Ostend in West Flanders

18 May 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

© panoramio.com - bogdan1971/cc-by-sa-3.0

© panoramio.com – bogdan1971/cc-by-sa-3.0

Ostend (Dutch: Oostende, French: Ostende, German: Ostende, West Flemish: Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast.   read more…

Hasselt in Belgium

18 October 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Wout Rietman/cc-by-sa-4.0

© Wout Rietman/cc-by-sa-4.0

Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital and largest city of the province of Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is known for its former branding as “the city of taste”, as well as its local distelleries of Hasselt jenever (gin), the Hasselt Jenever Festivities, Limburgish pie and the Hasselt speculaas. The municipality includes the original city of Hasselt, plus the boroughs of Sint-Lambrechts-Herk, Wimmertingen, Kermt, Spalbeek, Kuringen, Stokrooie, Stevoort and Runkst, as well as the hamlets and parishes of Kiewit, Godsheide and Rapertingen. On 01 July 2022 Hasselt had a total population of 80,260 (39,288 men and 40,972 women). Both the Demer river and the Albert Canal run through the municipality. Hasselt is located in between the Campine region, north of the Demer river, and the Hesbaye region, to the south. On a larger scale, it is also situated in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion.   read more…

Sablon in Brussels

24 August 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  11 minutes

Rue de Rollebeek © Michel wal/cc-by-sa-3.0

Rue de Rollebeek © Michel wal/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Sablon or Zavel (Dutch) is a neighbourhood and hill in the historic upper town of Brussels in Belgium. At its heart are the twin squares of the larger Grand Sablon (“Large Sablon”) square in the northwest and the smaller Petit Sablon (“Small Sablon”) square and garden in the southeast, divided by the Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon. The Sablon neighbourhood was remodelled in the 19th century as Regentschapstraat was driven through the area, creating a Haussmann-style artery between the Royal Palace of Brussels and the new Palace of Justice. The new street skirted the church: all buildings immediately adjacent to it were demolished starting in 1872, opening up new views of the church. Buildings not directly adjacent to the church were renovated and improved.   read more…

Diest in Flemish Brabant

14 September 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  5 minutes

Market Square © Bescha

Market Square © Bescha

Diest is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. Situated in the northeast of the Hageland region, Diest neighbours the provinces of Antwerp to its North, and Limburg to the East and is situated around 60km from Brussels. The municipality comprises the city of Diest proper and the towns of Deurne, Kaggevinne, Molenstede, Schaffen and Webbekom. Diest had a total population of 23,150.   read more…

Theme Week Belgium – The university city of Leuven

24 April 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Main Library of the Catholic University of Leuven © Athenchen

Main Library of the Catholic University of Leuven © Athenchen

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…

Theme Week Belgium – Bruges, Venice of the North

8 September 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, European Union, European Capital of Culture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Rozenhoedkaai Canal © Jean-Christophe BENOIST

Rozenhoedkaai Canal © Jean-Christophe BENOIST

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…

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