Portal:Belgium

The Belgium Portal

Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. Belgium covers an area of 30,689 km² (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.8 million; its population density of 383/km² (990/sq mi) ranks 22nd in the world and sixth in Europe. The capital and largest metropolitan region is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven.

Belgium is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a complex federal system structured on regional and linguistic grounds. The country is divided into three highly autonomous regions: the Flemish Region (Flanders) in the north, the Walloon Region (Wallonia) in the south, and the Brussels-Capital Region in the middle. Belgium is also home to two main linguistic communities: the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community, which constitutes about 60 percent of the population, and the French-speaking French Community, which constitutes about 40 percent of the population; a small German-speaking Community, comprising around one percent of the population, exists in the East Cantons. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its complex system of governance, made up of six different governments. Belgium is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy. It is one of the six founding members of the European Union, with its capital of Brussels serving as the de facto capital of the EU, hosting the official seats of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, and one of two seats of the European Parliament (the other being Strasbourg). Brussels also hosts the headquarters of many major international organizations, such as NATO.

In antiquity, present-day Belgium was dominated by the Belgae before being annexed into the Roman Empire in the mid first century BC. During the Middle Ages, Belgium's central location kept it relatively prosperous and connected both commercially and politically to its larger neighbours; it was part of the Carolingian Empire, the succeeding Holy Roman Empire, and subsequently the Burgundian Netherlands. Following rule by Habsburg Spain (1556–1714), the Austrian Habsburgs (1714–1794), and Revolutionary France (1794–1815), most of modern-day Belgium was incorporated into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands after the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Centuries of being contested and controlled by various European powers earned Belgium the moniker "the Battlefield of Europe", a reputation reinforced in the 20th century by both world wars. (Full article...)

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"Mud Blood" is a song recorded by Belgian singer Loïc Nottet, released on 17 March 2017 by Jive Epic. Written by Amy Morrey and Nottet and produced by Alexandre Germys, the track acts as the second single for Nottet's debut studio album Selfocracy (2017). Musically, it has been described as a 1980s and rock-inspired electropop song featuring synthesizers in its instrumentation. The lyrics discuss on the presence of demons inside people.

Music critics were positive towards "Mud Blood", praising its construction and catchiness; selected reviewers viewed it as the best track from Selfocracy. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Edouard Valette and uploaded onto Nottet's official YouTube channel on 21 July 2017. It portrays a fight between good and evil in which two versions of the singer fight against each other by performing choreography. The visual was received with universal acclaim from critics. For further promotion, Nottet performed "Mud Blood" on several radio and television shows, and included it on the setlist of his Selfocracy Tour (2017–2018). The track attained minor commercial success in Belgium. (Full article...)

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More Did you know

...that for over a hundred years, the subject of the painting now identified as the Martyrdom of Saints Crispin and Crispinian (close-up pictured) by Aert van den Bossche was a mystery?
...that the Compromise of Nobles was drafted in the Sablon in Brussels, which would later be the site of the execution of 18 of its signatories?
...that Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave creates life-size, painted paper sculptures of wedding gowns, shoes, needlework lace, and strings of pearls?

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Image 1
Thorntonbank Wind Farm
Photo credit: Hans Hillewaert
Wind turbines belonging to the Thorntonbank Wind Farm located in the North Sea, 28 km (17 mi) off the coast of Belgium. Electricity generation started in early 2009, with an initial capacity of 30 MW, and that number is expected to rise to 300 MW by 2015. A 37 km (23 mi) 150 kV undersea cable connects the wind farm to the shore.
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Image 2
Flat-four engine
Photograph: ULPower Aero Engines
The ULPower UL260i, a flat-four engine produced by ULPower Aero Engines of Belgium. Flat-four engines are flat engines with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase; they can be used in cars, motorcycles, or aircraft. This type of engine tends to be well-balanced and have efficient cooling, but is expensive to manufacture and considerably wider than other engines.
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Image 3
Belgian franc
Coin design credit: Kingdom of Belgium; photographed by the National Numismatic Collection
The Belgian franc was the currency of the Kingdom of Belgium from 1832 until 2002, when the euro was introduced. The Belgian mint was innovative, and in 1860, the country became the first to introduce coins made of cupronickel. A few years later, in 1865, Belgium formed the Latin Monetary Union with France, Switzerland and Italy (Greece joined the system later), which facilitated trade between the countries by setting standards by which gold and silver currency could be minted and exchanged.

This 40-franc gold coin was minted in 1835, and depicts Leopold I, the first king of the Belgians following the country's independence in 1830, on the obverse. The coin is now part of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.
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Image 4
Portrait of Henriette Mayer van den Bergh
Painting: Jozef Van Lerius
Portrait of Henriette Mayer van den Bergh, an oil painting on canvas completed by the Belgian painter Jozef Van Lerius (1823–1876) in 1857. Van Lerius, a student of Gustaf Wappers, was a teacher at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp from age 31. He was known primarily for his mythological and biblical scenes, as well as his portraits and genre pictures. The subject, Henriette Mayer van den Bergh, was the mother of the art collector Fritz Mayer van den Bergh; after his death, she founded the Museum Mayer van den Bergh in Antwerp to house his collection.
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Image 5
V-2 rocket attack
Photo credit: Ingeldew, T3c, U.S. Army
The smouldering body of a boy killed by a V-2 rocket attack on the main intersection in Antwerp, Belgium, November 27, 1944, on the main Allied supply line to the Netherlands. The V-2, one of the German Vergeltungswaffen, was the first ballistic missile and first man-made object to achieve sub-orbital spaceflight. Over 3,000 V-2s were launched as military rockets by the Wehrmacht against Allied targets in World War II.
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Image 6
Hélène Dutrieu
Photo credit: Bain News Service
Hélène Dutrieu, shown here in her aeroplane ca. 1911, was the fourth woman in the world (the first from Belgium) to earn a pilot's license and reputedly the first woman to carry passengers and to fly a seaplane. Besides being a pilot, she was a cycling world champion, stunt cyclist, stunt motorcyclist, automobile racer, wartime ambulance driver, and director of a military hospital.
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Image 7
Stained glass windows by Jean-Baptiste Capronnier
Windows: Jean-Baptiste Capronnier; photograph: Joaquim Alves Gaspar
Three scenes of the legend of the Miraculous Sacrament in stained glass windows in the Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule of Brussels by Jean-Baptiste Capronnier (c. 1870). The contributions of Capronnier (1814–1891) helped lead to a revival in glass painting.
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Image 8
Limburger cheese
Photo credit: Jon Sullivan/Pharaoh Hound
A plate of Limburger cheese and pumpernickel bread. Limburger originated from Limburg, Belgium, and is known for its strong odor, which is due in part to being fermented with the same bacteria partially responsible for human body odor.
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Image 9
Averbode Abbey
Photograph: JH-man
Averbode Abbey, founded about 1134–35 by Count Arnold II of Loon, is a Premonstratensian monastery situated in the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels in Belgium. The abbey reached its peak in the 16th and 17th centuries, though over the past hundred years it has been in a state of decline.
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Image 10
Ghent
Photograph: Joaquim Alves Gaspar
The Graslei harbour is a popular destination in the Belgian city of Ghent. It is found in the city centre.
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Image 11
Sunrise, Inverness Copse
Drawing credit: Paul Nash
Sunrise, Inverness Copse, is a 1918 artwork by the British war artist Paul Nash. It shows a desolate Western Front landscape at Inverness Copse, near Ypres in Belgium; the sun is rising over the hills to reveal shattered trees standing among mounds of earth and an expanse of mud, pock-marked by shell-holes and devoid of vegetation. The pen-and-ink drawing, with watercolour and chalk, is held by the Imperial War Museum in London.

After a period serving in the Artists Rifles following the outbreak of the First World War, Nash was commissioned as an officer in the Hampshire Regiment. He was sent to Flanders in February 1917, but was invalided back to London in May 1917, a few days before his unit was nearly obliterated at the Battle of Messines. Nash became an official war artist and returned to the Ypres Salient, where he was shocked by the devastation caused by war. In six weeks on the Western Front, he completed what he called "fifty drawings of muddy places". He later used this drawing as the basis for his 1918 oil painting We Are Making a New World.
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Image 12
Averbode Abbey
Photograph credit: Marc Ryckaert
Averbode Abbey is a Premonstratensian abbey in Averbode, in the municipality of Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Belgium. The abbey was founded about 1134, suppressed in 1797, and re-established in 1834. The church is a synthesis of Baroque and Gothic architecture, with Renaissance ornamental details, and dominates the monastery complex; it was built between 1664 and 1672, to a design by the Antwerp architect Jan Van den Eynde II. This view of the church's interior shows the chancel, with the choir in the foreground and the sanctuary in the background.
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Image 13
Stunt performer
Photo credit: Luc Viatour
Pyrotechnics stunt exhibition by "Giant Auto Rodéo", a Belgian stunt performer group. Stunt performers typically perform stunts for films or television programs. Stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be.
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Image 14
Louis-Marie Autissier
A self-portrait of Louis-Marie Autissier (1772–1830), a French-born Belgian portrait miniature painter. He is considered the founder of the Belgian school of miniature painting in the nineteenth century. Born at Vannes, in Brittany, he joined the French Revolutionary Army at Rennes in 1791. On leaving the army in 1795, Autissier went to Paris and trained his art by studying paintings at the Louvre. In 1796 he settled in Brussels, but continued to divide his time between Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Although he enjoyed great success in his career, serving as court painter to Louis Napoleon, French King of the Netherlands, and later to Willem I, Autissier died penniless.
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Image 15
SNCB Class 77
Photograph: Marc Ryckaert
The SNCB Class 77 is a class of 4-axle B'B' diesel-hydraulic locomotive designed for shunting and freight work. It was manufactured at the beginning of the 2000s by Siemens Schienenfahrzeugtechnik, and later by Vossloh at the Maschinenbau Kiel plant in Kiel, Germany, for the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB/NMBS).
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Did you know (auto-generated)

... that the horses pulling the Disneyland Main Street Vehicles' streetcars include Belgians, Brabants, Clydesdales, Percherons, and Shires?
... that the Belgian far-right activist Robert Steuckers is critical of the French New Right for their lack of proficiency in German?
... that Belgian Resistance member Andrée Dumon was recommended for the US Medal of Freedom for "assisting directly in the recuperation and repatriation of about 100 Allied airmen"?
... that Arif Havas Oegroseno, the Indonesian ambassador to Belgium, performed a Balinese dance at the Royal Palace of Brussels?
... that the electoral victory of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress in 2018 led to DR Congo's first peaceful transition of power since its independence from Belgium in 1960?
... that François Glorieux was a Belgian pianist and improvisor, conductor of the BBC Radio Orchestra and Stan Kenton's band, and arranger for Michael Jackson?

Anniversaries for June 23

1305: the Treaty of Athis-sur-Orge grants independence to Flanders, but gives the cities of Lille, Douai and Béthune to France
1356: death of Margaret, Countess of Hainaut
1576: death of Levina Teerlinc, court painter in England
1612: birth of André Tacquet, mathematician
1880: death of Albrecht Rodenbach, poet and inspiration for the Flemish movement

More June anniversaries

General images - load new batch

The following are images from various Belgium-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 116th-century guildhalls at the Grote Markt (from Antwerp)
Image 2Self Portrait (1623) by Peter Paul Rubens (from Art of Belgium)
Image 3Morphologically connected mountains of Ardennes and Eifel, framed by the rivers Semois, Meuse, Moselle and Rhine. The highest elevation is the Hohe Acht at 746.9 m above sea level. NHN (from Ardennes)
Image 4The Battle of Beverhoutsveld (1382) in Froissart's Chronicles, with Bruges as setting (from Bruges)
Image 5Meyboom giants in Brussels, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (from Brussels)
Image 6Stations of the Cross within the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 7Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark memorial arcade and museums (from Brussels)
Image 8Paul-Henri Spaak, three-times Prime Minister and author of the Spaak Report, was a staunch believer in international bodies, including the ECSC and EEC (from History of Belgium)
Image 9View along the Brussels–Charleroi Canal in Anderlecht (from Brussels)
Image 1015th-century Ghent miniature of Joseph, showing daily life there (from Ghent)
Image 11Jan Breydel Stadium (from Bruges)
Image 12Concertgebouw ("Concert Building") (from Bruges)
Image 13The Gravensteen (from Ghent)
Image 14Dried Ardenne sausage (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 15Merchants in Bruges, first half of the 16th century (from Bruges)
Image 16The brewery Het Anker, home of the Gouden Carolus beer (from Mechelen)
Image 17Site of the massacre of Belgian UN personnel in Kigali, Rwanda. (from History of Belgium)
Image 18Liège-Guillemins railway station (from Liège)
Image 19Liège at night, photography taken from the ISS in December 2012 (from Liège)
Image 20Statue Lieven Bauwens (from Ghent)
Image 21A Richly Laid Table with Parrots, Jan Davidsz de Heem, c. 1650. On the table one can see ham, seafood, bread, wine, and various kinds of fruit. (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 2220 km of Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 23The Elly Mærsk, one of the world's largest container ships, at Zeebrugge (from Bruges)
Image 24N31 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 25European route E40 (from Bruges)
Image 26A HermeLijn low-floor tram in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 27St Aubin's Cathedral is the only academic Late Baroque cathedral in Belgium. (from Namur)
Image 28Flint knives discovered in Belgian caves (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 29Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht (from Brussels)
Image 30Ixelles (Elsene) (from Brussels)
Image 31Bruges on the Ferraris map, c. 1775 (from Bruges)
Image 32Ruins of St. Bavo's Abbey (from Ghent)
Image 33Hotel d'Hane-Steenhuyse (from Ghent)
Image 34Scaldis ("the Scheldt") and Antverpia ("Antwerp"), Abraham Janssens, 1609, oil on panel, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 35Saint Servatius, bishop of Tongeren and one of the first known Christian figures in the region. 16th century reliquary. (from History of Belgium)
Image 36The Belfry of Bruges, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Bruges)
Image 37Namur, the Meuse, the Walloon Parliament and the citadel (from Namur)
Image 38Varieties of coiled boudin/pens (blood sausage) for sale at a Belgian Christmas market (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 39The Atomium (from Brussels)
Image 40Belgian F-16 conducts a combat patrol over Afghanistan, 2008 (from History of Belgium)
Image 41Old Post Office on the Korenmarkt (from Ghent)
Image 42De Lingtworm en Krocht (from Ghent)
Image 43Herve cheese (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 44University of Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 45A typical scene of peasant life, Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap (1565) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (from Art of Belgium)
Image 46View on the city of Ghent in 1540 by Lucas de Heere (from Ghent)
Image 47A statue of Our Lady of Hanswijk is carried through the city during the procession in 2013 (from Mechelen)
Image 48The Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark memorial arcade, built in 1905 (from History of Belgium)
Image 49Vrijdagmarkt with statue of Jacob van Artevelde (from Ghent)
Image 50Flint knives discovered in Belgian caves (from History of Belgium)
Image 51Antwerp International Airport (from Antwerp)
Image 52A18 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 53Passenger terminal of Liège Airport (from Liège)
Image 54Belfry (from Ghent)
Image 55RSC Anderlecht fans at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (from Brussels)
Image 56Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Gustaf Wappers, 1834 (from Brussels)
Image 57Cuberdon: A popular local delicacy (from Ghent)
Image 58A 1906 British Punch cartoon depicting Leopold II as a rubber vine entangling a Congolese man (from History of Belgium)
Image 59Flag of Antwerp (district) (from Antwerp)
Image 60Panorama of the city of Liège. Photo taken from the heights of the Citadel (left bank of the Meuse). (from Liège)
Image 61Entrance gate of Oude Vismijn ("Old Fish Market") (from Ghent)
Image 62Hoboken vlag (from Antwerp)
Image 63Making Waffles, Basile De Loose, 1853 (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 64Anderlecht (from Brussels)
Image 65Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (from Brussels)
Image 66Portrait of Leopold I who became the first King of the Belgians in 1831 (from History of Belgium)
Image 67Hollandse Synagoge (from Antwerp)
Image 68Municipalities (from Ghent)
Image 69The Ardennes in Belgium (from Ardennes)
Image 70Bevrijdingsdok [nl] terminal at the Port of Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 71The Bourse Palace, the former Brussels Stock Exchange (BSE) building (from Brussels)
Image 72A typical friterie or fritkot in Belgium (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 73Boerentoren (from Antwerp)
Image 74Buildings along the river Leie in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 75Wilrijk vlag (from Antwerp)
Image 76View of Antwerp by Jan Wildens (from Antwerp)
Image 77Gaufres/Wafels (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 78The Roman province of Gallia Belgica in around 120 AD (from History of Belgium)
Image 79The KHBO campus in Sint-Michiels (from Bruges)
Image 80European route E403 (from Bruges)
Image 81Belgian endives in a market (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 82Extreme points of Belgium (from Geography of Belgium)
Image 83Ekeren vlag (from Antwerp)
Image 84The R4 ringroad (from Ghent)
Image 85Sunset over the river Leie in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 86The flag of Flanders incorporating the Flemish lion, also used by the Flemish Movement. (from History of Belgium)
Image 87View of Antwerp with the frozen Scheldt (1590) by Lucas van Valckenborch (from Antwerp)
Image 88Population timeline of Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 89Namur in 1838 (from Namur)
Image 90Fowl roasting on a spit. A shallow basin collects the drippings to use in sauces or for basting; The Decameron, Flanders, 1432 (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 91The Markt (market square) (from Bruges)
Image 92An assortment of sauces (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 93Map showing the area of West Germany occupied by Belgian forces after the Second World War, known as FBA-BSD (from History of Belgium)
Image 94The well-known Ghent Altarpiece, a 15th-century painting by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck in St. Bavo's Cathedral. (from Ghent)
Image 95Main hall of Brussels-South railway station, home to the Eurostar train service to London (from Brussels)
Image 96Jacques Brel (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 97The Brussels Parliament building, housing the Brussels Regional Parliament (from Brussels)
Image 9814th-century illustration of the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 where forces from the County of Flanders defeated their nominal overlords of the Kingdom of France. (from History of Belgium)
Image 99Flea market on the Place du Jeu de Balle/Vossenplein (from Brussels)
Image 100St. Nicholas Church (from Ghent)
Image 101The natural regions of Belgium. (from Geography of Belgium)
Image 102Joust on stilts in Namur. The stiltwalkers fights dates back to 1411. (from Namur)
Image 103The Belfry of Namur (from Namur)
Image 104Berchem-Sainte-Agathe (Sint-Agatha-Berchem) (from Brussels)
Image 105Curtius Museum, museum of archaeology and decorative arts, located on the bank of the Meuse (from Liège)
Image 106Sirop de Liège/Luikse siroop on a slice of bread (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 107't Groen Waterke (from Mechelen)
Image 108Antwerp population pyramid in 2022 (from Antwerp)
Image 109The "Fusilade of Mons" during the 1893 strike as the Borains are fired on by the Garde Civique during the protests for universal suffrage. (from History of Belgium)
Image 110Liège in 1650 (from Liège)
Image 111A 2020 satellite image of the Greater Brussels area (from Brussels)
Image 112Saint Michael' bridge over the Lys (Leie) river and Saint Michael' church (from Ghent)
Image 113Watermael-Boitsfort (Watermaal-Bosvoorde) (from Brussels)
Image 114Uccle (Ukkel) (from Brussels)
Image 115Gruuthusemuseum (from Bruges)
Image 116Brussels is known for its local waffles. (from Brussels)
Image 117Flag of Borsbeek (from Antwerp)
Image 118Aerial view of the Boudewijnkanaal canal linking Zeebrugge (top) with Bruges (middle) (from Bruges)
Image 119Pêches au thon/Perziken met tonijn (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 120European route E34 (from Bruges)
Image 121Walloon workers demonstration in Brussels in the winter of 1960 (from History of Belgium)
Image 122Artist Félicien Rops (from Namur)
Image 123Map of Antwerp (1624) (from Antwerp)
Image 124Vlaamse Opera (from Antwerp)
Image 125Planet Group Arena (from Ghent)
Image 126The 1927 Solvay Conference in Brussels was the fifth world physics conference. (from Brussels)
Image 127Stade Maurice Dufrasne, home to football club Standard Liège. (from Liège)
Image 128Port Authority Building (from Antwerp)
Image 129Ghent in 1775 on the Ferraris map (from Ghent)
Image 130Belgian folk dance group at the International Folklore Festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 131Prince-Bishops' Palace, residence of former Prince-Bishops of Liège (from Liège)
Image 132Flag of Merksem (district) (from Antwerp)
Image 133Blason ville be Borgerhout (from Antwerp)
Image 134The Sambre (from Namur)
Image 135Chimay Brewery's Grand Cru cheese (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 136The Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat is one of the city's main streets. (from Brussels)
Image 137Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station, Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 138The Belfry of Ghent, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Ghent)
Image 139The Place du Luxembourg/Luxemburgplein with the European Parliament in the background (from Brussels)
Image 140Chocolate pralines (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 141Traditional Liègian puppets (from Liège)
Image 142Carbonade flamande/Stoofvlees, another of Belgium's national dishes (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 143Evere (from Brussels)
Image 144Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe) (from Brussels)
Image 145Etterbeek (from Brussels)
Image 146Main Hall of the Oldmasters Museum, part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels (from Art of Belgium)
Image 147Moules-frites or mosselen met friet is a representative dish of Belgium. (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 148A Belgian machine gunner at the front lines in 1918, firing a Chauchat machine gun. (from History of Belgium)
Image 149Municipality of Bruges (from Bruges)
Image 150The Great Mosque of Brussels, former seat of the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Belgium (from Brussels)
Image 151Grote Markt (main square) (from Antwerp)
Image 152The Gilles of Binche, in costume, wearing wax masks (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 153Schaerbeek (Schaarbeek) (from Brussels)
Image 154A10 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 155Equestrian Statue of Leopold II, Place du Trône/Troonplein, Brussels (from History of Belgium)
Image 156Basilica of Our Lady of Hanswijk (from Mechelen)
Image 157Vooruit Arts Center (from Ghent)
Image 158A re-creation of Mixtura cum Caseo (soft cheese with a herb purée) and Hapalos Artos (soft bread), served with olives, grapes and wine (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 159't Zand [nl] bus station (from Bruges)
Image 160A bowl of grey shrimp as a snack (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 161St. Bavo's Cathedral (from Ghent)
Image 162Ganshoren (from Brussels)
Image 163The Palace of Justice in Ghent, c. 1895 (from Ghent)
Image 164The Battle of Fleurus, which led to the French conquest of the Austrian Netherlands (from History of Belgium)
Image 165The National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg (from Brussels)
Image 166Part of the Markt (market square) (from Bruges)
Image 167Bilingual French and Dutch street signs in Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 168The gallows at Breendonk Concentration Camp, near Mechelen (from History of Belgium)
Image 169A17 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 170Jenever bottles for sale in Hasselt, including two in traditional clay bottles (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 171De Kouter in Ghent in 1763 by Engelbert van Siclers (from Ghent)
Image 172The German bombardment of Antwerp, October 1914, by Willy Stöwer (from Antwerp)
Image 173A10 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 174Charles Michel, the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2014 until 2019 (from History of Belgium)
Image 175Emperor Charles V was born in Ghent in 1500 (from Ghent)
Image 176Statue of Jacob van Artevelde on the Vrijdagmarkt (from Ghent)
Image 177British tanks arrive in Brussels on 4 September 1944, ending the German occupation (from Brussels)
Image 178Arduenna silva between Maas und Rhein (from Ardennes)
Image 179Auderghem (Oudergem) (from Brussels)
Image 180View of Antwerp painted c.1540. (from History of Belgium)
Image 181Tintin and Snowy (Hergé), on the roof of the former headquarters of Le Lombard near Brussels-South railway station (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 182Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (Sint-Jans-Molenbeek) (from Brussels)
Image 183Jacques Rogge, 2014 (from Ghent)
Image 184Statue of Charlemagne in the centre of Liège (from Liège)
Image 185Poster for the 1920 Summer Olympics, held at Antwerp (from History of Belgium)
Image 186Map of Belgian regions and provinces. (from Geography of Belgium)
Image 187Pont de Fragnée (from Liège)
Image 188Flag of Berchem, Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 189Belgian soldier taking cover by the corpses of dead hostages, November 1964 in Stanleyville during Operation Dragon Rouge (from History of Belgium)
Image 190The municipalities with language facilities (in red) near Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 191The Grand-Place after the 1695 bombardment by the French army (from Brussels)
Image 192Heathland at the Hoge Kempen National Park (from List of protected areas of Belgium)
Image 193Solbosch/Solbos campus of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) (from Brussels)
Image 194The Art Deco Memorial tower of the Interallied Memorial of Cointe complex (from Liège)
Image 195European route E403 (from Bruges)
Image 196Liège in 1627 (from Liège)
Image 197Jambon d'Ardenne/Ardeense ham hanging from a rack (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 198The Ghent Altarpiece: The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (interior view), painted 1432 by van Eyck (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 199Palace of Justice (from Antwerp)
Image 200N49 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 201Flags of NATO member states wave at the entrance of NATO's headquarters in Haren (from Brussels)
Image 202Antwerp from the left bank of the Scheldt, c. 1890–1900 (from Antwerp)
Image 203Charles of Lorraine, traditionally considered the founder of what would become Brussels, c. 979 (from Brussels)
Image 204Liège, the Sunday "Batte" market (from Liège)
Image 205GDP per capita development of Belgium (from Economy of Belgium)
Image 206Regions of Belgium:
  Flemish Region
  Brussels-Capital Region
  Walloon Region
(from Brussels)
Image 207Brussels' Northern Quarter business district (from Brussels)
Image 208Two Force Publique soldiers in 1943 (from History of Belgium)
Image 209Taking of Mechelen by the Geuzen under the command of Olivier van Tympele and John Norreys on 9 April 1580 by Nicolaas van Eyck (from Mechelen)
Image 210Official poster of the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 211Jain temple in Wilrijk (from Antwerp)
Image 212Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Egide Charles Gustave Wappers (1834), in the Musée d'Art Ancien, Brussels (from History of Belgium)
Image 213Old town (from Namur)
Image 214Aerial view of Brussels' European Quarter, hosting most of the EU institutions (from Brussels)
Image 215Elio Di Rupo, the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2011 until 2014 (from History of Belgium)
Image 216Surviving Roman city walls in Tongeren, the former city of Atuatuca Tongrorum (from History of Belgium)
Image 217Chimay Tripel, a Trappist beer with its own glass (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 218Painting of steel production in Ougrée by Constantin Meunier (1885) (from History of Belgium)
Image 219Chicons au gratin/Gegratineerd witloof (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 220Graslei (from Ghent)
Image 221The Place Royale/Koningsplein in the late 19th century (from Brussels)
Image 222A Van Hool articulated bus in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 223Map showing the division of Brabant into Flemish Brabant (yellow), Walloon Brabant (red) and the Brussels-Capital Region (orange) in 1995 (from History of Belgium)
Image 224Inauguration of the statue of Charlemagne, 26 July 1868 (from Liège)
Image 225Brussels Metro carriage at Erasme/Erasmus metro station (from Brussels)
Image 226Interior of the Hôtel Tassel in Brussels, by Victor Horta (1892–93) (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 227Languages spoken at home in the Brussels-Capital Region (2013)
  French
  French and Dutch
  Dutch
  French and other language
  Neither French nor Dutch
(from Brussels)
Image 228John of Gaunt, born in Ghent in 1340 (from Ghent)
Image 229Geeraard de Duivelsteen (from Ghent)
Image 230View of Brussels, c. 1610 (from Brussels)
Image 231De Singel (from Antwerp)
Image 232Flag of Berchem, Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 2331944: Soldiers of the US Army 4185th Quartermaster Service Company loading a Red Ball Express truck at Liège. (from Liège)
Image 234Rabot Gate (from Ghent)
Image 235Villo! shared bicycles in Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 236Mechelen on the Ferraris map (around 1775) (from Mechelen)
Image 237Antwerp City Hall at the Grote Markt (from Antwerp)
Image 238The citadel and the Meuse (from Namur)
Image 239Woluwe-Saint-Pierre (Sint-Pieters-Woluwe) (from Brussels)
Image 240Brussels Airlines Airbus A319 landing at Brussels Airport in Zaventem (from Brussels)
Image 241Planetarium of the Royal Observatory of Belgium (from Brussels)
Image 242Postcard showing the Cranenburg House (from Bruges)
Image 243St. Rumbold's Cathedral on the Grote Markt (from Mechelen)
Image 244Het Steen (literally: 'The Stone') (from Antwerp)
Image 245The Fish Market (from Bruges)
Image 246The City Hall (from Bruges)
Image 247Saint-Josse-ten-Noode (Sint-Joost-ten-Node) (from Brussels)
Image 248The Graslei, in the old city centre (from Ghent)
Image 249Frites wrapped in a traditional paper cone (cornet) served with mayonnaise and curry ketchup, with a small plastic fork on top and a meat frikandel on the side (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 250An altarpiece by the Brabantian painter Rogier van der Weyden (1399-1464) who was at the forefront of the Northern Renaissance (from History of Belgium)
Image 251The Provinciaal Hof (from Bruges)
Image 252The Grand-Place of Brussels, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Brussels)
Image 253Southern part of the Low Countries with bishopry towns and abbeys c. 7th century. Abbeys were the onset to larger villages and even some towns to reshape the landscape. (from History of Belgium)
Image 254An Art Nouveau doorway in Ixelles, designed by Ernest Delune and built in 1902. (from Art of Belgium)
Image 255The Sack of Antwerp in 1576, in which 17,000 people died. (from History of Belgium)
Image 256Communities of Belgium:
  Flemish Community / Dutch language area
  Flemish & French Community / bilingual language area
  French Community / French language area
  German-speaking Community / German language area
(from Brussels)
Image 257The Gravensteen in Ghent, whose current buildings date to 1180, was the castle of the Counts of Flanders. (from History of Belgium)
Image 258Flagey Building in Ixelles (from Brussels)
Image 259German soldiers examine an abandoned Belgian T13 Tank, 1940 (from History of Belgium)
Image 260The Iron Worker (1890 by Constantin Meunier) (from Art of Belgium)
Image 261Korenlei (from Ghent)
Image 262City of Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 263The Burg in Bruges, painted c. 1691–1700 by Meunincxhove (from Bruges)
Image 264Provincial Government Building (from Antwerp)
Image 265Saint-Gilles (Sint-Gillis) (from Brussels)
Image 266Saint Bavo, patron saint of Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 267The Royal Palace of Brussels, the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians (from Brussels)
Image 268Brugge railway station (from Bruges)
Image 269The stairway of the Montagne de Bueren (from Liège)
Image 270The flag of the francophone pro-Nazi Rexist party (from History of Belgium)
Image 271Cartoon of "The Rape of Belgium" showing giant hairy fist with Prussian eagle grasping maiden in flowing robes. (from History of Belgium)
Image 272Population density of Europe. Brussels is located between the largest urban centres. (from Brussels)
Image 273Jette (from Brussels)
Image 274Dulle Griet, a notable medieval bombard (from Ghent)
Image 275Moules-frites/Mosselen met friet, one of Belgium's national dishes (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 276The Kruispoort (from Bruges)
Image 277The first Belgian-produced steam locomotive, "The Belgian" ("Le Belge") built in 1835 (from History of Belgium)
Image 278Manneken Pis, a well-known public sculpture (from Brussels)
Image 279European route E40 (from Bruges)
Image 280Koekelberg (from Brussels)
Image 281Policeman in Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 282The horse Bayard carrying The Four Sons of Aymon, created by Olivier Strebelle for Expo 58 (from Namur)
Image 283Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) (from Brussels)
Image 284Forest (Vorst) (from Brussels)
Image 285A historic street in Belgium (from History of Belgium)
Image 286Flag of Deurne (from Antwerp)
Image 287Bayard Rock, Dinant, on the right bank of the Meuse. According to a legend, a magic horse jumped from the top of this rock to the left bank of the river, carrying the Four Sons of Aymon fleeing Charlemagne. (from Ardennes)
Image 288Sack of Antwerp in 1576, in which about 7,000 people died (from Antwerp)
Image 289Historical centre of Ghent – from left to right: Old post office, St. Nicholas' Church, Belfry, and St. Bavo's Cathedral (from Ghent)
Image 290Brussels Summer Festival (BSF) (from Brussels)
Image 291The Royal Dutch Theatre (from Ghent)