HASSELT

'Hasselt' is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg. The Hasselt municipality includes the city of Hasselt and the old communes of Sint-Lambrechts-Herk, Wimmertingen, Kermt, Spalbeek, Kuringen, Stokrooie, Stevoort and Runkst.
On January 1st, 2006 Hasselt had a total population of 70,035 (48.8% male and 51.2% female). Hasselt is located at the Demer river and is also connected to the Albert Canal. Hasselt is located in between the Campine and Hesbaye regions in the middle of the Euregion Meuse-Rhine.

Contents

History

Transport

Public transport

The centre

Monuments, parks and public fields

Museums

Famous inhabitants

Events

Twin and partner cities

See also

External links

History

Hasselt was founded in the 7th century on the Helbeek, a tributary of the Demer river. The name Hasselt came from ''Hasaluth'', which means hazel wood. It was one of the bigger cities of the county of Loon, whose borders were approximately the same as the current province of Limburg. Hasselt was first given a name in 1165 and shortly thereafter received the much sought after city charter. In 1232 this status was officially confirmed by count Arnold IV.
Even though the city of Borgloon was the official capital of this small principality, Hasselt was to become the biggest city thanks to its favourable setting and to the proximity of the count’s castle and the Herkenrode abbey in Kuringen. In 1366 the county of Loon became part of the Bishopric of Liège and remained so until the annexation by France in 1794. Maastricht became the capital of the area that was then called the Department of the Lower Meuse. After the defeat of Napoleon and the union with the Netherlands, the name Limburg was adopted, after the old county of Limburg which had never held power over Loon. Even when Belgium gained its independence, this name was retained and the name ''Loon'' disappeared. In 1830 Hasselt became the provisional capital of the Belgian province of Limburg. When Maastricht stayed Dutch in 1839, it became the permanent seat of its provincial government within the Netherlands, also called Limburg. In 1967, Belgian Limburg was detached from the Diocese of Liège and Hasselt became the seat of the Diocese of Hasselt.

Transport

Hasselt is a traffic junction of important traffic arteries from all directions. The most important traffic artery is the motorway E313 Antwerp-Liège. Hasselt itself is enclosed by 2 ring roads. The outer ring road serves to keep traffic out of the city centre. The inner ring road, the so-called "Green Boulevard", serves to keep traffic out of the commercial centre, which is an almost entirely pedestrian area. There are also important traffic arteries to Tongeren, Sint-Truiden, Maastricht, Genk, Diest and Eindhoven. You can also visit Hasselt by plane. The city lies relatively near the airport of Brussels, Liège and the Maastricht-Aachen Airport. Private aircraft can land in Hasselt itself, on the airfield of Kiewit.

Public transport

Main articles: public transport in Hasselt

Hasselt made Public transport by bus free of charge from July 1, 1997 after increasing bus services substantially, which made expensive investments in streets and parking facilities unnecessary.
Hasselt was the first city in the world that had entirely zero-fare bus services on the whole of its territory.

The centre

The town centre of Hasselt is not large but very sociable. The centre is almost car-free and contains a number of historical buildings. Among the oldest buildings in the town centre are the Cathedral (12th to 18th C.) and the ''Herckenrode Abbey refuge house" (1542). The "Grote Markt" (large central market square) and the nearby streets are lined with pubs, restaurants and taverns.
The Demerstraat and the Koning Albertstraat are the most important shopping streets. In the Kapelstraat and the Hoogstraat are expensive shops with the most famous brands. The major religious buildings are the St. Quentin's Cathedral and the Virga Jesse Basilica. In 2003, the centre was given a new boost with the renovation of the TT-towers and a new shopping mall. In 2004, Hasselt was the first Belgian city to receive the title "most sociable city of Flanders"; and Hasselt is also taken as an exemplary city for good facilities for pedestrians in the centre.

Monuments, parks and public fields

★ The St. Quentin's Cathedral [Hasselt Cathedral:[1],[2],[3],[4]

★ The Virga Jesse Basilica [Hasselt Basilica:[5],[6]

★ The Japanese garden

★ The National Bank of architect .

★ The abbey of Herckenrode in Kuringen

★ The Refugehuis of the abbey of Herckenrode

★ The Airfield of Kiewit

★ The different historical buildings and museums in the city

★ The nature field Kiewit

★ The Kapermolenpark

★ The town park, to the cultural centre

Museums

★ National jenever museum

★ Urban Fashion museum

Famous inhabitants

★ Hendrik van Veldeke, first writer from the Low Countries known by name (c. 1140-c. 1190)

★ Adrien de Gerlache, officer of the Belgian Navy and leader of two Belgian Antarctic Expeditions (1866-1934)

★ Willy Claes, politician and former Secretary General of NATO (b. 1938)

★ Guy Bleus, artist (b. 1950)

★ Steve Stevaert, politician (b. 1954)

★ Axelle Red, singer-songwriter (b. 1968)

Events

★ The Kermesse, now only septennial, not only commemorates the Christian story of the foundation of the town, but also preserves traces of a pagan festival.

★ Kiewit is the location of the yearly Pukkelpop (Pimplepop) festival, one of Europe's largest alternative music festivals with over a hundred concerts, at the end of August. Rimpelrock (Wrinklerock), a festival with music for people over fifty, is held at the same location.

★ Also many events take place in the Ethias Arena, the largest arena in Belgium.

Twin and partner cities

★ : Detmold

★ : Itami, Hyogo

★ : Sittard

★ : Mountain View, California

See also

★ Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2005

★ Speculaas

External links

★ Hasselt (official site of Hasselt).

★ Fair Trade City Hasselt (campaign site).

★ Ethias Arena

★ Abbey of Herckenrode

★ Pukkelpop

★ Universiteit Hasselt (University of Hasselt)

★ Tourism Flanders

★ Tourism Limburg

★ HasseltLokaal - citizen journalists providing news of Hasselt