.jpg|Château Charle-Albert

File:Parc Tournay-Solvay 1200.jpg|Château Tournay-Solvay

File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Immeuble CBR - 01.jpg|CBR Building

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Sport

Watermael-Boitsfort is home to Boitsfort Rugby Club, one of Belgium's most successful Rugby Union teams. It is also home to football team Royal Racing Club de Boitsfort.

The was a horse-racing course, built in 1875 but is no longer used as such. Since 1987, the centre of the course has been occupied by the Brussels Golf Club, which has a nine-hole course, and the former horse racing track is used by runners, bikers and dog-walkers. It frequently acts as the starting point and finish line for local runs. In 2016, the park, rebranded as DROHME with new investors, saw major renovations of the bleachers and the jockey-weighing station, which in September 2018 reopened as a brasserie.

Politics

The current city council was elected in the October 2018 elections. The current mayor of Watermael-Boitsfort is , a member of Ecolo, who is in coalition on the municipal council with the Reformist Movement.

{|class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" | Party !! Seats

|-

| || Ecolo || 12

|-

| || DéFI || 7

|-

| || Reformist Movement (MR)|| 6

|-

| || Socialist Party (PS) || 3

|-

| || Humanist Democratic Centre (cdH) || 1

|-

! colspan="2" | Total !! 29

|}

Notable inhabitants

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  • Auguste Beernaert (1829–1912), politician and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Prime Minister
  • Omer Coppens (1864–1926), impressionist artist
  • Willy Coppens (1892–1986), flying ace of World War I
  • Paul Delvaux (1897–1994), artist. Delvaux painted Watermael station on a number of occasions.
  • Georges Remi, also known as Hergé (1907–1983), comics writer and artist, creator of The Adventures of Tintin
  • Rik Wouters (1882–1916), artist and sculptor

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Watermael-Boitsfort is twinned with:

  • Chantilly, France
  • Annan, Scotland, United Kingdom

In addition, Watermael-Boitsfort has signed a European partnership with: