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 Eupedia Top > Belgium Guide Top > Province of Limburg > Hasselt |
 Hasselt
Capital of the province of Limburg, Hasselt (pop. 70,000) lacks the touristic attractions of other Flemish cities. Its pedestrian centre, numerous shops and nightlife make it a congenial place to stay though. Indeed, in 2004, Hasselt got the title of "most sociable city of Flanders". SightseeingThe two main reasons to come to Hasselt are really the Japanese Garden and Bokrijk Park (see below).If you happen to pass through the city and have an hour to kill, buildings of interest include the Townhall, St. Quentin's Cathedral, the Virga Jesse Basilica, the abbey of Herckenrode in Kuringen and its Refugehuis (the oldest building in town), and the 18th-century Begijnhof (Beguinage). There are also a few museums, like National Genever Museum, the Fashion Museum and the Stellingwerff-Waerdenhof Museum (folk and local history). ShoppingIn spite of its small size, Hasselt is an excellent place for shopping thanks to the convenient concentration of all the shops in a few streets around the Grote Markt (town square). The usual fashion chains are on Demerstraat, while the more upmarket boutiques are on Kapelstraat. There is a shopping centre connected to the SAS Radisson Hotel between Maastrichterstaat and Capucienenstraat. The SAS Radisson houses a branch of Mediamarkt and a Passage Fitness.The road between Hasselt and Genk (Genkersteenweg or Hasseltweg, depending or where you are coming from) reminds of an American-style strip mall, with supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, chain shops for home decoration and electronics, car dealers, etc. Japanese Garden
One of the most interesting sights because of its originality is the Japanese Garden (open from April to October, Tue-Fri 10am to 5pm, Sat, Sun and public holidays from 2pm to 6pm; entry 3 €), located in Kapermolen Park in the north-east of the city. The 2.5 ha garden was laid out by Japanese people from Itami (Hasselt's sister city) between 1985 and 1992 after a 17th-century model. It is the largest Japanese garden in Europe, and possess no less than 250 Japanese cherry trees. Various events in relation with Japanese culture take place at the garden, such as the Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) party in April, Koinobori ("floating carps") in May, martial arts in June, Tanabata in July, etc. (=> more information of Japanese festivals here). Bokrijk Park
The Bokrijk Domain is a 550 hectares complex situated between Genk and Hasselt. It comprises a vast Open Air Museum and an Adventure Park. The Open Air Museum is the reconstruction of a 19th-century countryside village. It has over 100 houses, a church, a windmill, and artisans wearing historical garments and working with the same tools as they would have 150 years ago. The Bokrijik Adventure Prak is the largest playground in Belgium. There is also a vast public garden, an arboretum, and miles of walking routes and bicycle lanes. The domain itself is open all yeat round. The Open Air Museum is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm between April and September. Bokrijk Park has its own train station, with hourly direct trains from Brussels (1h30min), Hasselt Station (10min) and Genk (5min).
How to get thereHasselt is easily reached by train from Liege (65 min) or Tongeren (22min).If you have your own wheels, Hasselt is on the E313 between Liege and Antwerp, and not far from the E 314 between Brussels and Aachen in Germany. The slower N2 highway connects it directly to Leuven, Diest or Maastricht in the Netherlands.
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