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Historical sites

Historical sites

Visitors are drawn to an Indian elephant, 1970s - © Antwerp City Archives

Antwerp Zoo

Flanders has thirteen accredited zoos. None of them has as rich a history as Antwerp ZOO. It was founded in 1843 as the country’s very first zoo. From the very beginning, Antwerp ZOO has primarily been a place where people go to relax and watch animals in captivity

Barak 15 in Beringen - Visit Limburg, Photo Archive Visit Beringen - Photo by Jonathan Vaes

Prisoners of War in Barracks 15

In Beringen, nestled among the typical brick houses of the garden-city neighborhood, you’ll find a green wooden barracks: Barracks 15, a replica of a residential barracks from the former Baltic Camp in Beringen. During World War II, prisoners of war who were forced to work in the mines were held there. Today, Barracks 15 is a museum dedicated to migration

KV Mechelen in action at Achter de Kazerne, 1947 - © Mechelen City Archives - regionalebeeldbank.be

Achter de Kazerne Soccer Stadium

Anyone in Mechelen who asks about Achter de Kazerne will immediately know if they’re talking to a KV Mechelen fan. For them, the soccer club’s stadium is a place full of memories. Achter de Kazerne opened in 1911, seven years after KV Mechelen was founded. At that time, it was still known as the

Lang-Levenstraat in Ixelles, home to many African restaurants - Hemis/Alamy Stock Photo

Matonge

Matonge is a bustling neighborhood in Ixelles, bordering the Brussels Pentagonal District. It covers just a few streets and has been associated with the Congolese diaspora since the 1950s. But why do relatively few people of Congolese, Rwandan, or Burundian descent actually live in Belgium? Why are there

Engraving depicting a view of Herkenrode Abbey, by Remacle Leloup, ca. 1740 – Het Stadsmus, Hasselt

Fish on Friday

For centuries, the Catholic Church and the fishing industry have had a strong connection. Fishing was a dangerous profession, and fishermen often sought solace in their faith. Coastal residents, for example, frequently prayed to Mary, whom they called Our Lady of the Dunes. Conversely, the Church itself was actively involved in fish farming. This was certainly true of

Miniature depicting the Battle of the Golden Spurs from the *Grandes Chroniques de France*, late 14th century - © Wikimedia Commons

The Battle of the Golden Spurs

On July 11, 1302, an army of Flemish townspeople defeated the powerful French knightly army in the Battle of the Golden Spurs near Kortrijk. The battle was a high point in the larger conflict between the Count of Flanders, Guy of Dampierre, and the French king, Philip the Fair. Since 1297, the latter had been waging a major

View of Mariakerke, James Ensor, 1901 - Mu.ZEE - © artinflanders.be, photo by Adri Verburg

Praying for a safe voyage

The Church of Our Lady of the Dunes in Mariakerke, Ostend, dates back to the 11th century. During the 19th and 20th centuries, this picturesque little fishing church nestled in the dune landscape caught the attention of many artists. They immortalized the church and its surroundings on canvas. The Ostend painter James Ensor is buried