The Way of St. James or St. James’ Way (Spanish: El Camino de Santiago) is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried. The Way of St. James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times, together with Rome and Jerusalem, and a pilgrimage route on which a plenary indulgence could be earned; other major pilgrimage routes include the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. read more…
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut. As of 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 1,462 square kilometres (564 sq mi) and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as the fifth most populous in Belgium after Brussels, Antwerp, Liège and Ghent. The inhabitants are called Carolorégiens or simply Carolos. The municipality contains an industrial area, iron and steel industry, glassworks, chemicals, and electrical engineering. Charleroi is in the center of a coal basin, called Pays noir. Many slag heaps still surround the city. Dupuis is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, located in Marcinelle. read more…
“This heritage deserves to be better known, highlighted, shared and visited”. Those observations led us to create a Federation for European cities of Napoleonic history. If we look into the great man’s deeds, the French Revolution, the French Age of Enlightenment, the ideals of ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’ are values which bind us together. Rehabilitating historical sites, encouraging historical research, promoting our museums and our culture through live events, opening up to our country and European citizens is a bit like travelling through the complex, contradictory and sometimes opposing tracks whereby those ideals established themselves in Europe. read more…
A stone’s throw from Brussels and the national airport and at the intersection of two international motorways there stands the old Burgundian university town of Leuven. Few towns in Flanders appeal to the imagination more than this haven for students, where history, culture, architecture, gastronomy and modern science are intermingled to form a compelling cocktail. read more…
(Latest addition: June 2026) In irregular intervals we publish Theme Weeks about cities, regions, and countries. Here you can find the complete list. read more…
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. read more…
In addition to the regular search function, a country overview is available here. Click on the country name to see all currently available blog entries. read more…
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country. The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It is oval-shaped and about 430 hectares in size. The area of the whole city amounts to more than 13,840 hectares, including 1,075 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge (meaning “Brugge aan Zee” or “Bruges on Sea”). The city’s total population is 117,000, of which around 20,000 live in the historic centre. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 616 km² and has a total of 256,000 inhabitants. Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam, it is sometimes referred to as “The Venice of the North”. Bruges has a significant economic importance thanks to its port. At one time, it was the “chief commercial city” of the world. read more…
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour (partly), Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles, Saint-Denis, Saint-Symphorien, Spiennes, Villers-Saint-Ghislain, Casteau (partly), Masnuy-Saint-Jean (partly), and Ville-sur-Haine (partly). Together with the Czech city of Plze?, Mons is selected to be the European capital of culture in 2015. read more…
(Latest addition: June 2026) In irregular intervals we publish Theme Weeks about cities, regions, and countries. Here you can find the complete list. read more…
In addition to the regular search function, a country overview is available here. Click on the country name to see all currently available blog entries. read more…
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