Rusalka in Antwerp
The two largest cities in Flanders, Antwerp and Ghent, had separate opera companies until 1981, when the two companies were merged to form the Flemish Opera — now known as Read More …
Category: Belgium
Open-air book market in Antwerp
For two-thirds of the year, from March to October, an open-air book market is held on the third Sunday of every month from 10 am to 5 pm at the Read More …
Antwerp
Like most cities in Flanders, this one has different names in different languages: Antwerp in English, Antwerpen in Dutch and German, Anvers in French, Amberes in Spanish, Antuérpia in Portuguese, Read More …
Grote Markt
For many years in the twentieth century, Antwerp’s Grote Markt (Large Market) was used as — you guessed it — a parking lot for automobiles. But now the cars have Read More …
The first King of the Belgians
In the Restoration period of the nineteenth century, every self-respecting European country had to have a King. So when Belgium declared its independence from the Netherlands in 1830, finding a Read More …
Gent / Ghent / Gand / Gante
This invigorating Flemish city is called Gent in Dutch, Ghent in English, Gand in French and Gante in Spanish. The Spanish ruled Flanders for many years, which is why they Read More …
The opera house in Ghent
The two Flemish cities of Antwerp and Ghent have a joint opera company, the Flemish Opera (Vlaamse Opera), which presents the same opera productions in both cities. Since Antwerp is Read More …
Cycling in Ghent
When I was in Ghent (= Gent, Gante or Gand), a lot of the bicycles had little signs on them reading “Weer een Auto Minder”, which means: Again one less Read More …
Through the centuries by canal boat
Since I had arrived too late in the evening to take a canal boat tour in Brugge a couple days before, I was determined to take one in Ghent. So I Read More …
Jacob van Artevelde at the Friday Market
In the nineteenth century, Flemish nationalists scoured the history books in search of a national hero. For some reason they settled on Jacob van Artevelde (1290-1345), a wealthy textile merchant Read More …