Drève de Lorraine - Lorreinendreef, Tree-lined avenue in Uccle and Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium
Drève de Lorraine is a straight, paved avenue of more than 7 km through the Sonian Forest, running from Avenue de Groenendael at the Bois de la Cambre south to Avenue Brassine in Sint-Genesius-Rode. Tall red beeches line both verges, their trunks bare near the base and their crowns mixing green and reddish-brown foliage. A dashed centre line runs up the asphalt, and a round white sign with a red border marks the 40 limit.
The avenue bears the name of Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Governor-General of the Austrian Netherlands from 1741 to 1744 and again from 1749 to 1780. It runs through the Sonian Forest from the Bois de la Cambre southward, crossing the drève des Deux Montagnes and the drève Saint-Hubert before reaching avenue Brassine in Sint-Genesius-Rode. Its paved section ends at the drève Saint-Hubert; the rest continues as an unpaved forest track, giving a total length of over seven kilometres. One of its residences once belonged to Léon Degrelle.
The avenue is named after Charles Alexander of Lorraine, governor-general of the Austrian Netherlands from 1741 to 1744 and 1749 to 1780. Its French name, drève de Lorraine, and Dutch name, Lorrainedreef, both refer to him. Along the route stand the Château de La Fougeraie, the Manoir Viola Cornuta (now a David Lloyd clubhouse), the restaurant Le Chalet de la Forêt and the commercial representation of the Russian Federation.
The drève runs over 7 km from Avenue de Groenendael at the Bois de la Cambre to Avenue Brassine in Sint-Genesius-Rode. The first stretch is a paved road; beyond Drève Saint-Hubert it continues as an unsurfaced forest path. A parallel bridleway links Sint-Genesius-Rode to the Bois de la Cambre via Drève Saint-Hubert and Allée du Turf.
One of the highest points in the Brussels region sits along this route, though most visitors never notice or know about it. This elevation is frequently overlooked in favor of other locations that are incorrectly believed to be higher.
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