Album België - Belgique - Belgium from Jaap van 't Veen

België - Kortrijk, Rozentuin

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 07:10:24 +0000

The Rozentuin (Rose Garden) is located in the historic garden of Kasteel 't Hooge. In 1959, a section of the garden was arranged as a rosarium.

The Rozentuin - covering an area of about one hectare - has two sections. The demonstration garden with some 200 hundred rose varieties that have proven to be successful and a historical garden that paints a picture of the rose's evolution through the centuries. The garden also comprises an experimental garden (PiP5), where more than a 100 new varieties of roses from European breeders are planted every year.

België - Kortrijk, Sint-Maartenskerk

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:31:28 +0000

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The Sint-Maartenskerk (Saint Martin's Church) is the main Roman Catholic church and one of the principal gothic monuments of Kortrijk. The church is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours.

The current hall church with its three naves was built between 1390 and 1466, following the destruction of the first church. After a fire in 1862, a section was rebuilt in neo-gothic style. The 83 meters high tower in Brabant gothic style is a striking feature of the Kortrijk skyline. Its wooden spire accommodates a full-sized carillon with 49 bells.

Sint-Maartenskerk holds many artworks by Flemish masters.

België - Kortrijk, Broeltorens

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 07:13:51 +0000

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The Broeltorens (Broel Towers) - constructed from lime- and sandstone - are dating back around the year 1400. The southern Speytorre (to the right of the main photo) was constructed in 1385 to control traffic on the river Leie. The northerly Inghelburghtorre is dating back to 1415. The tower served as a weapons depot and was equipped for the use of artillery. The Broelbrug originally dates back to 1385. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times.The towers were built by the Burgundian dukes and are remnants of the old city fortifications.

Broel' refers to bruul, which means a generally marshy or fallow piece of land.

België - Kortrijk, Sint-Antoniuskerk

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:07:58 +0000

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Kortrijk experienced significant population growth in the 19th-century, necessitating new parish churches. The Passionist Fathers were establishing a monastery, a school, and the Sint-Antoniuskerk (Saint Anthony Church) in 1873. The church - built in the Neo-Romanesque style- is a much visited place of pilgrimage. The Sint-Antoniuskerk is well known for its colourful murals.

Brother Isidore was a professed religious from the Passionists. He had fragile health when he arrived in the area in 1912; after a year as a cook, he was given the less demanding task of porter. He tried to help everyone who came to him during World War I, earning the nickname ‘Brother Good’. Beatified brother Isidore died in 1916; his tomb is located in a side chapel

België - Kortrijk, Lourdesgrot

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 06:40:39 +0000

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The Lourdesgrot - next to the Sint Antoniuskerk - was consecrated in 1908, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the first apparition of Mary in Lourdes. The grotto was built by the Passionist friars on a location with a small chapel. The site soon became an important and busy place for Marian devotion in Kortrijk.

The grotto is known for the many small ex-voto tiles on its walls. These tiles testify to answered prayers and gratitude.

België - Kortrijk, Sint-Elisabethbegijnhof

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 06:51:50 +0000

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Sint-Elisabeth Begijnhof (Saint Elizabeth Beguinage) was founded in 1238 by Countess Joanna of Constantinople. The site largely retains its medieval structure with 41 pocket-sized, whitewashed, 17th century houses around a central green courtyard. The gothic St. Matthew’s Chapel dates back to 1464 and was rebuilt in baroque style in the 18th century.

A beguinage is a community of laywomen known as “beguines”. Beguines were devout women who lived a religious and contemplative life without taking formal vows, allowing them to maintain personal property and freedom.

The Begijnhof Kortrijk, along with other Flemish beguinages, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beguinage has an intimate atmosphere and is an oasis of calm in the middle of Kortrijk's city centre.

België: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver, Wintertuin

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:14:16 +0000

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The Wintertuin van de Ursulinen (Winter Garden of the Ursulines) Garden is a real Art Nouveau gem. The garden is Belgium's largest Art Nouveau site open to the public.

The winter garden, with its colourful stained-glass dome dating from 1900 - whose architect remains unknown - is part of a monumental building complex where education, architecture, art and history come together.

The Winter Garden was part of the Ursulineninstituut, a former international boarding school for girls. This “Pensionnat de demoiselles” was a centre for girls' education. Thanks to its green location, well-maintained buildings and excellent educational provision, it became a boarding school of international renown. Around 1900, almost a quarter of the pupils came from abroad.

The Wintertuin has been a listed building since 1987 because of its historical, artistic, and architectural value.

België - Mechelen, Sint-Romboutskathedraal

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:40:52 +0000

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Sint-Romboutskathedraal (St. Rumbold's Cathedral) was built in the 13th century. From the outset, it was larger and more impressive than all other parish churches, and later it also became “the church of the archbishops”. The first building on the site of the immense cathedral was a three-aisled cruciform church. Only after a series of renovations and extensions did the church become the eye-catcher of Mechelen, with its 97-metre-high tower as its highlight.

During the religious wars of the 16th century, the church suffered greatly. Much of the old interior was lost. The Calvinist regime at the end of that century removed everything that referred to Catholic worship. But the church weathered more storms. Mechelen was bombed during the Second World War and a major fire broke out in 1972. Time after time, St Rumbold's Cathedral survived.

In 1999, the tower of the cathedral was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, in recognition of its architecture and its importance in civic duties such as a watchtower.

België - Mechelen, Stadhuis

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:00:19 +0000

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Mechelen town hall is located on the east side of the Grote Markt and consists of three parts.

- The Paleis van de Grote Raad (l + PiPs) (Palace of the Great Council) was built in 1526. However, the building was never completed and remained unfinished for almost 400 years. Between 1900 and 1911, it was finally completed according to the original 16th-century plans.

- The Belfry is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the other belfries in Belgium and France. It is a Gothic building from the 14th century and has various Baroque elements from the 17th century. The tower itself was never fully completed as planned. In addition, the north side was demolished to build the Palace of the Grand Council.

- The Lakenhal (r) (Cloth Hall) was built in the early 14th century and was used for trading in textile products. In 1342, a fire broke out, after which there was no money to complete the building.

België - Antwerpen, Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:58:54 +0000

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In 1615, Jesuits from Antwerp began construction of their Baroque church. In 1621, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk - as it was initially called - was completed. In 1773, the Jesuit order was abolished. A few decades later, the church became the parish church that it still is today and was given the name of its new patron saint: Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk (St. Charles Borromeo Church).

This is the Rubens Church par excellence. As a painter, decorator and architect, Peter Paul Rubens had a hand in the tower, the façade, the high altar, the ceiling stucco work and the Lady Chapel.

Large sums of money were spent on decorating the interior. It was not for nothing that the church was called “the marble temple”. On 18 July 1718, lightning struck, destroying no fewer than 39 of Rubens' ceiling paintings in the flames. This was followed by a somewhat austere reconstruction of the column basilica. During the restoration in the 1980s, attempts were made to recreate the original interior from before 1718.

België - Antwerpen, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:31:24 +0000

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The history of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal (Cathedral of our Lady) began in the 9th century with a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady. In 1124, it was granted parish church status and replaced by a larger Romanesque church.

When that became too small, an ambitious project was launched in 1352: the construction of the largest Gothic church in the Netherlands with two identical, tall towers. After almost 170 years, the Cathedral of Our Lady was completed. The north tower was finished with a height of 123 metres. The south tower only reached halfway. After a fire in 1533, completion was never resumed. In 1559, the church was given the title of “Cathedral”.

The building was not spared from disaster. During the Iconoclastic Fury in 1566, the Protestants destroyed a large part of the interior. Years later, numerous art treasures were destroyed, removed or sold. When the French conquered the city in 1794, they plundered the church.

In 1816, the Cathedral of Our Lady was restored to its former glory with the return of important works of art, including three paintings by Rubens.

België - Antwerpen, Rubenshuis

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 08:55:53 +0000

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Peter Paul Rubens is one of Antwerp's most famous residents. He lived and worked here for much of his life. When he returned to Antwerp from Italy in 1608, he had a house on Vaartstraat (now Wapper) renovated two years later. He designed the Rubenshuis (Rubens House) and studio himself, modelled on the Renaissance palaces in Italy.

In 1937, the city of Antwerp purchased the property. Shortly after the Second World War, it was officially opened as a museum. The Baroque garden has been reconstructed as much as possible to its original state and contains more than 17,000 plants.

België - Antwerpen, Vlaeykensgang

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:04:23 +0000

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The Vlaeykensgang is a picturesque courtyard dating back to 1591. In the past, the poorest inhabitants of the city lived here, together with the shoemakers. They were responsible for ringing the alarm bell of the nearby cathedral. In the 1960s, there were plans to demolish this medieval street, until antique dealer Axel Vervoordt bought the Vlaeykensgang and had it restored.

België - Antwerpen Centraal

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 08:42:32 +0000

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Antwerpen-Centraal (Antwerp Central) is the name of the main railway station in Antwerp. The original building was constructed between 1895 and 1905; it replaced the wooden train station from the mid 19th century.

The stone clad terminus buildings were designed by architect L. Delacenserie. It has a huge dome above the waiting room and eight smaller towers of which six were demolished during the 1950s. Fortunately they were reconstructed in 2009 together with several ornaments, including large lion statues. The rich interior is lavishly decorated with more than twenty different kinds of marble and stone.

Antwerpen-Centraal has been voted one of the most beautiful railway stations in the world on several occasions, including by Newsweek, Mashable and The Telegraph.

België - Lier, Begijnhof

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 08:48:20 +0000

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The Begijnhof (Beguinage) was founded in 1258 and formed a separate parish. The beguinage is spread over 11 narrow streets and counts 95 houses. The front doors of the houses bear the name of a saint or a biblical scene. Some façades have panels depicting the Stations of the Cross. The current buildings date mainly from the 17th century.

The beguinage is like a village in the middle of the city, surrounded by brick walls and accessible through four gates. At the centre of the beguinage stands the baroque Sint-Margaretakerk (St Margaret's Church). Construction started in the 17th century, and it was not until a century later that the upper part of the façade and the bell tower were completed.

The Beguinage was restored in the 1990s and was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

België - Lier, Zimmertoren

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 09:07:48 +0000

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The former Cornelius tower - dating back to the 14th century - was part of the old city fortifications. It was transformed into the Zimmertoren (Zimmer Tower) in 1930. Clockmaker and astronomer Louis Zimmer donated the Jubilee Clock to the town of Lier in honour of Belgium's 100th anniversary.

The Jubilee Clock on the front of the tower captivates everyone who pays a visit. The clock shows time indications on all continents, phases of the moon, times of tides and many other periodic phenomena.

Nowadays the Zimmertoren is without a doubt the most famous landmark in Lier.

België - Lier

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 07:34:40 +0000

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Lier is a town with 38,000 inhabitants located at the confluence of the Grote Nete and Kleine Nete rivers. The Binnennete, a closed section of the Kleine Nete, runs through the town centre. No wonder Lier is known as the “Netestad”.

Lier has a rich history and was already inhabited in Roman times. In the Middle Ages, it was an important trading town and a member of the Hanseatic League. Today, Lier is best known for its picturesque town centre with its charming squares, narrow streets and historic buildings.

The inhabitants of Lier are also known as “schapenkoppen” (sheep heads). This nickname comes from a legend in which Duke John II wanted to thank the inhabitants for their contribution to the battle against Mechelen in the 14th century. As a reward, the city council could choose between a university or a cattle market. The council chose the cattle market (the university came a little later in Leuven). The duke is said to have remarked, “Oh, those “schapenkoppen” , in response to this choice.

Belgium - Tournai, Notre-Dame Cathédral

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 07:00:14 +0000

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Notre-Dame Cathédral (Cathedral of Our Lady) in Tournai was mainly constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries. The cathedral was built in the Romanesque style, but it also has Gothic style elements. In the beginning of the 12th century, there was an exchange of influence between the architecture of the Ile-the-France, Rhineland and Normandy.

The five towers at the intersection of the transept, central part of the cathedral, is characteristic of the considerable influence of the Tournai cathedral on cathedrals in northern France and the medieval churches in the Flemish part of Belgium. The proportions of the building are really impressive: length 134 meters, width 58 meters for the choir only. The transept exceeds 67 meters and the towers are 83 meters high.

The Romanesque choir was replaced by a Gothic choir in the period 1243-1255 and was inspired by the choir of the cathedral in Amiens. The nave and transept houses the largest collection of sculptures and Romanesque wall paintings in Belgium.
Notre-Dame Cathédral - landmark of Tournai - is a gem of medieval architecture, listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO since 2000.

Belgium - Chercq (Tournai), Lime Kilns St. André

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 07:26:48 +0000

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At the end of the 19th century, the area between Tournai and Antoing was the world's leading producer of lime and cement. The St. André lime kilns near Cherq were built from 1840 and have served for a century to process local limestone at high temperature into lime and natural cement. Lime kilns were use to the year of 1945.

The complex of the eight kilns of St. André - 100 meters long - is located along the banks of the river Scheldt.

Belgium - Tournai, Pont des Trous

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 07:10:02 +0000

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The Pont des Trous (Bridge of Holes) in Tournai is one of the most remarkable vestiges of medieval military architecture in Belgium. The bridge was built in the late 13th century. It was part of the second surrounding wall of the city, which featured a total of 18 gates, and protected the course of the river Scheldt through the city. Huge portcullis could be lowered at any time. The name comes from the presence of a lock located nearby and was called Les Trous (Holes) by the inhabitants of Tournai Originally it was named Pont des Arcs.

Its construction took almost fifty years: the tower on the left bank dates from 1281 and the tower of the right bank was completed in 1304. The construction of the arches took another 25 years. In 1948 the water gate was raised by 2.40 meters in order to facilitate the passage of boats on the river.