Belgium: holidays, events, national customs
Public holidays
There are a number of public holidays that do not have a fixed date but are based on the location of Easter. Easter takes place on the first Sunday that follows the first full moon after the beginning of spring. Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, which ends on Holy Saturday, is 46 days before Holy Saturday. The date for Pentecost is then 50 days after Easter. The Corpus Christi festival is celebrated on the 2nd Thursday after Pentecost. All Saints’ Day is celebrated for Orthodox Christians on the 1st Sunday after Pentecost, but for Catholic Christians the date is fixed on November 1st. On October 31, Protestants celebrate Reformation Day. The Halloween festival also takes place on this day.
Date | Holiday |
01.01. | New Years Day |
March April | Easter Monday |
01.05. | Easter |
1st of May | Labor Day/May Day |
May | Ascension of Chri |
May June | Whit Monday |
07/21 | National holiday (Koenig Leopold’s accession to the throne 1831) |
15.08. | Assumption Day |
04.10. | 1830 – Independence Day |
01.11. | All Saints Day |
11/11 | Armistice 1918 |
25./26. 12. | Christmas holiday |
Source: Countryaah – Belgium Holidays
Tomorrowland
An electronic music festival called Tomorrowland started on August 14, 2005 with a stage and around 5,000 spectators.
Nowadays hard techno and electronic music is booming from 16 stages and numerous loudspeakers in front of around 360,000 spectators. The music is not live music, but is presented by around 400 DJs.
The festival usually takes place every year at the end of July from Friday to Sunday. Exceptions to this were the festivals of 2014 and 2017, when the festival was held on two weekends in a row.
Tomorrowland takes place in a park area in the 18,000-resident municipality of Boom, which is about 30 km north of Brussels and about 15 km south-southwest of Antwerp. The organizer is the Dutch media company ID&T, founded in 1990.
Cultural events
Date | Event |
February | Carnival in Binche |
July | Brussels “Ommegang” |
July | Military procession Marche de la Madelaine in Charleroi |
July | Festival of the Flemish Cultural Community (only in Flanders) |
end of September | Festival of the Francophone Cultural Community (only in Wallonia) |
July | The Ghent Festival Week – a cultural festival |
07/21 | National holiday (Koenig Leopold’s accession to the throne 1831) |
Sporting events
Date | Event |
September | Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps |
October | Motocross of the Nations, Namur |
May | Tour of Belgium, cycling |
spring | Liège-Bastogne-Liège cycling race |
National customs
The carnival with the stronghold of Binche, which is still celebrated here in the traditional way, is particularly important in the Walloon part of the country. In general, processions and parades are very important in predominantly Catholic Belgium. Also famous are the big festivals like the “Fête des Rois” in Tournai or the “Ommegang” in Brussels, which was originally held in honor of King Charles V.
It is customary in Belgium to present a box of chocolates instead of flowers when an invitation is received, whereby it is then a moral obligation for the hostess to offer the present to her guests for dessert or coffee.
Belgium: landmarks
- Abbreviationfinder.org: Presents the way that BE stands for the nation of Belgium as a two-letter acronym.
Churches
Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal – Cathedral of Our Lady (Antwerp)
www.dekathedraal.be
The Gothic cathedral on the Grote Markt in Antwerp was built between 1352 and 1521. With its 123 meter high tower, which is one of the city’s landmarks, it is the tallest church in the Benelux countries and of course the tallest building in the city. But the size of the interior of the five-aisled basilica is also considerable. 16,000 people find space inside the cathedral. There you can admire the monumental triptych “The Erection of the Cross” by Peter Paul Rubens. The tower has a viewing platform from which Antwerp’s old town can be seen.
St. Andrieskerk – Andreaskirche (Antwerp)
Andriesstraat 5
The church was built by the Augustinians and consecrated in 1529. Several partial demolitions and extensions of the building did not give it its present appearance until the mid-18th century. The church is known for its impressive high altar.
St. Augustine Church – St. Augustine Church (Antwerp)
Kammerstraat 73
The 17th century church houses works by Peter Paul Rubens, Anthonis van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens. The church can only be visited during regular cultural events.
St. Carolus Borromeuskerk – Karl Borromäus Church (Antwerp)
The baroque church was built in 1621. In 1718, however, a fire destroyed large parts of the building and the splendid furnishings. 38 ceiling paintings by Peter Paul Rubens also fell victim to the flames. The Liebfrauenkapelle, spared by fire and shining in baroque, marble opulence, testifies to the former splendor.
St. Jacobskerk – Jakobskirche (Antwerp)
The Gothic church was built between 1477 and 1656. Several works by Peter Paul Rubens are also housed here. The painter is also connected to the house of God in other ways. Here the master married and here he is buried. The interior of the church is designed in baroque style and features numerous works by well-known Antwerp artists.
St. Pauluskerk – Paulskirche (Antwerp)
The late Gothic Dominican church was consecrated in 1517. Inside the building, which has often been rebuilt, there are selected art treasures. Among them are several paintings by the three most famous Antwerp baroque painters Peter Paul Rubens, Anthonis van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens.
Ancienne Eglise des Brigittines (Brussels)
This 17th century church has not been used as a Christian place of worship since the 18th century, but first as a pharmacy, then as a school and finally as a cultural center. Events take place here regularly.
Cathédrale St. Michel et Gudule (Sint-Michiels en Sint-Goedele Kathedraal) (Brussels)
Usually simply called “St. Michel”, this Gothic church is the main church in Brussels. It serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Mechlin-Brussels. Inside, the wooden pulpit from the 17th century and the 12 figures of the apostles, which were attached to the columns of the cathedral in life-size, are particularly impressive. Those who are enthusiastic about the miraculous should visit the “Chapelle du Saint-Sacrament”, which commemorates the sacramental miracle of 1370: At that time, a vandalized host is said to have started to bleed.
Koekelberg Basilica (Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, Basiliek van het Heilig Hart, Basiliek van Koekelberg) (Brussels)
This fifth largest church in the world was built in the style of Art Deco. It is 89 meters high and 167 meters long. It was built to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Belgian independence.
Liebfrauenkirche zu Laeken
This church is the largest neo-Gothic building in Belgium. First mentions go back to the year 800, although the actual birth of the current church was not until 1850: King Leopold I of Belgium had the Church of Our Lady built, including a crypt, which was to function as the final resting place for members of the royal family. The construction period lasted from 1854 to 1872. The almost 100 meter high tower of the church is particularly impressive. The interior is dominated by the magnificent pulpit and the wonderful organ by the Brussels organ builder Pierre Schyven. Behind the church is a cemetery which is the final resting place of various well-known Belgians.
Heilige Bloed Basiliek (Bruges)
www.holyblood.org
The Gothic-style Basilica of the Holy Blood is a magnificent place of worship on Burg Square. It houses a relic, namely a vial of blood that is said to have come from Jesus.
Jerusalem Church (Bruges)
The Jerusalem Church from the 14th century has been preserved almost entirely in its original architectural style. It is privately run and belongs to members of the Adornes family, a family of merchants who came to Bruges from Italy in the 13th century. Its name refers to the fact that certain structural features are similar to those of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The stained glass windows inside the church are particularly impressive; they date from 1482 and 1560.
Notre Dame (OLV-Kerk) (Bruges)
Visitors to Bruges will register this church sooner than they think, because the first thing they will see is the 122 meter high tower of the Notre Dame church, which is not only the highest throughout the city, but also the second highest in Belgium. (The tallest is that of Antwerp Cathedral; it is 123 meters high!). The church is one of the most popular tourist attractions because of its medieval charm and the special works of art inside. The architectural style of the church is inconsistent and fluctuates between Romanesque and Gothic elements. It was built between the 13th and 15th centuries.
Inside the church is the marble Madonna by Michelangelo. This sculpture is the only one by the Italian master that can be found in Belgium. Originally made for Siena, it was brought to Bruges by two traders in 1506.
Sint-Salvator Cathedral (Bruges)
www.sintsalvator.be
This cathedral is the main church in Bruges. The church was not originally built as a cathedral. It only received this status in the 19th century. The origins go back to the 10th century, when the Sint Donatius Church in the heart of Bruges was still the most important Christian church in the city. At the end of the 18th century, however, the French residents of Bruges drove the bishop out and destroyed the St. Donatius Church, which had been his residence. In 1834, after Belgian independence, a new bishop was installed and the Sint Salvator Church became a cathedral.
St. Baaf Cathedral (Saint Bavo Cathedral, Sintbaafskathedraal) and Ghent Altarpiece (Gent)
This Ghent church is not only beautiful and is home to the largest Baroque organ in the BeNeLux countries, it also contains the famous Ghent Altarpiece (see below for details) 1432. Today it is the seat of the Ghent diocese. The Christian house of God was elevated to the status of a cathedral in 1559. In addition to the Ghent Altarpiece, there is also Peter Paul Rubens’ painting “Saint Bavo enters the Ghent convent”.
St. Nicholas Church (Sint-Niklaaskerk) (Gent)
www.stniklaas.com
In the Cataloniëstraat next to the “Korenmarkt” is this church, which is one of the oldest and most famous in Ghent. Started in the early 1200s, construction continued until the end of the century. It was constructed in the so-called Scheldt style (= named after the river Schelde), which was characterized by the use of blue-gray stone from the Tournai area. The most popular is of course the tower, which carried the city bells until the belfry was built. Together with the belfry and the tower of the Sint-Baaf cathedral, it forms the medieval skyline of Ghent.
Monasteries
Beguinages
The women’s communities of beguines who dedicated their lives to God without turning away from the world founded closed communities in the 13th century.
Its architectural ensembles, consisting of houses, churches and outbuildings, represent exceptionally well-preserved examples of medieval life in North-West Europe. Unesco has included 13 of these preserved courtyards as World Heritage Sites. Examples are: Beguinages in Kortrijk, Mechelen or Dendermonde.
Stablo Monastery
The Benedictine monastery near Liège, founded in 650 by Abbot Remaclus. Under Odilio (936-954) it became a center of the Clunyacens reform. The monastery was associated with Malmedy from the beginning.
Monastery Val-Dieu
Monastery Val-Dieu was founded in 1155 in the diocese of Liège near Aubel as a Cistercian monastery.
Motherhouse Antwerp
The exact founding date of the monastery in Antwerp is unknown. It went to the Calvinists in 1581. Numerous alterations and additions in the 18th century brought it into its current form.
Special structures
Atomium, Brussels
The structure, which is modeled on a section of an iron crystal lattice, was erected for the 1958 World Exhibition by the architect André Waterkeyn as a symbol for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Nine spheres with a diameter of 18 m are connected by 23 m long connecting pipes and form a structure 102 m high. It became a symbol of Brussels. The facility was completely renovated by 2006.
Raeren Castle Raeren
Castle was built in the middle of the 14th century as a square donjon (defense tower) by Johann van den Roideren (1426). In the 16th century it was greatly expanded under Phillip von Lomont and was largely given its current form. After extensive restoration work after a fire (1982), the castle was listed as a historical monument in 1950.
Reuland Castle,
today’s ruins were originally one of the largest in the Ardennes and were built on the ruins of a Roman fort in the 10th century.
Alden Biesen Castle Alden Biesen
Castle was founded in 1220 by Arnol II von Loon for the Teutonic Order. Renovations in the 16th century give the complex the form of a Renaissance castle. Today the building houses a cultural center for the Flemish community and an exhibition on the history of the Teutonic Order.
Great museums
Maison du Roi
The building houses the Brussels City Museum.
Library Tower (Book Tower)
The world-famous architect and designer Henry van de Velde created the landmark of Ghent during his time as a professor at the University of Ghent (1926-36). The university’s book tower is considered an outstanding example of 20th century architecture.
Townhouses in Brussels The novelty of his buildings made Victor Horta world famous in 1893 with his Hôtel Tassel. Swinging lines, colored glass windows, artistic iron ornaments created an overall impression that set the style for “Art Nouveau”. Four of his preserved buildings were included in the Unesco list of world cultural heritage.
La Grand-Place in Brussels
This homogeneous structure of private and public buildings, mainly from the 17th century, is a living example of the social and cultural life of an outstanding economic and political center. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Important buildings: “Le Cerf Volant”, Maison des Ducs de Brabant, “La Fortune” (No. 15.), “Le Moulin à Vent” (No. 16) and “La Colinne” (No. 18), “Le Roi d’Espagne «etc.
Manneken Pis
The bronze boy urinating on the corner of Rue de l’Etuve and Rue des Grands Charme is the current landmark of the city of Brussels. The sculptor Hieronimus Duquesnoy created the fountain with the 60 cm figure back in 1619. Every day he is dressed in a new costume. Incidentally, the original is in the Maison du Roi, while the current figure is from 1965.
Natural beauty and seaside resorts
Hohes Venn Nature Park
Moore and heathland characterize this landscape on the border with Germany, the Eifel. The nature park is transnational and connects to the Ardennes in the west.
Ardennes
The name Ardennes goes back to the name of the Celtic hunting and forest goddess ‘Arduinna’. The Ardennes are one of the largest contiguous forest areas in Europe and extend through Belgium, Luxembourg and a small part of France (from the Eifel in the east to the Meuse in the west). 16 nature reserves meet their protection requirements.
Knokke-Heist
The place is considered Belgium’s most fashionable seaside resort with many magnificent hotels, numerous magnificent villas, the best shopping opportunities and a large art and cultural scene and luxurious shopping opportunities. In the nearby nature reserve Het Zwin, nature lovers will find their holiday joy.
Blankenberge
Blankenberge is a town with good shopping opportunities and an almost wild nightlife in the cafes on the beach or in the many clubs in town. Nevertheless, you can also spend your vacation here with your family, there are only a few places on the coast that offer children as much variety as here.
Wenduine
Wenduine is a rather small, more familiar and quiet seaside resort.
De Haan
De Haan is considered Belgium’s most beautiful coastal resort. A seaside resort in the style of the Belle Epoque – with beautiful villas and, above all, without the hotel castles that are becoming increasingly popular. De Haan is considered to be a bit more expensive than a more expensive holiday destination, but that does not mean that there are not some very nice hotels and cafes for the smaller budget. However, the place is not a shopping paradise and there is practically no nightlife.
Bredene
A rather “green” seaside resort between dunes and polders. In Bredene, as is not usual in Belgium, there is no dike. Camping enthusiasts will find numerous campsites here.
Middelkerke
A bathing and holiday resort with a more familiar touch – with numerous sports and excursion options. Although it is usually rather quiet, numerous large festivals are held in this otherwise rather tranquil place during the high season in summer.
Nieuwpoort
The city was fiercely contested during both the First and Second World Wars and was badly damaged. But the city has been rebuilt and has retained its historical character. Water sports enthusiasts and anglers particularly like to come here to one of the largest marinas in the entire North Sea. The place is also very popular with families, not least because of its nature reserves.
Ostduinkerke
Ostduinkerke is considered the place of shrimp fishermen. Vacationers will find a rather tranquil and quiet bathing resort here. The summer crab festivals are the highlights.
Koksijde
Koksijde is a beautiful and somewhat larger coastal town with numerous cafes and restaurants. The many attractive shops also turn shopping into a small celebration. Beautiful residential areas offer the eye a beautiful sight and nature lovers can enjoy the nature reserves in the area. Koksijde is also known for its 35 m high dune – the highest in Belgium.
Image gallery (partner site)
De Panne
De Panne forms – on the border with France – the southernmost part of the Belgian coast. Not least because of the French influence, the place offers an almost Mediterranean flair.
Particularly noteworthy is the beach, which is the widest in Belgium. Otherwise, beautifully painted hotels and houses from many architectural eras shape the image of the city.
Of course there are also numerous street cafes or attractive residential areas here. The “Belgian Sahara” nature reserve lies on the border with France. Of course, a hike to France is also an option.
Belgium: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Old beech forests and primeval beech forests
The old beech forests of the Carpathian Mountains (Slovakia) and other regions of Europe were included in the list of UNESCO natural heritage sites in 2007.
The Carpathian Mountains extend primarily over Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania.
In 2011 the natural heritage was expanded to include five beech forest areas in Germany.
The European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is only native to Europe and is of particular importance for the European temperate deciduous forests.
In July 2017, at the UNESCO meeting in Krakow in Poland, the world heritage was expanded by 63 areas in 10 countries, namely Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the Ukraine
Flemish beguinages
A beguinage is a typical residential complex of the so-called beguines (mainly an association of widowed or unmarried women).
The complex consists of residential houses, a chapel, a meeting room and a large courtyard, in which herbs and useful plants were often grown.
The simple but impressive architecture makes these facilities a place worth seeing.
The courtyard is usually separated from the city by walls or moats. 13 of 26 of these beguinages are specially protected courtyards. Some of the farms date from the 13th century. The Beguinage is probably the first women’s movement in Europe, although it is religiously shaped, it is still free and responsible for itself. These women wanted to bring or maintain values such as modesty, solidarity and religious harmony in their lives.
Every beguinage was sovereign, the superior was elected by all women in the beguinage, and any woman in the court could leave it again without reprisals. The movement was often accused of heresy and was even partially banned.
The beguinages were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.
The four boat lifts of the Canal du Center
The four boat lifts on the Canal du Center in the province of Hainault are industrial monuments of the 19th century of the highest quality. Together with the canal, they represent an outstandingly preserved complete ensemble.
As a replacement for the four historic ship lifts, the world’s largest lift with a lifting height of 73 m was opened near Strépy-Thieu. The four lifts were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998
The Great Square (Grote Markt/Grand ‘Place) in Brussels
The Grote Markt is located in Brussels, right in the center of the capital.
The Gothic town hall and the baroque facades of all houses give the square a particularly beautiful and individual note.
In the 11th century, the place was laid out on a drained swamp area. It was the place where all kinds of events took place, meetings of course, but also executions.
In 1695 the buildings on the square were almost completely destroyed, but during the reconstruction care was taken to ensure that the new buildings fit into the cityscape – and so the facades were built uniformly in the Baroque style. The town hall with its mighty belfry and the Maison du Roi opposite are the central buildings of the square. Together they show the city and the royal Habsburg power.
The Great Square (Grote Markt/Grand ‘Place) in Brussels was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.
Belfries in Flanders and Wallonia
Belfries are slender medieval bell towers and show an extraordinary urban architecture – they also symbolize the independence of the cities from feudal rule.
The most important belfries can be seen in Ghent and Bruges.
The belfries in Flanders and Wallonia were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 and expanded in 2005. In France, the Abbeville keep was added in 2007.
The world heritage crosses borders with France and the Netherlands, where Sluis has the only belfry in the country.
There are a total of 27 belfries in Belgium and 23 in France. The world cultural heritage in Belgium also includes 5 church towers.
Neolithic flint mines near Spiennes (Mons)
Spiennes is located approx. 6 km southeast of Mons, on the eastern edge of the Borinage coal mining area.
Spiennes is known for its mines for flint stones from the Neolithic Age.
The area of the area is about 1 km². The shafts of the mines are approximately 15 m deep.
They were discovered in the 19th century when a railway line was being built. It is believed that the mining took place around 4000 BC. Began and around 750 BC. BC ended. The flint stones mined there can still be found today
The flint mines were added to the list of UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites in 2000.
From March to November, the mines are open every 1st Sunday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Old Town of Bruges
The city of Bruges is located in the province of West Flanders. Bruges was granted city rights in 1128 with the right to hold its own market. Furthermore, the bishopric of the Catholic Church for the diocese of Bruges was established there. The Hanseatic League set up an office in Bruges with a large turnover. The most important part of the office – the house of the Easterlings – is partly still there. The 80 m high belfry with 366 steps (bell tower), which was built in 1240 and was part of the market halls of that time, stands on the market square of Bruges.
Also worth seeing are:
-The St. Jans Hospital, which was established in 1118 and has been the oldest hospital in Europe. The medical items that were used in the 18th century are on display, as is the well-preserved pharmacy.
– The 16th century Hof van Watervliet.
– The house “ter Beurse”, in which international money trading was carried out in the Middle Ages.
– The Liebfrauenkirche, the Gothic town church in which the Madonna by Michelangelo is kept.
– The Holy Blood Basilica, the oldest building in the city – a double chapel. The Romanesque chapel from the 12th century forms the substructure of the upper chapel in Gothic style. According to legend, in 1150 a few drops of the blood of Jesus Christ were brought back from Jerusalem from a crusade.
On Fretags, the relic is carried through the church.
– The St. Salvator’s Cathedral, which houses the tapestries, the rood screen (a stone or wooden barrier) with organ, the choir stalls, the medieval tombs with murals in the tower and the coats of arms of the Knights of the Golden Fleece. It was built around 1250 in the Gothic style.
The old town of Bruges was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 and Bruges was European Capital of Culture in 2002.
Notre Dame Cathedral in Tournai
The Notre-Dame de Tournai Cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is located in the city of Tournai.
The cathedral was built in the Romanesque style and has a large central nave, the transepts have a rounded apse shape with five towers. The choir was demolished in the 13th century and rebuilt in the early Gothic style.
The cathedral has a total length of 134 m and the towers are 83 m high.
In 2008, 13 high-quality works of art were stolen in a robbery, including chalices, bishop’s rings and crosses, one of which was particularly valuable because it comes from Byzantium and has been in this church since the 13th century.
The cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000
Art Nouveau buildings by Victor Horta in Brussels
The architect Victor Horta was born on January 6, 1861 in Ghent and died on September 9, 1947 in Brussels.
He was a Belgian Art Nouveau architect – and his innovative houses made him famous around the world. In 1893 he designed the “Maison Tassel” house. What is noticeable is not the construction of the exterior, but rather Horta knew how to make the interior of the narrow Brussels houses light and spacious.
With light effects, colorful glass windows and a light shaft through the entire house, he increased the effect of his interior design.
Horta’s late work, the Waucquez department store, skilfully influences the visitor with a cozy atmosphere to buy.
The construction of the glass roof with its lighting effect helps to make shopping as pleasant as possible. A visit to Horta’s home and studio is an absolute must for Art Nouveau connoisseurs.
The Art Nouveau buildings were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000
Plantin-Moretus Museum
The Plantin-Moretus Museum is located on the Vrijdagmarkt in Antwerp. It is the only surviving renaissance-style book printing press from the 16th century with 16 printing presses, the oldest in the world. There are also numerous types of metal printing letters and many printed graphics. The print shop was a meeting place for writers, whose writings, books and works were printed there. Peter Paul Rubens illustrated some books here. In 1876, the city bought the printing works with the entire inventory, which the printing works set up as a museum.
In the associated library there are around 25,000 books, which thus accommodated the book production of the printing company from the 16th to the 19th century.
There are also about 600 manuscripts from the 9th to 16th Century, works of the five-language Biblia Polyglotta from 1567–1572, the Atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Abraham Ortelius from 1579 and a famous herbal book can be viewed.
The museum was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005
Palais Stoclet
The Palais Stoclet is a villa located in Brussels. It was built between 1905 and 1911. The style in which it was built is called the “Vienna Secession” (an association of artists in Vienna). This style is very similar to Art Nouveau. Many Viennese artists – and only a few local ones – were involved in the interior design. In the buildings, a lot of special marble was used for floors, interior and exterior walls. The frieze (part of the wall belonging to the ceiling) in the dining room is particularly beautiful. Unfortunately, the villa is not open to the public as it is privately owned.
The Stoclet Palace was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009
Coal
mines The four coal mines which have been a World Heritage Site since July 1, 2012 are the mines of Blegny mine near Liège, the Bois-du-Luc in La Louvière, the Bois du Cazier mine in Charleroi and the Grand-Hornu near Mons.
These industrial monuments are contemporary witnesses of Belgium’s industrial past.
Hard coal was mined in the mines in the 19th and 20th centuries – after the Second World War, prisoners of war were temporarily used there as forced labor.
Museums have been integrated into the former collieries. So you can visit the former mines on the one hand and visit the museums on the other. The considerations of those responsible for the mines were that interested people should be brought closer to the life of the workers at that time and thus give them an insight into the hard work.
In the museum in the Blegny mine in Liège, visitors to the Miners’ working day shown.
In memory of the 262 friends who died in a firedamp explosion in 1956, there is an exhibition in the museum of the Bois du Cazier colliery in Charleroi. The accident occurred at a depth of 975 m. When the coal carts were pushed open, a cart got stuck on the conveyor cage. The hoist cage drove off with the hooked carriage and damaged a support of the shaft construction. This tore power cables, an oil line and compressed air hoses. The power cables ignited the leaking oil. The fire spread rapidly throughout the pit. ”There were no survivors.
A museum for modern art has been integrated into the former Grand-Hornu colliery in Mons.
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier
On July 17, 2016, 17 works in seven countries were awarded in honor of the architectural works of Le Corbusier under the heading “The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement) included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, it is therefore considered to be cross-border.
According to UNESCO, they are a testament to a new architectural language that had meant a break with the past. The award-winning structures were built over a period of around half a century.
In addition to the Guitte House in Antwerp, there are plans for the new city of Chandigarh in Punschab in India, the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo in Japan, the house of Dr. Curutchet in La Plata in Argentina, the large residential building (Unité d’habitation) in Marseille in France, as well as the villa in Coreeaux on the shores of Lake Geneva (Petite Villa au bord du lac Léman) and the Villa Clarté in Geneva, Switzerland.
- Guitte house
The UNESCO-awarded Guitte House (Maison Guitte) in Antwerp dates from 1926 and is considered an early classic example of the “International Style”.
It was built as the home and studio of the painter René Guiette (1893-1976), after whom it takes its name. The building has a basement, a ground floor, a first and second floor and a roof terrace on the third floor.
The large window on the front facade comes from Guitte’s studio. The Belgian fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester (born 1959) also lived here.
32 Poplar avenue
Antwerp
Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier (originally: Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris) was born on October 6, 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel. He was a Swiss-French architect, architectural theorist, urban planner and painter and furniture designer. Le Corbusier is one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, but his works also led to heated controversies and are in some cases still controversial today.
He was in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in the August 1965 Monaco died.