Four barely known but oh-so-cute museums in Belgium

16/01/2025

As fascinating as they are, why not leave aside the top museums with their permanent or temporary collections every once in a while and step inside in a barely known gem that's on a more human scale? It's also highly likely that you won't be disturbed by anything or anyone and can fully immerse yourself in the theme. From Bruges in the west to Heist-op-den-Berg in the centre of the region and Tessenderlo and Maaseik right over in the eastern part of Flanders. 

Lumina Domestica in Bruges 

Before doing anything, it is always good to make sure that the light is right. And that is something you can take literally in Lumina Domestica on Wijnzakstraat 2 in the centre of Bruges. With as many as 6,000 antique lamps and other objects, it is said to be the largest lamp museum in the world. Whether or not that's true, the museum certainly explains the entire history of artificial lighting, including the grease lamps and torches in prehistoric caves, the oil lamps that remained in use until well into the 19th century, the light bulbs that all of us grew up with, halogen lamps and the extremely economical LED lamps that are more or less standard nowadays. And all these compete for attention with animals that emit light, such as glow-worms and lanternfish. 

The Train Museum in Heist-op-den-Berg 

Why not travel by rail to visit Pieter Nombluez' Train Museum at Kerkplein 1 in Heist-op-den-Berg? That way, you'll already be attuned to trains before you even get there! Once you've admired his 2,500 scale models, steam engines, diesel and electric locomotives or high-speed trains will no longer hold any secrets from you. And of course, such well-known specimens as the Belgian Orient-Express, the French TEE Mistral, the American Big Boy and some royal and imperial trains also form part of the collection. On the upper floor, you will enter a film room furnished to resemble a train carriage, where you can learn all about the social significance of the train throughout history. This museum is a brilliant alternative to visiting Train World in Schaerbeek. 

LOMAK in Tessenderlo 

Steam on a bit further towards the Market Square in Tessenderlo and you'll come to the Loois Museum of Contemporary Art (LOMAK). This is possibly the smallest contemporary art museum in the world. Barely the size of a shoebox, it isn't going to take over the world, though. Just below the eaves of the town hall hangs a glass box in which the ever-changing artworks are displayed on a loop. To view them, you need to look through the special telescope situated to the right of the church porch opposite. Visual arts, literature, video, photography and all forms of expression are all there to see, seven days a week and around the clock. 

The Pharmacy Museum in Maaseik 

Your final ride will take you to the  Pharmacy Museum at Markt 45 in Maaseik, which is Belgium's oldest privately run pharmacy. From 1709 to 1959, six generations pursued the profession of pharmacist there. The interior has been restored right down to the smallest detail, with its old counters, the drawers containing the wonderfully scented herbs, the centuries-old apothecary's pots, various mortars, pestles and spatulas, a genuine pill board ... The archaeological examination of the cesspool in 1985 showed that they used all kinds of medicinal and kitchen herbs. Based on the plant remains found, a herb garden was then reconstructed behind the pharmacy.