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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Route of the 2019 Tour de France

The 2019 Tour de France was the 106th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's three Grand Tours. The 3,365.8 km (2,091 mi)-long race consisted of 21 stages, starting in the Belgian capital of Brussels on 6 July, before moving throughout France and concluding on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 28 July. A total of 176 riders from 22 teams participated in the race. The overall general classification was won for the first time by a Latin American rider, Egan Bernal of Team Ineos. His teammate and 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas finished second while Steven Kruijswijk (Team Jumbo–Visma) came in third.

Kruijswijk's teammate Mike Teunissen won stage 1's bunch sprint to take the first yellow jersey of the Tour. Julian Alaphilippe of Deceuninck–Quick-Step took the lead of the race following his victory of stage 3. He lost the yellow jersey after the sixth stage to Giulio Ciccone (Trek–Segafredo) who was the highest placed rider of a breakaway group that finished ahead of the peloton (main group). Ciccone's lead of the Tour lasted two stages, before Alaphilippe retook it after stage 8. Against expectations, he held the yellow jersey for the next eleven stages, including the Pyrenees, before losing it to Bernal on the second day in the Alps, stage 19, which was shortened by inclement weather. Bernal held his lead in the final two stages to win the Tour. (Full article...)

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More Did you know

Eel meat in a green herb sauce in a metal serving dish

...that paling in 't groen (pictured) is a Flemish dish of eel in a green herb sauce?
...that Leopold II's mistress Caroline Lacroix was so loathed by the Belgian public that on one occasion, her carriage was stoned in Brussels?
...that a Bruges building dating to 1399 now houses a museum dedicated to fries?

Belgium Topics

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Featured pictures -

Featured pictures are displayed here, which represent the finest images on English Wikipedia.

Image 1
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.
Image 2
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.
Image 3
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.
Image 4
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.
Image 5
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.
Image 6
Poeke Castle
Photo: Marc Ryckaert
Poeke Castle is a castle near Poeke, Belgium. Standing on 56 hectares of park, the castle is surrounded by water and is accessible through bridges at the front and rear of the building.
Image 7
Dogcart
Image credit: Detroit Publishing Co.
A photochrom from the late 19th century showing two peddlers selling milk from a dogcart near Brussels, Belgium. Dog-drawn carts were prohibited in Great Britain in the early 1900s on animal welfare grounds, but some still exist in France and Belgium. The modern-day sport of carting involves large dogs pulling carts.
Image 8
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.
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.
Image 10
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).
Image 11
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.
Image 12
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.
Image 13
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.
Image 14
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.
Image 15
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.

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Céline Dept was the first Belgian YouTuber to reach 10 million subscribers?
... 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?
... that French cellist Nicolas-Joseph Platel is considered to be the founder of the Belgian school of cello playing?
... 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 the Belgian far-right activist Robert Steuckers is critical of the French New Right for their lack of proficiency in German?
... that Dries Van Langendonck has been called "the great Belgian [Formula One] hope"?

Anniversaries for February 22

1071: death of Arnulf III, Count of Flanders and Count of Hainaut, at the Battle of Cassel
1796: birth of Adolphe Quetelet, fuonder of modern statistics
1806: birth of Antoine Wiertz, Romantic painter and sculptor
1821: birth of Jan van Beers, poet
1827: birth of Ernest Candèze, entomologist
1896: birth of Paul van Ostaijen, poet
1968: birth of Delphine Boël, artist, daughter of wedlock of King Albert II of Belgium
1969: birth of Marc Wilmots, soccer player and politician, played 70 times for the Belgium national football team and is ranked third on the all-time goal scorers list of the Belgian squad with 28 goals
1983: death of Romain Maes, cyclist, winner of the 1935 Tour de France

More February anniversaries

General images -

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

Image 1The Battle of Beverhoutsveld (1382) in Froissart's Chronicles, with Bruges as setting (from Bruges)
Image 2Scaldis ("the Scheldt") and Antverpia ("Antwerp"), Abraham Janssens, 1609, oil on panel, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 3Ganshoren (from Brussels)
Image 4Brussels Metro carriage at Erasme/Erasmus metro station (from Brussels)
Image 5Bayard 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 6The Sambre (from Namur)
Image 7Belgian F-16 conducts a combat patrol over Afghanistan, 2008 (from History of Belgium)
Image 8Municipality of Bruges (from Bruges)
Image 9The Royal Palace of Brussels, the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians (from Brussels)
Image 10Pêches au thon/Perziken met tonijn (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 11Hollandse Synagoge (from Antwerp)
Image 12The Grand-Place after the 1695 bombardment by the French army (from Brussels)
Image 13Charles of Lorraine, traditionally considered the founder of what would become Brussels, c. 979 (from Brussels)
Image 14Chocolate pralines (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 15Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht (from Brussels)
Image 16The Art Deco Memorial tower of the Interallied Memorial of Cointe complex (from Liège)
Image 17A10 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 18Regions of Belgium:
  Flemish Region
  Brussels-Capital Region
  Walloon Region
(from Brussels)
Image 19The German bombardment of Antwerp, October 1914, by Willy Stöwer (from Antwerp)
Image 20Graslei (from Ghent)
Image 21The Roman province of Gallia Belgica in around 120 AD (from History of Belgium)
Image 22British tanks arrive in Brussels on 4 September 1944, ending the German occupation (from Brussels)
Image 23Surviving Roman city walls in Tongeren, the former city of Atuatuca Tongrorum (from History of Belgium)
Image 24View of Antwerp with the frozen Scheldt (1590) by Lucas van Valckenborch (from Antwerp)
Image 25The Royal Dutch Theatre (from Ghent)
Image 26The Elly Mærsk, one of the world's largest container ships, at Zeebrugge (from Bruges)
Image 27The Gravensteen in Ghent, whose current buildings date to 1180, was the castle of the Counts of Flanders. (from History of Belgium)
Image 28Flint knives discovered in Belgian caves (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 29Flag of Berchem, Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 30Moules-frites/Mosselen met friet, one of Belgium's national dishes (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 31The Fish Market (from Bruges)
Image 32Aerial view of the Boudewijnkanaal canal linking Zeebrugge (top) with Bruges (middle) (from Bruges)
Image 33Saint Bavo, patron saint of Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 34The first Belgian-produced steam locomotive, "The Belgian" ("Le Belge") built in 1835 (from History of Belgium)
Image 35Joust on stilts in Namur. The stiltwalkers fights dates back to 1411. (from Namur)
Image 36Koekelberg (from Brussels)
Image 37Main hall of Brussels-South railway station, home to the Eurostar train service to London (from Brussels)
Image 38Stations of the Cross within the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 39European route E34 (from Bruges)
Image 40Curtius Museum, museum of archaeology and decorative arts, located on the bank of the Meuse (from Liège)
Image 41Population timeline of Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 42De Kouter in Ghent in 1763 by Engelbert van Siclers (from Ghent)
Image 43Vlaamse Opera (from Antwerp)
Image 44Basilica of Our Lady of Hanswijk (from Mechelen)
Image 45John of Gaunt, born in Ghent in 1340 (from Ghent)
Image 46Heathland at the Hoge Kempen National Park (from List of protected areas of Belgium)
Image 47Antwerp from the left bank of the Scheldt, c. 1890–1900 (from Antwerp)
Image 48European route E403 (from Bruges)
Image 49European route E40 (from Bruges)
Image 50Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Gustaf Wappers, 1834 (from Brussels)
Image 51Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) (from Brussels)
Image 52Stade Maurice Dufrasne, home to football club Standard Liège. (from Liège)
Image 53Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station, Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 54Chimay Brewery's Grand Cru cheese (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 55An Art Nouveau doorway in Ixelles, designed by Ernest Delune and built in 1902. (from Art of Belgium)
Image 56Saint-Gilles (Sint-Gillis) (from Brussels)
Image 57View on the city of Ghent in 1540 by Lucas de Heere (from Ghent)
Image 58St. Bavo's Cathedral (from Ghent)
Image 59A historic street in Belgium (from History of Belgium)
Image 60Planetarium of the Royal Observatory of Belgium (from Brussels)
Image 61German soldiers examine an abandoned Belgian T13 Tank, 1940 (from History of Belgium)
Image 62The R4 ringroad (from Ghent)
Image 63Planet Group Arena (from Ghent)
Image 64A 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 65Antwerp population pyramid in 2022 (from Antwerp)
Image 66Sack of Antwerp in 1576, in which about 7,000 people died (from Antwerp)
Image 67St. Nicholas Church (from Ghent)
Image 68A HermeLijn low-floor tram in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 69The stairway of the Montagne de Bueren (from Liège)
Image 70Statue of Charlemagne in the centre of Liège (from Liège)
Image 71The Belfry of Bruges, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Bruges)
Image 72Liège in 1627 (from Liège)
Image 73The KHBO campus in Sint-Michiels (from Bruges)
Image 74Two Force Publique soldiers in 1943 (from History of Belgium)
Image 75The Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark memorial arcade, built in 1905 (from History of Belgium)
Image 76View of Antwerp painted c.1540. (from History of Belgium)
Image 77European route E40 (from Bruges)
Image 78Auderghem (Oudergem) (from Brussels)
Image 79Part of the Markt (market square) (from Bruges)
Image 80The 1927 Solvay Conference in Brussels was the fifth world physics conference. (from Brussels)
Image 81't Groen Waterke (from Mechelen)
Image 82Walloon workers demonstration in Brussels in the winter of 1960 (from History of Belgium)
Image 83Vrijdagmarkt with statue of Jacob van Artevelde (from Ghent)
Image 84The Bourse Palace, the former Brussels Stock Exchange (BSE) building (from Brussels)
Image 85Fowl 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 86Panorama of the city of Liège. Photo taken from the heights of the Citadel (left bank of the Meuse). (from Liège)
Image 87Namur, the Meuse, the Walloon Parliament and the citadel (from Namur)
Image 88Paul-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 89A typical scene of peasant life, Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap (1565) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (from Art of Belgium)
Image 90Bilingual French and Dutch street signs in Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 91A 2020 satellite image of the Greater Brussels area (from Brussels)
Image 92Palace of Justice (from Antwerp)
Image 93St Aubin's Cathedral is the only academic Late Baroque cathedral in Belgium. (from Namur)
Image 94N49 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 95Interior of the Hôtel Tassel in Brussels, by Victor Horta (1892–93) (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 96The Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat is one of the city's main streets. (from Brussels)
Image 97Poster for the 1920 Summer Olympics, held at Antwerp (from History of Belgium)
Image 98Communities 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 99Painting of steel production in Ougrée by Constantin Meunier (1885) (from History of Belgium)
Image 100La Monnaie opera house (from Brussels)
Image 101Provincial Government Building (from Antwerp)
Image 102Anderlecht (from Brussels)
Image 103Liège at night, photography taken from the ISS in December 2012 (from Liège)
Image 104Traditional Liègian puppets (from Liège)
Image 105The Grand-Place of Brussels, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Brussels)
Image 106The flag of the francophone pro-Nazi Rexist party (from History of Belgium)
Image 107Pont de Fragnée (from Liège)
Image 108Blason ville be Borgerhout (from Antwerp)
Image 109Equestrian Statue of Leopold II, Place du Trône/Troonplein, Brussels (from History of Belgium)
Image 110Jambon d'Ardenne/Ardeense ham hanging from a rack (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 111Belgian endives in a market (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 112Antwerp City Hall at the Grote Markt (from Antwerp)
Image 113The Ghent Altarpiece: The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (interior view), painted 1432 by van Eyck (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 114Jain temple in Wilrijk (from Antwerp)
Image 115The Iron Worker (1890 by Constantin Meunier) (from Art of Belgium)
Image 116Wilrijk vlag (from Antwerp)
Image 117The Burg in Bruges, painted c. 1691–1700 by Meunincxhove (from Bruges)
Image 118The municipalities with language facilities (in red) near Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 119Languages 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 120Arduenna silva between Maas und Rhein (from Ardennes)
Image 121GDP per capita development of Belgium (from Economy of Belgium)
Image 122Gruuthusemuseum (from Bruges)
Image 123Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Egide Charles Gustave Wappers (1834), in the Musée d'Art Ancien, Brussels (from History of Belgium)
Image 124De Singel (from Antwerp)
Image 125Frites 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 126Site of the massacre of Belgian UN personnel in Kigali, Rwanda. (from History of Belgium)
Image 127Grote Markt (main square) (from Antwerp)
Image 128Charles Michel, the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2014 until 2019 (from History of Belgium)
Image 129Hotel d'Hane-Steenhuyse (from Ghent)
Image 130Port Authority Building (from Antwerp)
Image 131Statue Lieven Bauwens (from Ghent)
Image 132The Great Mosque of Brussels, former seat of the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Belgium (from Brussels)
Image 133View along the Brussels–Charleroi Canal in Anderlecht (from Brussels)
Image 134The National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg (from Brussels)
Image 135Extreme points of Belgium (from Geography of Belgium)
Image 136Carbonade flamande/Stoofvlees, another of Belgium's national dishes (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 137Saint-Josse-ten-Noode (Sint-Joost-ten-Node) (from Brussels)
Image 13814th-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 139The natural regions of Belgium. (from Geography of Belgium)
Image 140An 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 141Jan Breydel Stadium (from Bruges)
Image 142Liège-Guillemins railway station (from Liège)
Image 143Elio Di Rupo, the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2011 until 2014 (from History of Belgium)
Image 14420 km of Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 145Forest (Vorst) (from Brussels)
Image 146The well-known Ghent Altarpiece, a 15th-century painting by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck in St. Bavo's Cathedral. (from Ghent)
Image 147Rabot Gate (from Ghent)
Image 148Inauguration of the statue of Charlemagne, 26 July 1868 (from Liège)
Image 149Flag of Antwerp (district) (from Antwerp)
Image 150Flag of Merksem (district) (from Antwerp)
Image 151Bruges on the Ferraris map, c. 1775 (from Bruges)
Image 15215th-century Ghent miniature of Joseph, showing daily life there (from Ghent)
Image 153The Gilles of Binche, in costume, wearing wax masks (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 154Woluwe-Saint-Pierre (Sint-Pieters-Woluwe) (from Brussels)
Image 155University of Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 156Brugge railway station (from Bruges)
Image 157Morphologically 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 158Portrait of Leopold I who became the first King of the Belgians in 1831 (from History of Belgium)
Image 159A Belgian machine gunner at the front lines in 1918, firing a Chauchat machine gun. (from History of Belgium)
Image 160Brussels Airlines Airbus A319 landing at Brussels Airport in Zaventem (from Brussels)
Image 161The flag of Flanders incorporating the Flemish lion, also used by the Flemish Movement. (from History of Belgium)
Image 162Southern 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 163Belgian folk dance group at the International Folklore Festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 164The City Hall (from Bruges)
Image 165Exterior of the Boudewijn Seapark dolphinarium (from Bruges)
Image 166The Belfry of Ghent, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Ghent)
Image 167Map showing the area of West Germany occupied by Belgian forces after the Second World War, known as FBA-BSD (from History of Belgium)
Image 168The brewery Het Anker, home of the Gouden Carolus beer (from Mechelen)
Image 169't Zand bus station (from Bruges)
Image 170The Atomium (from Brussels)
Image 171Passenger terminal of Liège Airport (from Liège)
Image 172A Van Hool articulated bus in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 173Aerial view of Brussels' European Quarter, hosting most of the European Union (EU)'s institutions (from Brussels)
Image 174The Belfry of Namur (from Namur)
Image 175Chimay Tripel, a Trappist beer with its own glass (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 176Ruins of St. Bavo's Abbey (from Ghent)
Image 177The citadel and the Meuse (from Namur)
Image 178Tintin and Snowy (Hergé), on the roof of the former headquarters of Le Lombard near Brussels-South railway station (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 179Liège in 1650 (from Liège)
Image 180Schaerbeek (Schaarbeek) (from Brussels)
Image 181Chicons au gratin/Gegratineerd witloof (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 182A typical friterie or fritkot in Belgium (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 183Cuberdon: A popular local delicacy (from Ghent)
Image 184Merchants in Bruges, first half of the 16th century (from Bruges)
Image 185Sirop de Liège/Luikse siroop on a slice of bread (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 186The Provinciaal Hof (from Bruges)
Image 187Etterbeek (from Brussels)
Image 188Flagey Building in Ixelles (from Brussels)
Image 189Main Hall of the Oldmasters Museum, part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels (from Art of Belgium)
Image 190Old town (from Namur)
Image 191Belgian soldier taking cover by the corpses of dead hostages, November 1964 in Stanleyville during Operation Dragon Rouge (from History of Belgium)
Image 192Ekeren vlag (from Antwerp)
Image 19316th-century guildhalls at the Grote Markt (from Antwerp)
Image 194The Gravensteen (from Ghent)
Image 195Taking 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 196Flag of Borsbeek (from Antwerp)
Image 197Mechelen on the Ferraris map (around 1775) (from Mechelen)
Image 198Uccle (Ukkel) (from Brussels)
Image 199French soldiers fight at Fleurus in Belgium during the Revolutionary Wars, 1794 (from History of Belgium)
Image 200Map of Belgian regions and provinces. (from Geography of Belgium)
Image 201Making Waffles, Basile De Loose, 1853 (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 202View of Antwerp by Jan Wildens (from Antwerp)
Image 203De Lingtworm en Krocht (from Ghent)
Image 204Dulle Griet, a notable medieval bombard (from Ghent)
Image 205Emperor Charles V was born in Ghent in 1500 (from Ghent)
Image 206Varieties of coiled boudin/pens (blood sausage) for sale at a Belgian Christmas market (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 207Gaufres/Wafels (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 208Population density of Europe. Brussels is located between the largest urban centres. (from Brussels)
Image 209The Place Royale/Koningsplein in the late 19th century (from Brussels)
Image 210Liège, the Sunday "Batte" market (from Liège)
Image 211Saint Servatius, bishop of Tongeren and one of the first known Christian figures in the region. 16th century reliquary. (from History of Belgium)
Image 212Concertgebouw ("Concert Building") (from Bruges)
Image 213Network map of the Brussels Metro (from Brussels)
Image 214Map 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 215Ixelles (Elsene) (from Brussels)
Image 216Moules-frites or mosselen met friet is a representative dish of Belgium. (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 217Vooruit Arts Center (from Ghent)
Image 218Namur in 1838 (from Namur)
Image 219Het Steen (literally: 'The Stone') (from Antwerp)
Image 220Jacques Rogge, 2014 (from Ghent)
Image 221Ghent in 1775 on the Ferraris map (from Ghent)
Image 222Policeman in Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 223Korenlei (from Ghent)
Image 224Buildings along the river Leie in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 225The Palace of Justice in Ghent, c. 1895 (from Ghent)
Image 226Entrance gate of Oude Vismijn ("Old Fish Market") (from Ghent)
Image 227The Markt (market square) (from Bruges)
Image 228Flag of Berchem, Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 229Flags of NATO member states wave at the entrance of NATO's headquarters in Haren (from Brussels)
Image 230A 1906 British Punch cartoon depicting Leopold II as a rubber vine entangling a Congolese man (from History of Belgium)
Image 231Boerentoren (from Antwerp)
Image 232The Sack of Antwerp in 1576, in which 17,000 people died. (from History of Belgium)
Image 233Old Post Office on the Korenmarkt (from Ghent)
Image 234The gallows at Breendonk Concentration Camp, near Mechelen (from History of Belgium)
Image 235N31 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 236Dried Ardenne sausage (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 237Antwerp International Airport (from Antwerp)
Image 238A statue of Our Lady of Hanswijk is carried through the city during the procession in 2013 (from Mechelen)
Image 239Artist Félicien Rops (from Namur)
Image 240Official poster of the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 241Flint knives discovered in Belgian caves (from History of Belgium)
Image 242An assortment of sauces (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 243Map of Antwerp (1624) (from Antwerp)
Image 244A bowl of grey shrimp as a snack (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 245Solbosch/Solbos campus of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) (from Brussels)
Image 246Self Portrait (1623) by Peter Paul Rubens (from Art of Belgium)
Image 247Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (Sint-Jans-Molenbeek) (from Brussels)
Image 248Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe) (from Brussels)
Image 249Jette (from Brussels)
Image 250The "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 251Brussels' Northern Quarter business district (from Brussels)
Image 252The Graslei, in the old city centre (from Ghent)
Image 253Berchem-Sainte-Agathe (Sint-Agatha-Berchem) (from Brussels)
Image 2541944: Soldiers of the US Army 4185th Quartermaster Service Company loading a Red Ball Express truck at Liège. (from Liège)
Image 255A17 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 256The Brussels Parliament building, housing the Brussels Regional Parliament (from Brussels)
Image 257Statue of Jacob van Artevelde on the Vrijdagmarkt (from Ghent)
Image 258The horse Bayard carrying The Four Sons of Aymon, created by Olivier Strebelle for Expo 58 (from Namur)
Image 259St. Rumbold's Cathedral on the Grote Markt (from Mechelen)
Image 260Belfry (from Ghent)
Image 261City of Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 262Geeraard de Duivelsteen (from Ghent)
Image 263Jenever bottles for sale in Hasselt, including two in traditional clay bottles (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 264Jacques Brel (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 265Manneken Pis, a well-known public sculpture (from Brussels)
Image 266Watermael-Boitsfort (Watermaal-Bosvoorde) (from Brussels)
Image 267Cartoon of "The Rape of Belgium" showing giant hairy fist with Prussian eagle grasping maiden in flowing robes. (from History of Belgium)
Image 268Villo! shared bicycles in Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 269A18 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 270Bevrijdingsdok terminal at the Port of Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 271A 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 272Municipalities (from Ghent)
Image 273Evere (from Brussels)
Image 274Herve cheese (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 275The Kruispoort (from Bruges)
Image 276Sunset over the river Leie in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 277Prince-Bishops' Palace, residence of former Prince-Bishops of Liège (from Liège)
Image 278Flag of Deurne (from Antwerp)
Image 279A10 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 280R.S.C. Anderlecht fans at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (from Brussels)
Image 281Postcard showing the Cranenburg House (from Bruges)
Image 282The Place du Luxembourg/Luxemburgplein with the European Parliament in the background (from Brussels)
Image 283View of Brussels, c. 1610 (from Brussels)
Image 284Hoboken vlag (from Antwerp)
Image 285The Ardennes in Belgium (from Ardennes)
Image 286Saint Michael' bridge over the Lys (Leie) river and Saint Michael' church (from Ghent)
Image 287Flea market on the Place du Jeu de Balle/Vossenplein (from Brussels)
Image 288Historical centre of Ghent – from left to right: Old post office, St. Nicholas' Church, Belfry, and St. Bavo's Cathedral (from Ghent)
Image 289European route E403 (from Bruges)