Culture

First Belgian ever to draw Mickey Mouse

13 November 2019

The cartoonist from Ghent, Pieter De Poortere, is a really proud and happy man.

An exhibition of Belgian artists in Shanghai

12 November 2019

The exhibition features 15 leading names in Belgian contemporary art and presents each of the artists in their own room, creating a mini-retrospective.

PRIZES FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE

08 November 2019

Two Belgian organisations have received the European Heritage Award/Europa Nostra Award 2019 for their initiatives to protect our cultural treasures!

Brussels celebrates 400 years of Manneken Pis

31 October 2019

The earliest mention of Brussels' Manneken Pis, as we know it today, was on 13 August 1619.

New Stock Exchange in Antwerp shines in full glory once more

24 October 2019

The Old Stock Exchange on the Hofstraat had become too small. To replace it, 1531 saw the construction of the … New Stock Exchange.

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 Pierre-Paul Rubens, Pierre Brueghel, 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 le Moussaillon), Willy Vandersteen (Bob et Bobette) 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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