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Belgium joined UNESCO on November 1946. With ten sites on the official UNESCO World Heritage List and sixteen more under consideration, Belgium undoubtedly offers a lot for visitors to explore and enjoy.
Flemish Béguinages
According to UNESCO official website “The Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. In the 13th century they founded the béguinages, enclosed communities designed to meet their spiritual and material needs. The Flemish béguinages are architectural ensembles composed of houses, churches, ancillary buildings and green spaces, with a layout of either urban or rural origin and built in styles specific to the Flemish cultural region. They are a fascinating reminder of the tradition of the Béguines that developed in north-western Europe in the Middle Ages.”
Historic Centre of Brugge
The Historic Centre of Brugge is a spectacular example of medieval district preservation. “As one of the commercial and cultural capitals of Europe, Brugge developed cultural links to different parts of the world. It is closely associated with the school of Flemish Primitive painting.”
La Grand-Place, Brussels
With its ornate baroque and gothic guild houses, it is often considered one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. Built as a merchants market in the 13th century it serves as the center of the city and is a great place to experience Belgian hospitality at one of the many terrace cafes dotting the charming square.
Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels)
Another combination of several landmarks into one UNESCO World Heritage Site, the works of Victor Horta in Brussels include the Maison & Atelier Horta (now Horta Museum), Hôtel Solvay, Hôtel van Eetvelde and Hôtel Tassel. The architect of the Art Nouveau movement in Europe was a native of Ghent who spent the better part of his career in Brussels. Head to the fabulous museum to learn more about him.
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai
Close to 80% of the French Community of Belgium live in the Wallonia region. The capital Namur and city of Liège form two wonderful destinations for visitors to explore. The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai however, is the premier symbol of Wallonia and a rare, intact 12th century precursor to the Gothic school that would so thoroughly dominate cathedral architecture in Europe for the next four hundred years.
Plantin-Moretus House-Workshops-Museum Complex
The former Renaissance and Baroque home of historic Plantin Press in Antwerp now serves as a tribute museum to famous printers Christoffel Plantijn and Jan Moretus. The UNESCO landmark is the legacy of the legendary printer-publisher.
Stoclet House
Built by visionary architect Josef Hoffmann between 1905 and 1911 Stoclet House is now seen as a milestone leap between Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Incredibly, the Brussels estate is still in the hands of the Stoclet family and not officially open to the public.
