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Ferdinand Verbiest: Astronomer and Confidant of the Chinese Emperor

Posted by Harry fabel

Belgian inventors Famous Belgians

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The Classified Tram Station in De Haan: A Gem of Anglo-Norman Architecture

Posted by Harry fabel

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Pieter-Jan De Smet: Belgian Missionary and his Accomplishments in the US

Posted by Harry fabel

Famous Belgians

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Tomorrowland: A Belgian Dream

Posted by Harry fabel

Typically Belgian

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Adrien de Gerlache: Belgium's Antarctic Pioneer

Posted by Harry fabel

Famous Belgians History

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Design Museum Brussels: A Celebration of Design

Posted by Harry fabel

Brussels Museums

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Brussels introduces first 100% electric horse carriage for tourists

Posted by Harry fabel

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The Turbulent History of the Ghent Altarpiece: A Masterpiece Tested by Time

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How the Belgians founded New York

In order to avoid any confusion in this story, it is important to know that in the sixteenth century, the Netherlands covered a part of northern France and Lorraine, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the present Netherlands. Its inhabitants were called the Belgians, and the maps represented the country in the shape of a lion: the "Leo Belgicus". Besides, numerous maps from the sixteenth century showed this territory under the name of Belgium. The latter failed into disuse for the benefit of the Netherlands and only reappeared in 1789 on the occasion of the first Belgian revolution. In 1831 Belgium became an independent country. Today Belgium is a lot smaller and is divided into two big regions mostly based on the language they speak in that particular region. In the north, there is Flanders where they speak Flemish (Dutch) and in the south, there is the Walloon part where they speak French. Almost in the center and between the two parts is the region of the capital Brussels...

Belgian kids got to drink beer during their school lunch

There are almost 800 different kinds of beer in Belgium. One kind was very popular till the70's, it was even given to kids at school during their lunch break. Beer to kids? You must be kidding! Well, let's go a bit further into this. The beers we are talking about were so-called table beers, a kind of beer that was specially made for people who can't drink alcohol. So it's was a kind of alcohol-free beer, a kind, because there was some alcohol in it. between 1 and 4 percent alcohol. The most popular table beer was Piedboeuf, it had 1.1 percent alcohol in it and there was a lot of sugar added to make it as sweet as Coca-Cola. A good marketing strategy made that it was well distributed in almost all schools in Belgium. The reason was that it would be very healthy for them, because of the natural ingredients and of course the sugar. It would make them grow fast and strong. It would even be good for pregnant women and for women that were breastfeeding their baby...

The giant jewel beetle of Leuven

A 23-meter high needle adorns a giant jewel beetle, pinned against the clouds in front of the university library of Leuven. The artwork of the Beatle is made by Jan Fabre, a world-famous Belgian multidisciplinary artist. The jewel beetle artwork that goes under the name of Totem is a gift from the university to the city, on the occasion of its 575th anniversary. The university wanted long-lasting quality and invited the artist in 2000 to design the concept. Jan Fabre got a wild card for the design. He found the ideas in drawings he made years ago. During a walk through the city, Jan Fabre ruled that the Ladeuzeplein was the best place for the giant jewel beetle. Jan Fabre explains his concept: The beetle is the memory of nature, a kind of senior computer world, a radar of human existence. The total work of art refers to a collection, a collection of insects pinpricks pricked and reversed. Importantly, the relationship with the university: collective memory of man, a bui...

Jenever, the national spirit of Belgium

Jenever or genièvre is the national spirit of Belgium from which gin evolved. While beer may be Belgium's most famous alcoholic beverage, jenever has been the country's traditional and national spirit for over 500 years. The Belgian Jenever is now a Protected Product of Origin, it can only be crafted in Belgium, the Netherlands (where it's also called Dutch Gin), and a few areas in the north of France and Germany. Most of the jenever AOC's (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) certificates are exclusive to Belgians making Belgian jenever, the recipes to do so are one of the best-kept secrets in the liquor industry. One of the most popular cities to make jenever in Hasselt. Picture by Pixabay For centuries jenever has been bottled in jugs handcrafted from clay. Its iconic shape is recognizable and unique to jenever. Traditionally the Belgians serve jenever in completely full shot glasses that have mostly just been pulled from the freezer. The glass is complete...

Our Lady Guimauve sweets, still popular after all those years

They are typically Belgian, 60 years old, and still trendy, without a penny of advertising. The Our Lady sweets or Guimauve are the classics among the end-of-year sweets, they are made in the small factory Etna near Brussels and have the shape of an Our Lady statue. Why is it that this somewhat old-fashioned candy remains so popular? At least not through clever marketing but it's a traditional sweet candy that is being past over from father to son or mother to daughter. Picture courtesy of Etna You can find them everywhere in Belgium, going from small local shops to exclusive Belgian chocolate shops. The soft candy is not made from chocolate but with sugar, glucose, dextrose, gelatin, and added natural and artificial flavors. Every day, 700,000 Maria sweets roll off the production line, all year round. Next time you visit Belgian, look out for this traditional Belgian candy, a good alternative to that other famous Belgian candy, Chocolate.

The belfry dragon of Ghent

The legend says that the gilded dragon first featured on the prow of the ship which the Norwegian king Sigrid Magnusson left with on a crusade in 1111. He offered the statue to the emperor of Constantinople (the current Istanbul) to put on the cupola of the Aya Sophia. Some hundred years later, the Flemish count Baldwin IX had the showpiece transported to the Flemish region. Here, the Norwegian dragon ended up in the hands of the people of Bruges. After the battle on the field of Beverhout in 1382, the inhabitants of Ghent took the dragon as a war trophy and put it on top of their Belfry. At that time in the Belfry, all the communal charters and laws were kept. The dragon had to protect these documents and it became also the symbol of the freedom and power of the city. Over the year the dragon is replaced with different versions, some of them are still kept inside the belfry museum and there is still a proud dragon on top of the Belfry tower.

Ferdinand Verbiest: Astronomer and Confidant of the Chinese Emperor

Ferdinand Verbiest (1623–1688) was a highly influential Flemish Jesuit missionary and scholar who played a pivotal role in the Chinese Imperial court during the early Qing dynasty. His life represents a fascinating intersection of European science, Catholic mission, and Chinese culture. Ferdinand Verbiest was born on October 9, 1623, in Pittem, a village near Bruges in the County of Flanders (now part of Belgium). He received a classical education, studying humanities and philosophy at Jesuit colleges in Bruges and Kortrijk. He went on to study mathematics and theology at the University of Leuven and later in Seville, Spain. Verbiest joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1641 and was ordained as a priest in 1655. His rigorous training in the sciences and theology prepared him for the Jesuit mission's strategy of gaining acceptance in Asia through intellectual superiority and sharing Western knowledge. In 1658, Verbiest sailed for China, arriving in Macau in 1659 and eventually...

The oldest house of Antwerp

The now beautifully renovated building is situated in the Stoelstraat, right in the historic center of Antwerp, The three-quarter house with a distinctive wooden gable was built in 1500. It is the only original wooden house in the city that has stood the test of time. It survived six wars. Picture by Harry Fabel At that time the majority of the homes in the Antwerp city center were built in wood, but from 1546 onwards, the people of Antwerp decided to build their houses in stone to reduce the risk of blazing fires that could quickly spread among different houses. Picture by Harry Fabel Today the house can be rented as a short holiday stay for groups of up to 12 people. Staying in the house can be a unique experience.

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