Culture

Do you speak Belgian? Maybe not

18 March 2021

Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German.

The beauty of Van Eyck lies in the details

24 February 2021

After six years of European prize-winning research, the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage has published the latest very high resolution images on the website dedicated to Jan Van Eyck.

Amélie Nothomb talks about mythology

18 February 2021

Amélie Nothomb is well known in the literary world but has exchanged her pen for a microphone to talk to us about mythology.

Three Belgian actresses in the running for the César Awards

12 February 2021

Three Belgian actresses - Virginie Efira, Yolande Moreau and Emilie Dequenne - the latter for Best Supporting Actress, have been nominated by the Académie des César for its 2021 award ceremony; the me

A Belgian film worthy of Hitchcock

09 February 2021

"Duelles" (Mothers' Instinct), the 2018 Belgian film which won nine Magritte Awards, has caught the attention of Hollywood, which plans to produce an American version with Jessica Chast

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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