I, Jan Smeken

Five hundred years ago, Jan Smeken was the city poet of Brussels. A modern man. A theater reformer. A man of words. His 1511 poem about snowmen has brought him eternal fame: lighthearted, eloquent, and surprisingly contemporary in its themes.

Wander through today’s streets and discover the Brussels of yesteryear through passages from *Ik Jan Smeken*. This historical picaresque novel was published in 2017 and was written by Rick de Leeuw—singer, writer, poet, and translator—and Remco Sleiderink, professor of Middle Dutch literature at the University of Antwerp. The audio clips were recorded by both authors and are taken from the audiobook version published in 2018 by Rubinstein Publishers.

📏 4 km
🕑 1 hour 30 min.
📍 Grand Place, 1000 Brussels
🏁 Grand Place, 1000 Brussels