Culture

What is your favourite Belgian actor or film?

10 February 2022

Belgian cinema has its own style. Whether French- or Flemish-language, it is possible to recognise the sometimes surreal little 'local touch'.

A Belgian director celebrates Molière at the Comédie-Française

03 February 2022

The Comédie-Française has decided to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Molière, by producing a modern version of "Tartuffe".

The centenary of the man with the harmonica: Toots Thielemans

19 January 2022

29 April would have been the 100th birthday of our world-famous jazz musician, Toots Thielemans.

Belgian jazz musician Fred Van Hove has left us after a 60-year career.

19 January 2022

Jazz musician Fred Van Hove, a pioneer of free improvisation in Europe, has passed away just before his 85th birthday.

Namur's stilt walkers recognised worldwide

22 December 2021

UNESCO has finally added stilt jousting to its list of Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

A country of legends and thrills

The constant contact with other peoples and cultures hasn't been without its effects in terms of art and culture, both in the past and the present day. A true crossroads of the major influences of art, Belgium has always been home to a large number of artists and frequently establishes itself as the place for innovation for new movements.

Belgium has preserved much evidence of the greatest architectural and artistic movements. The Middle Ages saw cathedrals and belfries spring up, monuments that still grace the Belgian cities of art. Countless châteaux pepper the countryside and Belgium is the country with the most châteaux per km². As for Brussels, in the 20th century, it became the capital of Art Nouveau. All this explains the country's incredible architectural wealth.

The splendid works of the old Flemish painters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Pieter Bruegel, Jan Van Eyck, Antoine Van Dyck, along with more recent artists like Paul Delvaux or René Magritte, are now exhibited in museums all over the world.

The ultimate hub for comics, Belgium is home to the largest concentration of comic book authors in the world. They continue the tradition of Hergé (Tintin), Peyo (Les Schtroumpfs), Edgar P. Jacobs (Blake et Mortimer), Morris (Lucky Luke), Bob De Moor (Barelli, Cori de scheepsjongen), Willy Vandersteen (Suske en Wiske) and many more!

Today, many Belgian talents are making a name for themselves. This is particularly the case on the international music scene with Angèle, Milow, Selah Sue and Hooverphonic. On the big screen, a new generation of directors and actors are frequently recognised with awards including the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Oscars in Hollywood.

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