You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (June 2022) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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From left to right, top to bottom: City center with St. Quentin's Cathedral in the bottom left, Grote Markt, timber-framed house Het Sweert, Old City Hall, New City Hall
Hasselt is located in between the Campine region, north of the Demer river, and the Hesbaye region, to the south. On a larger scale, it is also situated in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. Both the Demer river and the Albert Canal run through the municipality.
Hasselt was founded in approximately the 7th century on the Helbeek, a tributary of the Demer river. During the Middle Ages it became one of the free cities of the county of Loon (which had borders approximately the same as the current province of Limburg). It was first named in a document in 1165. In 1232 Arnold IV, Count of Loon gave the city the freedoms like those enjoyed in Liège. Even though the city of Borgloon was the original capital of Loon, Hasselt was to become the biggest city thanks to its favourable setting and the proximity of the count's castle at Herkenrode in Kuringen. In 1366 the county of Loon came under the direct rule of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and remained so until the annexation by France in 1794.
During the First French Empire, the city of Maastricht became the capital of the French Department of the Lower Meuse. This comprised not only the area of the modern province of Limburg in Belgium, but also what is now the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, all of what is now Belgium became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. During this time, it was King William I who re-named the Lower Meuse department after the medieval Duchy of Limburg. This Duchy was in fact named after Limbourg on the Vesdre river, now in the Liège province of Belgium, which had never encompassed Hasselt or Maastricht. Belgium split from the Netherlands in 1830, but the status of Limburg was only resolved nine years later in 1839, with the division of Limburg into Belgian and Dutch parts. Hasselt became the provisional capital of the Belgian province of Limburg. In ecclesiastical terms, Belgian Limburg became an independent entity from the Diocese of Liège only in 1967, and Hasselt became the seat of the new Diocese of Hasselt.
The centre is mostly car-free and contains a number of historical buildings. Among the oldest buildings in the town centre are the St. Quentin's Cathedral (11th to 18th centuries) and the Refuge of Herkenrode Abbey, the city's oldest civic building (1542). The Grote Markt (Grand Market) and the nearby streets are lined with restaurants brasseries, cafes and taverns.
The Demerstraat and the Koning Albertstraat are the most important shopping streets, while the Kapelstraat and Hoogstraat house upscale shops and brands.[8][9][10] Another major religious building besides the cathedral is the Virga Jesse Basilica.[11] The churches must cede domination of the skyline of the city to the modern twin towers of the TT-wijk (TT Quarter), however. In 2003, the renovation of this complex, now including a shopping mall and a hotel, gave the centre a new boost. In 2004, Hasselt was the first city to receive the title "most sociable city in Flanders".[12]
Demographicsedit
In 1977, Hasselt merged with several surrounding municipalities attaching the current sub-municipalities of Kermt, Kuringen, Sint-Lambrechts-Herk, Stevoort and Wimmertingen and adding 22.309 inhabitants at the time to its 1977 population of 40.446 inhabitants. As of 1 August 2023, Hasselt had a total population of 80,846 (39,589 men and 41,257 women).[13]
Languagesedit
Dutch in Hasselt is often spoken with a distinctive Limburgish accent and vocabulary, which should not be confused with the Limburgish language.
Limburgish (or Limburgian) is the overlapping term for the tonal dialects spoken in the Belgian and Dutch provinces of Limburg. The Hasselt dialect is only one of many variants of Limburgish.[14] Limburgish is a language, and not the same as the regional variation of Dutch spoken in Dutch Limburg and Belgian Limburg. St. Quentin's CathedralSince Limburgish is still the mother tongue of many inhabitants, Limburgish grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation can however have a significant impact on the way locals speak Dutch in public life.[15]
French was historically spoken by some of the city population within living memory.
Religionedit
Hasselt is the main seat of the diocese of Hasselt, which covers the entire Belgian province of Limburg. The main church is St. Quentin's Cathedral. Hasselt also consists of about 30 parishes. Next to the Catholic Church, Hasselt houses both a Moroccan and Turkish mosque as both communities are well-established in the city and the surrounding municipalities.
The Virga Jesse festival, featuring a Procession of the historic wooden statue of infant Jesus with Mary, is celebrated every seven years, it will be in August 2024.[17]
The yearly Jenever Festival celebrates the history of Jenever in Hasselt.
Hasselt celebrates Carnival, but at a slightly different date than most places.[18]
The suburb Kiewit is the location of the yearly Pukkelpop (Pimple Pop) festival, one of Europe's largest alternative music festivals with over a hundred concerts. Rimpelrock (Wrinkle Rock), a festival with music for an older audience, is held at the same location one week prior.
As in most Belgian cities, there is an annual Kermesse on a date associated with the local church's patron saint - in this case Saint Lambert -, which takes place in September.[19]
Hasselt brands itself as the "Capital of Taste", owing to its local distilleries of Jenever, the Hasselt Jenever Festival, Hasselt speculaas, and chocolate production.[2][3][4]
Hasseltse Jenever (Hasselt gin)edit
United Hasselt Distillers distills the famous brands Fryns and Smeets of Hasselt jenevers or gins
Hasselt is famous for its gin, locally known as Jenever. Even though the spirit is produced across the entire country of Belgium, Hasselt Jenever became famous when the city escaped the 1601 ban on the sale and production of the beverage imposed by Albert VII, Archduke of Austria and Isabella Clara Eugenia, both Archduke and Archduchess of the Habsburg Netherlands, because it belonged to the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. Dutch troops stationed in the city from 1675 to 1681 ensured that Hasselt Jenever, more than any other Belgian jenever, carried aromas of herbs and berries.
The former Smeets gin distillery built in 1947, still standing at Raamstraat 17.
At the end of the 19th century, dire living conditions among the working population and cheap Jenever prepared from sugar beet molasses led to the annual consumption of 9.5 litres of Jenever (50% vol) per inhabitant of Belgium. Jenever production was the most important industry in Limburg in the 19th century with most distilleries being located in Hasselt. However, increase in excise duty, competition from cheap industrial alcohol, the confiscation of copper stills by the Germans during World War I, and the Vandervelde law against alcohol abuse caused most distilleries in Hasselt to disappear or to be taken over by larger competitors.
By the early 21st century, Hasselt only housed two distilleries (known as 'stokerij' in Dutch): the National Jenever Museum[16] and Stokerij Wissels, which was later bought by the larger Stokerij Fryns, based in Ghent, which resumed Jenever production on the former Wissels grounds under the Fryns name. Today, three Jenever distilleries operate in Hasselt: the National Jenever Museum, Stokerij Fryns, and Stokerij Vanderlinden, founded in 2017.
Het Borrelmanneke, symbolising the Hasselt gin culture and history
Every year during the third weekend of October, the two-day Hasselt Jenever Festival takes place. It includes, among other elements, musical, dance, and street theatre performances, the Borrelmanneke fountain on Maastricherstraat being transformed from a water fountain into a Jenever fountain for the day and a Waiters' Race through the city center.[22]
Hasselt speculaasedit
Hasselt speculaas
Hasselt speculaas is a type of speculaas originating from and only produced in Hasselt. It differs from the type of speculaas eaten in the rest of Belgium in its greater thickness, its smaller reliance on spices - which gives it a milder taste -, and in its structure, with a crispy crust and soft, doughy insides.[23]
Speculaas was baked in Hasselt as early as the 14th century. According to tradition, Hasselt speculaas was eaten with chilled Jenever. The early 19th century saw the introduction of the Spéculation de Hasselt - the Hasselt speculaas -, which was soon exported to Brussels and to Liège, among others. Until the Second World War, Hasselt speculaas was only baked around Saint Nicholas Day, since then it has been sold throughout the entire year.[24]
Economyedit
Main entrance to the city centre campus of the Jessa Hospital in 2022.
With 3,000 employees, the Jessa Hospital in Hasselt is the city's biggest employer with two health care campuses and one logistical campus.[25]Cegeka Group, a European provider of IT solutions, services, and consultancy is also one of the city's largest employers, generating a turnover of €744 million.[26] The city also provides an ecosystem for start-ups, scale-ups, and major companies through its Corda Campus, surrounded by government organizations and research institutions. Currently, 5,000 people work in 250 companies over a land area of 9 acres, formerly being occupied by Philips. By 2030, an investment of €150 million at the site is planned to generate employment for 7,500 people in 350 companies on an area of 14 acres.[27]
Hasselt lies at the junction of important traffic arteries from several directions. The most important motorways are the European route E313 (Antwerp-Liège) and the European route E314 (Brussels-Aachen). The old town of Hasselt is enclosed by 2 ring roads. The outer ring road serves to keep traffic out of the city center and main residential areas. The inner ring road, the Green Boulevard, serves to keep traffic out of the commercial center, which is almost entirely a pedestrian area. There are also important traffic arteries to Tongeren, Sint-Truiden, Genk, and Diest.
The city lies within approximately an hour's drive from the airports of Brussels, Liège, Antwerp, Charleroi, Cologne/Bonn, and Düsseldorf. Within a three-hour radius, the major hubs of Paris and Frankfurt can be reached. Small private aircraft can land in Hasselt itself, on the airfield of Kiewit.
Busedit
Hasselt railway station. All the city's local zero-fare buses, as well as regional buses and trains depart from here.
Hasselt introduced a zero-fare policy for all public buses in 1997. By 2006, the usage of public transport had increased by 800–900% compared to pre-zero-fare numbers.[28] In 2013, bus subsidies were reduced, resulting in the reintroduction of fares (60 cents per ride).[29]
[30] The city's official website records[31] passenger growth as follows:
Passenger growth
Year
Passengers
Percentage
1996
360 000
100%
1997
1,498,088
428%
1998
2,837,975
810%
1999
2,840,924
811%
2000
3,178,548
908%
2001
3,706,638
1059%
2002
3,640,270
1040%
2003
3,895,886
1113%
2004
4,259,008
1217%
2005
4,257,408
1216%
2006
4,614,844
1319%
A Belgian website describes Hasselt identity cards as becoming "like gold in value", because of free bus travel.[32]
In 2013, Hasselt cancelled free public transportation due to financial reasons. The operator increased its claim towards the city, which the city could not pay. Now persons up to the age of 19 travel for free.[29]
In February 2007, a plan was launched for the construction of an international light rail connection between Hasselt and Maastricht (Hasselt – Maastricht tramway). Agreements between the relevant governments were reached in June 2008 and December 2011. The line was planned to reduce the current travel time of 61 minutes by bus to only 36 minutes. Construction should have started in 2014, with the line expected to go into service in 2017.[33] The construction eventually was delayed several times due to problems with the Wilhelminabrug in Maastricht, concerns about the profitability and the numbers of passengers making use of the planned line as well as opposition from the Hasselt city council regarding the planned route through the city.[34] The Flemish government eventually stopped the project, with various Dutch governments reporting to have spent more than €20 million without any major construction happening. The line has now been proposed to be replaced by a so-called electric trambus system.[35] However, concerns were raised too as the new alternative might not fulfill the cross-border high-quality public transport needs of the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg.[36]
Educationedit
Virga Jessecollege
Hasselt has two university colleges: University College PXL and University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL). These offer courses in healthcare, social work, art, commercial sciences, and teacher training, among others.
Hasselt University, established in 1971, operates campuses in the city and in the neighbouring town of Diepenbeek and, as of 2023, has more than 7,000 students and 1,700 academic, administrative, and technical staff. The university houses 7 faculties, 4 research institutes, 3 research centres, and 3 doctoral schools. In the Times Higher Education ranking of the world's best universities under 50, Hasselt University is ranked 35th out of 605.[37]
Faculty of Law at Hasselt University, based in the former city prison
Sportsedit
Hasselt is home to Limburg United, one of the Belgium's top professional basketball teams. The team plays its home games at Sporthal Alverberg. The city's largest football club is Sporting Hasselt, which plays its home games at Stedelijk Sportstadion Hasselt.
^P.A.F. van Veen & N. van der Sijs. Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden Van Dale Lexicografie, 1989
^"Het klimaat in uw gemeente: Hoeselt (nis 73032)" (PDF) (in Dutch). KMI. pp. 2, 5. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
^NWS, VRT (14 June 2022). "Universiteit Hasselt helpt lokale handelaars vernieuwen". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^"Lagere huurprijzen voor winkels remmen leegstand (zachtjes) af". De Standaard (in Flemish). 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^ abMelaerts, Lauranne (15 July 2019). "Citytrip in eigen land: deze Belgische steden zijn geweldig om te bezoeken". Newsmonkey (in Flemish). Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^"Escapadas en coche (o en tren) desde Bruselas que no te puedes perder". hola.com (in Spanish). 26 May 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^NWS, VRT (7 September 2022). "Brewmine Tap is de eerste stadsbrouwerij in Hasselt sinds 1965". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^"Jessa Ziekenhuis en stad werken samen parkeerplan uit". www.nieuwsblad.be (in Flemish). 13 July 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^"De groeimotor van Cegeka op toerental: 744 miljoen omzet na 30 jaar". Het Nieuwsblad Mobile (in Flemish). 9 May 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^"Corda Campus in Hasselt wil fors uitbreiden". Bouwkroniek (in Dutch). 4 March 2022.
^C. van Goeverden, P. Rietveld, J. Koelemeijer, P. Peeters: 'Subsidies in public transport' 16 September 2008 at the Wayback MachineEuropean Transport 32 (2006): 5–25
^ ab"Hasselt cancels free public transport after 16 years (Belgium)". eltis.org.
^ PR Newswire (29 June 2007), Hasselt Celebrates 10 Years of Free Public Transport, retrieved 21 February 2002
^. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
^. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
^. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
^NWS, VRT (23 April 2021). "Sneltram Hasselt-Maastricht zal tot aan station van Hasselt rijden, verzekert Vlaams minister Lydia Peeters". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 September 2022.
^"Belgium pulls the plug on cross-border tram to the Netherlands, to the dismay of the Dutch". RailTech.com. June 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
^"Studie sneltram versus trambus zaait nog meer twijfels". www.hbvl.be (in Flemish). 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
^"Eurotowns – The future's city network in Europe (2019)". Eurotowns.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hasselt (Belgium).
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Hasselt.
Official website
February 17, 2024
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For other uses see Hasselt disambiguation This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French June 2022 Click show for important translation instructions Machine translation like DeepL or Google Translate is a useful starting point for translations but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate rather than simply copy pasting machine translated text into the English Wikipedia Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low quality If possible verify the text with references provided in the foreign language article You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at fr Hasselt see its history for attribution You should also add the template Translated fr Hasselt to the talk page For more guidance see Wikipedia Translation You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Dutch June 2022 Click show for important translation instructions Machine translation like DeepL or Google Translate is a useful starting point for translations but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate rather than simply copy pasting machine translated text into the English Wikipedia Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low quality If possible verify the text with references provided in the foreign language article You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Dutch Wikipedia article at nl Hasselt Belgie see its history for attribution You should also add the template Translated nl Hasselt Belgie to the talk page For more guidance see Wikipedia Translation Learn how and when to remove this template message Hasselt Dutch pronunciation ˈɦɑselt Limburgish ˈɦɑselt tone French asɛlt is a Belgian city and municipality and capital and largest city of the province of Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium It is known for its former branding as the Capital of Taste owing to its local distilleries of Jenever the Hasselt Jenever Festival and Hasselt speculaas 2 3 4 HasseltCity and municipalityFrom left to right top to bottom City center with St Quentin s Cathedral in the bottom left Grote Markt timber framed house Het Sweert Old City Hall New City HallFlagCoat of armsLocation of HasseltHasseltLocation in Belgium Location of Hasselt in LimburgCoordinates 50 55 48 N 05 20 15 E 50 93000 N 5 33750 E 50 93000 5 33750Country BelgiumCommunityFlemish CommunityRegionFlemish RegionProvinceLimburgArrondissementHasseltGovernment MayorSteven Vandeput N VA Governing party iesN VA Roodgroen Open VLDArea Total102 69 km2 39 65 sq mi Population 2018 01 01 1 Total77 651 Density760 km2 2 000 sq mi Postal codes3500 3501 3510 3511 3512NIS code71022Area codes011Websitewww hasselt beAs of 1 August 2023 Hasselt had a total population of 80 846 5 The municipality consists of the following sub municipalities Hasselt proper Kermt Kuringen Sint Lambrechts Herk Spalbeek Stevoort Stokrooie and Wimmertingen as well as the hamlets and parishes of Kiewit Godsheide and Rapertingen Hasselt is located in between the Campine region north of the Demer river and the Hesbaye region to the south On a larger scale it is also situated in the Meuse Rhine Euroregion Both the Demer river and the Albert Canal run through the municipality Contents 1 History 2 Etymology 3 Climate 4 Town centre 5 Demographics 5 1 Languages 5 2 Religion 6 Main sights 6 1 Events 7 Gastronomy 7 1 Hasseltse Jenever Hasselt gin 7 1 1 Hasselt Jenever Festival 7 2 Hasselt speculaas 8 Economy 9 Transport 9 1 Road 9 2 Bus 9 3 Rail 9 4 Light rail 10 Education 11 Sports 12 Famous inhabitants 13 Twin and partner cities 14 References 15 External linksHistory editHistorical affiliations nbsp County of Loon 1165 1366 nbsp Prince Bishopric of Liege 1366 1789 nbsp Republic of Liege 1789 1791 nbsp Prince Bishopric of Liege 1791 1795 nbsp French Republic 1795 1804 nbsp French Empire 1804 1815 nbsp Kingdom of the Netherlands 1815 1830 nbsp Kingdom of Belgium 1830 present See also History of Belgian Limburg nbsp Hasselt on the Ferraris map around 1775 Hasselt was founded in approximately the 7th century on the Helbeek a tributary of the Demer river During the Middle Ages it became one of the free cities of the county of Loon which had borders approximately the same as the current province of Limburg It was first named in a document in 1165 In 1232 Arnold IV Count of Loon gave the city the freedoms like those enjoyed in Liege Even though the city of Borgloon was the original capital of Loon Hasselt was to become the biggest city thanks to its favourable setting and the proximity of the count s castle at Herkenrode in Kuringen In 1366 the county of Loon came under the direct rule of the Prince Bishopric of Liege and remained so until the annexation by France in 1794 During the First French Empire the city of Maastricht became the capital of the French Department of the Lower Meuse This comprised not only the area of the modern province of Limburg in Belgium but also what is now the province of Limburg in the Netherlands After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 all of what is now Belgium became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands During this time it was King William I who re named the Lower Meuse department after the medieval Duchy of Limburg This Duchy was in fact named after Limbourg on the Vesdre river now in the Liege province of Belgium which had never encompassed Hasselt or Maastricht Belgium split from the Netherlands in 1830 but the status of Limburg was only resolved nine years later in 1839 with the division of Limburg into Belgian and Dutch parts Hasselt became the provisional capital of the Belgian province of Limburg In ecclesiastical terms Belgian Limburg became an independent entity from the Diocese of Liege only in 1967 and Hasselt became the seat of the new Diocese of Hasselt Etymology editThe name Hasselt refers to the common hazel 6 Climate editClimate data for Hasselt 1991 2020 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearMean daily maximum C F 6 2 43 2 7 2 45 0 11 1 52 0 15 4 59 7 19 2 66 6 22 0 71 6 24 1 75 4 23 8 74 8 20 1 68 2 15 3 59 5 10 1 50 2 6 6 43 9 15 1 59 2 Daily mean C F 3 6 38 5 4 0 39 2 6 9 44 4 10 2 50 4 14 1 57 4 17 0 62 6 19 1 66 4 18 7 65 7 15 3 59 5 11 4 52 5 7 1 44 8 4 2 39 6 11 0 51 7 Mean daily minimum C F 0 9 33 6 0 8 33 4 2 8 37 0 5 1 41 2 9 0 48 2 12 0 53 6 14 0 57 2 13 5 56 3 10 5 50 9 7 5 45 5 4 1 39 4 1 8 35 2 6 8 44 3 Average precipitation mm inches 66 9 2 63 62 1 2 44 56 6 2 23 45 3 1 78 60 7 2 39 74 7 2 94 75 1 2 96 90 2 3 55 64 0 2 52 64 6 2 54 67 5 2 66 81 3 3 20 809 31 84 Average precipitation days 1 0 mm 12 9 11 9 11 6 9 5 10 3 10 4 10 6 11 3 10 2 11 3 12 6 14 8 137 4Mean monthly sunshine hours 62 78 134 188 214 216 221 210 164 119 70 50 1 726Mean daily sunshine hours 2 0 2 8 4 3 6 3 6 9 7 2 7 1 6 8 5 5 3 8 2 3 1 6 4 7Source KMI 7 Town centre editThe centre is mostly car free and contains a number of historical buildings Among the oldest buildings in the town centre are the St Quentin s Cathedral 11th to 18th centuries and the Refuge of Herkenrode Abbey the city s oldest civic building 1542 The Grote Markt Grand Market and the nearby streets are lined with restaurants brasseries cafes and taverns The Demerstraat and the Koning Albertstraat are the most important shopping streets while the Kapelstraat and Hoogstraat house upscale shops and brands 8 9 10 Another major religious building besides the cathedral is the Virga Jesse Basilica 11 The churches must cede domination of the skyline of the city to the modern twin towers of the TT wijk TT Quarter however In 2003 the renovation of this complex now including a shopping mall and a hotel gave the centre a new boost In 2004 Hasselt was the first city to receive the title most sociable city in Flanders 12 Demographics editIn 1977 Hasselt merged with several surrounding municipalities attaching the current sub municipalities of Kermt Kuringen Sint Lambrechts Herk Stevoort and Wimmertingen and adding 22 309 inhabitants at the time to its 1977 population of 40 446 inhabitants As of 1 August 2023 Hasselt had a total population of 80 846 39 589 men and 41 257 women 13 Languages edit Dutch in Hasselt is often spoken with a distinctive Limburgish accent and vocabulary which should not be confused with the Limburgish language Limburgish or Limburgian is the overlapping term for the tonal dialects spoken in the Belgian and Dutch provinces of Limburg The Hasselt dialect is only one of many variants of Limburgish 14 Limburgish is a language and not the same as the regional variation of Dutch spoken in Dutch Limburg and Belgian Limburg nbsp St Quentin s CathedralSince Limburgish is still the mother tongue of many inhabitants Limburgish grammar vocabulary and pronunciation can however have a significant impact on the way locals speak Dutch in public life 15 French was historically spoken by some of the city population within living memory Religion edit Hasselt is the main seat of the diocese of Hasselt which covers the entire Belgian province of Limburg The main church is St Quentin s Cathedral Hasselt also consists of about 30 parishes Next to the Catholic Church Hasselt houses both a Moroccan and Turkish mosque as both communities are well established in the city and the surrounding municipalities Main sights edit nbsp Herkenrode Abbey nbsp Grauwzustersklooster including the Old Inn nbsp Old Post Office nbsp Old Provincial Government BuildingEclectic architecture in Hasselt Gothic St Quentin s Cathedral seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hasselt Virga Jesse Basilica late baroque and early neoclassical architecture Herkenrode Abbey Cistercian monastery Beguinage of Hasselt Grote Markt including the timber framed house Het Sweert Havermarkt including the Old Post Office the Old Courthouse and the Augustinian Abbey Several buildings in the style of Mosan Renaissance architecture among them the former Grauwzustersklooster Abbey of the Grey Sisters of the Third Order Several buildings in the style of eclectic architecture among them the Old Post Office and the Old Provincial Government Building Neoclassical Old City Hall Refuge of Herkenrode Abbey the city s oldest civic building Old Prison now housing Hasselt University Oud Kerkhof historic cemetery New City Hall christened t Scheep The Ship New Courthouse Art Museum Z33 in the Beguinage National Jenever Museum 10 16 City Museum of Hasselt Fashion Museum in the former Grauwzustersklooster Cultuurcentrum Hasselt Japanese gardens the largest in Europe Kiewit Nature Park Kiewit Airfield recreational Events edit The Virga Jesse festival featuring a Procession of the historic wooden statue of infant Jesus with Mary is celebrated every seven years it will be in August 2024 17 The yearly Jenever Festival celebrates the history of Jenever in Hasselt Hasselt celebrates Carnival but at a slightly different date than most places 18 The suburb Kiewit is the location of the yearly Pukkelpop Pimple Pop festival one of Europe s largest alternative music festivals with over a hundred concerts Rimpelrock Wrinkle Rock a festival with music for an older audience is held at the same location one week prior As in most Belgian cities there is an annual Kermesse on a date associated with the local church s patron saint in this case Saint Lambert which takes place in September 19 The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was held in Hasselt The Grand Prix van Hasselt is a cyclo cross race held in November which is part of the BPost Bank Trophy Gaz de France Stars was a WTA Tour tennis tournament held in Hasselt from 2004 to 2006 The European Darts Championship was held in the city s Trixxo Arena three times from 2015 2017 Gastronomy editHasselt brands itself as the Capital of Taste owing to its local distilleries of Jenever the Hasselt Jenever Festival Hasselt speculaas and chocolate production 2 3 4 Hasseltse Jenever Hasselt gin edit nbsp United Hasselt Distillers distills the famous brands Fryns and Smeets of Hasselt jenevers or ginsHasselt is famous for its gin locally known as Jenever Even though the spirit is produced across the entire country of Belgium Hasselt Jenever became famous when the city escaped the 1601 ban on the sale and production of the beverage imposed by Albert VII Archduke of Austria and Isabella Clara Eugenia both Archduke and Archduchess of the Habsburg Netherlands because it belonged to the Prince Bishopric of Liege Dutch troops stationed in the city from 1675 to 1681 ensured that Hasselt Jenever more than any other Belgian jenever carried aromas of herbs and berries nbsp The former Smeets gin distillery built in 1947 still standing at Raamstraat 17 At the end of the 19th century dire living conditions among the working population and cheap Jenever prepared from sugar beet molasses led to the annual consumption of 9 5 litres of Jenever 50 vol per inhabitant of Belgium Jenever production was the most important industry in Limburg in the 19th century with most distilleries being located in Hasselt However increase in excise duty competition from cheap industrial alcohol the confiscation of copper stills by the Germans during World War I and the Vandervelde law against alcohol abuse caused most distilleries in Hasselt to disappear or to be taken over by larger competitors By the early 21st century Hasselt only housed two distilleries known as stokerij in Dutch the National Jenever Museum 16 and Stokerij Wissels which was later bought by the larger Stokerij Fryns based in Ghent which resumed Jenever production on the former Wissels grounds under the Fryns name Today three Jenever distilleries operate in Hasselt the National Jenever Museum Stokerij Fryns and Stokerij Vanderlinden founded in 2017 nbsp Het Borrelmanneke symbolising the Hasselt gin culture and history 20 21 Hasselt Jenever Festival edit Every year during the third weekend of October the two day Hasselt Jenever Festival takes place It includes among other elements musical dance and street theatre performances the Borrelmanneke fountain on Maastricherstraat being transformed from a water fountain into a Jenever fountain for the day and a Waiters Race through the city center 22 Hasselt speculaas edit nbsp Hasselt speculaasHasselt speculaas is a type of speculaas originating from and only produced in Hasselt It differs from the type of speculaas eaten in the rest of Belgium in its greater thickness its smaller reliance on spices which gives it a milder taste and in its structure with a crispy crust and soft doughy insides 23 Speculaas was baked in Hasselt as early as the 14th century According to tradition Hasselt speculaas was eaten with chilled Jenever The early 19th century saw the introduction of the Speculation de Hasselt the Hasselt speculaas which was soon exported to Brussels and to Liege among others Until the Second World War Hasselt speculaas was only baked around Saint Nicholas Day since then it has been sold throughout the entire year 24 Economy edit nbsp Main entrance to the city centre campus of the Jessa Hospital in 2022 With 3 000 employees the Jessa Hospital in Hasselt is the city s biggest employer with two health care campuses and one logistical campus 25 Cegeka Group a European provider of IT solutions services and consultancy is also one of the city s largest employers generating a turnover of 744 million 26 The city also provides an ecosystem for start ups scale ups and major companies through its Corda Campus surrounded by government organizations and research institutions Currently 5 000 people work in 250 companies over a land area of 9 acres formerly being occupied by Philips By 2030 an investment of 150 million at the site is planned to generate employment for 7 500 people in 350 companies on an area of 14 acres 27 Transport editRoad edit nbsp Albert Canal near HasseltHasselt lies at the junction of important traffic arteries from several directions The most important motorways are the European route E313 Antwerp Liege and the European route E314 Brussels Aachen The old town of Hasselt is enclosed by 2 ring roads The outer ring road serves to keep traffic out of the city center and main residential areas The inner ring road the Green Boulevard serves to keep traffic out of the commercial center which is almost entirely a pedestrian area There are also important traffic arteries to Tongeren Sint Truiden Genk and Diest The city lies within approximately an hour s drive from the airports of Brussels Liege Antwerp Charleroi Cologne Bonn and Dusseldorf Within a three hour radius the major hubs of Paris and Frankfurt can be reached Small private aircraft can land in Hasselt itself on the airfield of Kiewit Bus edit nbsp Hasselt railway station All the city s local zero fare buses as well as regional buses and trains depart from here Hasselt introduced a zero fare policy for all public buses in 1997 By 2006 the usage of public transport had increased by 800 900 compared to pre zero fare numbers 28 In 2013 bus subsidies were reduced resulting in the reintroduction of fares 60 cents per ride 29 30 The city s official website records 31 passenger growth as follows Passenger growth Year Passengers Percentage1996 360 000 100 1997 1 498 088 428 1998 2 837 975 810 1999 2 840 924 811 2000 3 178 548 908 2001 3 706 638 1059 2002 3 640 270 1040 2003 3 895 886 1113 2004 4 259 008 1217 2005 4 257 408 1216 2006 4 614 844 1319 A Belgian website describes Hasselt identity cards as becoming like gold in value because of free bus travel 32 In 2013 Hasselt cancelled free public transportation due to financial reasons The operator increased its claim towards the city which the city could not pay Now persons up to the age of 19 travel for free 29 Rail edit Hasselt railway station run by NMBS is located near the city centre outside the innermost ring road InterCity trains link the city to major Belgian centres such as Brussels Antwerp Liege and Leuven as well as to Brussels Airport Light rail edit In February 2007 a plan was launched for the construction of an international light rail connection between Hasselt and Maastricht Hasselt Maastricht tramway Agreements between the relevant governments were reached in June 2008 and December 2011 The line was planned to reduce the current travel time of 61 minutes by bus to only 36 minutes Construction should have started in 2014 with the line expected to go into service in 2017 33 The construction eventually was delayed several times due to problems with the Wilhelminabrug in Maastricht concerns about the profitability and the numbers of passengers making use of the planned line as well as opposition from the Hasselt city council regarding the planned route through the city 34 The Flemish government eventually stopped the project with various Dutch governments reporting to have spent more than 20 million without any major construction happening The line has now been proposed to be replaced by a so called electric trambus system 35 However concerns were raised too as the new alternative might not fulfill the cross border high quality public transport needs of the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg 36 Education edit nbsp Virga JessecollegeHasselt has two university colleges University College PXL and University Colleges Leuven Limburg UCLL These offer courses in healthcare social work art commercial sciences and teacher training among others Hasselt University established in 1971 operates campuses in the city and in the neighbouring town of Diepenbeek and as of 2023 has more than 7 000 students and 1 700 academic administrative and technical staff The university houses 7 faculties 4 research institutes 3 research centres and 3 doctoral schools In the Times Higher Education ranking of the world s best universities under 50 Hasselt University is ranked 35th out of 605 37 nbsp Faculty of Law at Hasselt University based in the former city prisonSports editHasselt is home to Limburg United one of the Belgium s top professional basketball teams The team plays its home games at Sporthal Alverberg The city s largest football club is Sporting Hasselt which plays its home games at Stedelijk Sportstadion Hasselt Famous inhabitants edit nbsp Hendrik van VeldekeCharlotte Adigery singer musician b 1990 Guy Bleus artist b 1950 Hasselt Bram Castro footballer b 1982 Willy Claes politician and former Secretary General of NATO b 1938 Stef Driesen Antwerp based artist b 1966 Hasselt Brecht Evens Paris based graphic novellist and illustrator b 1986 Adrien de Gerlache officer of the Belgian Navy and leader of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition 1866 1934 Luuk Gruwez poet b 1953 Daniel Guijo Velasco footballer b 1984 Anthony Kumpen racing driver b 1978 Luc Nilis footballer b 1967 Casper de Norre born 1997 footballer Regi Penxten born 1976 artist producer Axelle Red singer songwriter b 1968 Francis Rombouts Mayor of New York City from 1679 to 1680 Steve Stevaert politician 1954 2015 Hendrik van Veldeke writer of romance lyric and hagiography first vernacular writer in the Low Countries c 1140 c 1190 Jean Joseph Thonissen professor at law 1817 1891 Max Verstappen Three times Formula One Champion b 1997 Hasselt Laurens Vanthoor racing driver b 1991 Hasselt Dries Vanthoor racing driver b 1998 Louis Willems doctor and one of the pioneers of bacteriology and immunology b 1822 Dana Winner singer b 1965 Hasselt Twin and partner cities edit nbsp Germany Detmold since 1976 nbsp Netherlands Sittard Geleen since 1980 nbsp Japan Itami Hyogo since 1985 nbsp United States Mountain View California since 1987 Hasselt is a member city of Eurotowns network 38 References edit Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018 Statbel Retrieved 9 March 2019 a b Hasselt Encyclopaedia Britannica 06 02 2012 a b Hasselt specialities taste a touch of Hasselt Visit Hasselt 12 06 2023 a b Hasselt tastes Visit Hasselt 24 10 2023 Globaal bevolkingscijfers per gemeente PDF P A F van Veen amp N van der Sijs Etymologisch woordenboek de herkomst van onze woorden Van Dale Lexicografie 1989 Het klimaat in uw gemeente Hoeselt nis 73032 PDF in Dutch KMI pp 2 5 Retrieved 6 January 2024 NWS VRT 14 June 2022 Universiteit Hasselt helpt lokale handelaars vernieuwen vrtnws be in Dutch Retrieved 25 September 2022 Lagere huurprijzen voor winkels remmen leegstand zachtjes af De Standaard in Flemish 25 August 2022 Retrieved 25 September 2022 a b Melaerts Lauranne 15 July 2019 Citytrip in eigen land deze Belgische steden zijn geweldig om te bezoeken Newsmonkey in Flemish Retrieved 25 September 2022 Escapadas en coche o en tren desde Bruselas que no te puedes perder hola com in Spanish 26 May 2017 Retrieved 25 September 2022 NWS VRT 7 September 2022 Brewmine Tap is de eerste stadsbrouwerij in Hasselt sinds 1965 vrtnws be in Dutch Retrieved 25 September 2022 Globaal bevolkingscijfers per gemeente PDF Peters Jorg 2006 The dialect of Hasselt Journal of the International Phonetic Association 36 1 117 doi 10 1017 S0025100306002428 Limburgismen in het handschrift Borgloon Tijdschrift voor Nederlandse Taal en Letterkunde 123 298 332 2007 hdl 1887 14150 a b Times The Brussels Hidden Belgium The Jenever Museum www brusselstimes com Retrieved 25 September 2022 Hasselt Town Hall s Virga Jesse link Hasselt be Archived from the original on 19 March 2012 Retrieved 21 February 2012 Hasselt Town Hall s Carnival link Hasselt be 15 February 2010 Archived from the original on 1 October 2011 Retrieved 21 February 2012 Hasselt Town Hall s Kermis page Hasselt be Archived from the original on 19 March 2012 Retrieved 21 February 2012 Breweries and distilleries Visit Limburg accessed 15 01 2024 Familiebedrijf sinds 1887 Fryns accessed 15 01 2024 Jeneverfesten Visit Hasselt accessed 15 01 2014 Bak je eigen Hasseltse speculaas Visit Hasselt 21 11 2023 Hasseltse Speculaas Visit Hasselt 10 12 2020 Jessa Ziekenhuis en stad werken samen parkeerplan uit www nieuwsblad be in Flemish 13 July 2019 Retrieved 25 September 2022 De groeimotor van Cegeka op toerental 744 miljoen omzet na 30 jaar Het Nieuwsblad Mobile in Flemish 9 May 2022 Retrieved 25 September 2022 Corda Campus in Hasselt wil fors uitbreiden Bouwkroniek in Dutch 4 March 2022 C van Goeverden P Rietveld J Koelemeijer P Peeters Subsidies in public transport Archived 16 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine European Transport 32 2006 5 25 a b Hasselt cancels free public transport after 16 years Belgium eltis org PR Newswire 29 June 2007 Hasselt Celebrates 10 Years of Free Public Transport retrieved 21 February 2002 Stad HASSELT 10 jaar gratis openbaar vervoer Archived from the original on 20 October 2008 Retrieved 11 May 2008 Pagina niet gevonden Gva be Archived from the original on 20 July 2011 Retrieved 21 July 2011 Sneltramlijn 1 Hasselt Maastricht Waar staan we nu Mobiliteitsvisie 2020 de Lijn Archived from the original on 6 March 2014 Retrieved 22 February 2014 NWS VRT 23 April 2021 Sneltram Hasselt Maastricht zal tot aan station van Hasselt rijden verzekert Vlaams minister Lydia Peeters vrtnws be in Dutch Retrieved 8 September 2022 Belgium pulls the plug on cross border tram to the Netherlands to the dismay of the Dutch RailTech com June 2022 Retrieved 8 September 2022 Studie sneltram versus trambus zaait nog meer twijfels www hbvl be in Flemish 8 June 2022 Retrieved 8 September 2022 Facts and figures UHasselt accessed 15 01 2024 Eurotowns The future s city network in Europe 2019 Eurotowns External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hasselt Belgium nbsp Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Hasselt Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hasselt amp oldid 1199210004, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
