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A discussion of Belgian culture requires discussing both those aspects of cultural life shared by 'all' or most of the Belgians
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
, regardless of what language they speak, and also, the differences between the main cultural communities, the Flemish people
Flemish people

The terms the Flemish people , and the Flemings or the Flemish denote the more than six million people of Flanders, the northern half of the country Belgium — and, as well, the majority of all Belgium; the terms Fleming and Flemings denote respectively a person and the people of that community....
 from Flanders
Flanders

Flanders is a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied....
 and Brussels and the French-speakers from Brussels
Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....
 and Wallonia
Wallonia

Wallonia is the Francophone southern part of Belgium. This region makes up about 31% of the Belgian population.Since 1970, Wallonia has approximately coincided with the territory of the Walloon Region, which is a federated component of the Belgian state and provides a government and a parliament to both Wallonia and the smaller German-s...
.

Most Belgians tend to view their culture as an integral part of European culture
Culture of Europe

The culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures. Whether it is a question of West as opposed to East; Christianity as opposed to Islam; many have claimed to identify cultural fault lines across the continent....
 or Western culture
Western culture

File:Clash of Civilizations map.pngWestern culture are terms which are used to refer to cultures of European origin. This terminology originated as a way of describing what was different about the Graeco-Roman culture and its descendants, in contrast to the older neighboring civilizations of the Middle East, which in many ways continued...
; nevertheless, both main communities tend to make their thousands of individual and collective cultural choices mainly from within their own community, and then, when going beyond, the Flemish
Flemish people

The terms the Flemish people , and the Flemings or the Flemish denote the more than six million people of Flanders, the northern half of the country Belgium — and, as well, the majority of all Belgium; the terms Fleming and Flemings denote respectively a person and the people of that community....
 draw intensively from both the English-speaking culture (which dominates sciences, professional life and most news media) and the Netherlands, whereas French-speakers focus on cultural life in Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
 and elsewhere in the French-speaking world (la Francophonie), and less outside.






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A discussion of Belgian culture requires discussing both those aspects of cultural life shared by 'all' or most of the Belgians
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
, regardless of what language they speak, and also, the differences between the main cultural communities, the Flemish people
Flemish people

The terms the Flemish people , and the Flemings or the Flemish denote the more than six million people of Flanders, the northern half of the country Belgium — and, as well, the majority of all Belgium; the terms Fleming and Flemings denote respectively a person and the people of that community....
 from Flanders
Flanders

Flanders is a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied....
 and Brussels and the French-speakers from Brussels
Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....
 and Wallonia
Wallonia

Wallonia is the Francophone southern part of Belgium. This region makes up about 31% of the Belgian population.Since 1970, Wallonia has approximately coincided with the territory of the Walloon Region, which is a federated component of the Belgian state and provides a government and a parliament to both Wallonia and the smaller German-s...
.

Most Belgians tend to view their culture as an integral part of European culture
Culture of Europe

The culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures. Whether it is a question of West as opposed to East; Christianity as opposed to Islam; many have claimed to identify cultural fault lines across the continent....
 or Western culture
Western culture

File:Clash of Civilizations map.pngWestern culture are terms which are used to refer to cultures of European origin. This terminology originated as a way of describing what was different about the Graeco-Roman culture and its descendants, in contrast to the older neighboring civilizations of the Middle East, which in many ways continued...
; nevertheless, both main communities tend to make their thousands of individual and collective cultural choices mainly from within their own community, and then, when going beyond, the Flemish
Flemish people

The terms the Flemish people , and the Flemings or the Flemish denote the more than six million people of Flanders, the northern half of the country Belgium — and, as well, the majority of all Belgium; the terms Fleming and Flemings denote respectively a person and the people of that community....
 draw intensively from both the English-speaking culture (which dominates sciences, professional life and most news media) and the Netherlands, whereas French-speakers focus on cultural life in Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
 and elsewhere in the French-speaking world (la Francophonie), and less outside. A truly scientific discussion would also include discussion of the different cultures of Belgian ethnic minorities such as the Jews who have formed a remarkable component of Flemish culture - in particular that of Antwerp
Antwerp

||-||-||-||}Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Antwerp in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions....
 for over five hundred years.

Art


Museums


Some of the most impressive museums in Belgium are The Royal Museum for Fine Arts, in Antwerp, which has an admirable collection of works by Peter Paul Rubens
Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens was a prolific seventeenth-century Flemish Baroque painter, and a proponent of an exuberant Baroque style that emphasized movement, color, and sensuality....
, the Groeninge museum in Bruges
Bruges

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, with the Flemish Primitives, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium , is one of the most famous museums in Belgium.It is situated in the capital Brussels in the downtown area on the Coudenberg....
 in Brussels, which has a cinema, a concert hall, and artworks of many periods, including a large René Magritte
René Magritte

Ren? Fran?ois Ghislain Magritte was a List of Belgians surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images....
 collection.

Furthermore, the Plantin-Moretus Museum
Plantin-Moretus Museum

The Plantin-Moretus Museum is a museum in Antwerp, Belgium honouring the famous printers Christoffel Plantijn and Jan Moretus. It is located in their former residence and printing establishment, Plantin Press, at the Friday Markt, Antwerp....
 in Antwerp, a world heritage site, is the complete factory of the largest publishing house of the seventeenth century.

Literature


Belgian literature
Belgian literature

Because Belgium is a bilingual country, Belgian literature is divided into the two main languages spoken in the country - French language and Dutch language - and discussed under the languages of these countries : France and Netherlands....
 as such does not exist. Flemish share their authors with the Dutch (see Dutch literature
Dutch literature

Similar to other literary traditions Dutch literature is not restricted to the Netherlands alone. Dutch language authors do not necessarily have to be from the Netherlands, as Dutch literature is or was also produced in other Dutch-speaking regions, such as Belgium, Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles, French Flanders, South Africa and the for...
, Flemish literature
Flemish literature

Flemish literature is literature from Flanders, the northern part of Belgium. The older Flemings writers were contributors to Dutch literature in the broad sense of nationality; after the separation of Belgium, however, from the Netherlands, when Belgium became independent in 1830, there was a great revival of Flemish literature that distingu...
), and French-speakers with the French (see French literature
French literature

French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak other traditional languages of France....
), which tend to confuse people on Belgian authors', several great French authors went to Belgium for refuge (e.g. Apollinaire, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine
Verlaine

Verlaine is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Liege . On January 1, 2006 Verlaine had a total population of 3,507....
) and conversely, top French-speaking writers often settle in Paris (e.g. Simenon
Georges Simenon

Georges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgium writer who wrote in French language. He is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Jules Maigret....
, Amélie Nothomb
Amélie Nothomb

Am?lie Nothomb is a Belgium writer who writes in French language....
). It is also sometimes difficult to cast Belgian authors into the French or Flemish category because some Flemish authors have written in French (e.g. Suzanne Lilar
Suzanne Lilar

Suzanne, Baroness Lilar was a Flemish people Belgian essayist, novelist, and playwright writing in French language. She was the wife of the Belgian Minister of Justice Albert Lilar and mother of the writer Fran?oise Mallet-Joris and the art historian Marie Fredericq-Lilar....
) and spent a large part of their lifes outside of Flanders or of Belgium (e.g. Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren

Emile Verhaeren was a Belgium poet who wrote in the French language, and one of the chief founders of the school of Symbolism .He was born in a Flemish, but French-speaking, middle-class family in Sint-Amands....
 or Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Maeterlinck

Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard, Count Maeterlinck was a Belgian playwright, poet and essayist who wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 in literature....
). The confusion is also enhanced by the fact that many French-speaking individuals are coming from originally Dutch-speaking families (particularly in Brussels, e.g. Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel

Jacques Romain Georges Brel was a Belgium singer-songwriter. The quality and style of his lyrics are highly regarded by many leading critics of popular music....
). There have also been writers in the Walloon language
Walloon language

Walloon is a Romance language spoken as a second language by some in Wallonia, Belgium. It belongs to the langue d'o?l language family, whose most prominent member is the French language, but should not be considered a French dialect: a French speaking person can only understand Walloon with difficulty, especially in its eastern forms....
, such as Nicolas Defrecheux and Edouard Remouchamps.

Belgium has produced several well-known authors such as poets: Guido Gezelle
Guido Gezelle

Guido Pieter Theodorus Josephus Gezelle was an influential Dutch language writer and poet and a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium.He was born in Bruges in the province of West Flanders, where he also spent most of his life....
 (1830-1899), Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren

Emile Verhaeren was a Belgium poet who wrote in the French language, and one of the chief founders of the school of Symbolism .He was born in a Flemish, but French-speaking, middle-class family in Sint-Amands....
 (1855-1916), Max Elskamp (1862-1931), Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Maeterlinck

Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard, Count Maeterlinck was a Belgian playwright, poet and essayist who wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 in literature....
 (1862-1949), Paul van Ostaijen
Paul van Ostaijen

File:Paul van Ostaijen.jpgPaul van Ostaijen was a Flanders poet and writer.His nickname was Mister 1830, because of his habit of walking along the streets of Antwerp clothed as a dandy from that year....
 (1896-1926), Henri Michaux
Henri Michaux

Henri Michaux was a highly idiosyncratic Belgium poet, writer and Painting who wrote in the French language. Michaux is best known for his esoteric books written in a highly accessible style, and his body of work includes poetry, Travel literature, and art criticism....
 (French born and educated in Belgium, 1899-1984) and Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel

Jacques Romain Georges Brel was a Belgium singer-songwriter. The quality and style of his lyrics are highly regarded by many leading critics of popular music....
 (1929–1978) and writers: Hendrik Conscience
Hendrik Conscience

Henri "Hendrik" Conscience was a Flemings writer. He was a pioneer in writing in Dutch after the secession from the Netherlands in 1830 left Belgium a mostly French speaking country....
 (1812-1883), Charles de Coster
Charles De Coster

Charles-Theodore-Henri De Coster was a Belgium novelist whose efforts laid the basis for a native Belgian literature.He was born at Munich; his father, Augustin De Coster, was a native of Li?ge , who was attached to the household of the papal nuncio at Munich, but soon returned to Belgium....
 (1827-1879), Willem Elsschot
Willem Elsschot

Willem Elsschot , was a Flanders writer and poet . A few of his works have been translated into English....
 (1882-1960), Michel de Ghelderode
Michel De Ghelderode

Michel de Ghelderode was an avant-garde Demographics of Belgium dramatist, writing in French language. He was born on Palm Sunday April 3rd, 1898, as Adh?mar-Adolphe-Louis Martens in Ixelles and married in 1924 to Jeanne-Fran?oise G?rard....
 (1898-1962), Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon

Georges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgium writer who wrote in French language. He is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Jules Maigret....
 1903-1989, Louis Paul Boon
Louis Paul Boon

Louis Paul Boon was a Flanders journalist and novelist who is considered one of the major 20th century writers in the Dutch language. He forsook the literary Dutch of the Netherlands for regional Flemish words and expressions with which he colored his writing....
 (1912-1979), Hugo Claus
Hugo Claus

Hugo Maurice Julien Claus was a leading Belgian literature author, writing primarily in Dutch . Prominent as a novelist, poet, playwright, Painting and film director, he was a frequent contender for the Nobel Prize in literature while he was alive....
 ( 1929 -2008 ), Pierre Mertens
Pierre Mertens

Pierre Mertens is a Belgium French-speaking writer and lawyer who specializes in international law, director of the Centre de sociologie de la litt?rature at the Universit? Libre de Bruxelles, and literary critic with the newspaper Le Soir....
 (born in 1939) Ernest Claes
Ernest Claes

Andreas Ernestus Josephus Claes was a Flemish author.Some of his works are written under the pseudonym G. van Hasselt...
 (1885 - 1968), and, Amélie Nothomb
Amélie Nothomb

Am?lie Nothomb is a Belgium writer who writes in French language....
 (born in 1967).

Comics


Belgium has numerous well-known cartoonist
Cartoonist

A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. Traditionally much of this work was, and still is, humorous, and is intended primarily for entertainment purposes....
s, such as Hergé
Hergé

Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Herg?, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. "Herg?" is the French pronunciation of "RG", his initials reversed....
 (The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin

The Adventures of Tintin is a series of comic strips created by Belgium artist Herg?, the pen name of Georges Remi . The series first appeared in French in a children's supplement to the Belgian newspaper on 10 January 1929....
), Peyo
Peyo

Pierre Culliford , known as Peyo, was a Belgium comics artist, perhaps best known for the creation of The Smurfs comic strip....
 (The Smurfs
The Smurfs

The Smurfs are a fictional group of small sky blue creatures who live in Smurf Village somewhere in the woods. The Belgium cartoonist Peyo introduced Smurfs to the world in a series of comic strips, making their first appearance in the Belgian Franco-Belgian comics magazines Spirou on October 23, 1958....
), Franquin
André Franquin

Andr? Franquin was an influential Belgium comics artist, whose best known comic strip creations are Gaston Lagaffe and Marsupilami, created while he worked on the Spirou et Fantasio comic strip from 1947 to 1969, during a period seen by many as the series' golden age....
 (Spirou et Fantasio
Spirou et Fantasio

Spirou et Fantasio is one of the most popular classic Franco-Belgian comic strips. The series, which has been running since 1938, shares many characteristics with other European comics humorous adventure comics like The Adventures of Tintin and Asterix....
, Marsupilami
Marsupilami

Marsupilami is a fictional comic book animal created by Andr? Franquin, first published on January 31, 1952 in the Franco-Belgian comics magazines Spirou . Since then it appeared regularly in the popular Franco-Belgian comics series Spirou et Fantasio until Franquin stopped working on the series in 1968 and the cha...
, Gaston
Gaston Lagaffe

Gaston is a comic strip created in 1957 by the Belgium cartoonist Andr? Franquin in the comic strip magazine, Spirou . The series focuses on the every-day life of Gaston Lagaffe, a lazy and accident-prone office junior....
), Willy Vandersteen
Willy Vandersteen

Willy Vandersteen was a Flemings creator of comic books. In a career spanning 50 years, he created a large studio and published more than 1,000 comic books in over 25 series, selling more than 200 million copies worldwide....
 (Spike and Suzy
Spike and Suzy

Spike and Suzy, the United Kingdom title for Suske en Wiske in Dutch language, is a comics series created by the Belgium comic book creator Willy Vandersteen....
), Morris
Morris (comics)

Maurice De Bevere , better known as Morris, was a Belgium cartoonist and the creator of Lucky Luke. His pen name is an alternate spelling of his first name....
 (Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke

This article is about the comic book and TV series. For the mobster, see Lucky Luciano.Lucky Luke is a Franco-Belgian comics series created by Morris , the original artist, and saw its best period written by Ren? Goscinny....
), Edgar P. Jacobs
Edgar Pierre Jacobs

Edgard F?lix Pierre Jacobs, , better known under his pen name Edgar P. Jacobs, was a Belgium comic book creator , born in Brussels, Belgium....
 (Blake and Mortimer
Blake and Mortimer

Blake and Mortimer is a Belgian comics series created by the Belgium comic book creator and comics artist Edgar P. Jacobs. It first appeared serialised in the Belgian Franco-Belgian comics magazines Tintin from 1946, and was subsequently published in book form by Le Lombard....
), Jef Nys
Jef Nys

Jozef "Jef" Nys is a Belgian comic book creator. He is mostly known for his comic strip Jommeke....
 (Jommeke
Jommeke

Jommeke is the name of a Franco-Belgian comics series and of its main character. It deals with the adventures of Jommeke, a boy of about 11 years old and his friends....
) and Marc Sleen
Marc Sleen

Marcel Honoree Nestor, Ridder Neels , known with his pseudonym Marc Sleen, is a Flemish/Belgian comics artist and cartoonist. He is mostly known for his comic The Adventures of Nero....
 (Nero).

More recently, Jean Van Hamme
Jean Van Hamme

Jean Van Hamme is a Belgium novelist and scenario writer of comic books. He has written scenarios for a number of Franco-Belgian comics comic series, including Story without hero, Thorgal, XIII and Largo Winch....
 (XIII, Largo Winch
Largo Winch

Largo Winch is a Belgium comic book series by Philippe Francq and Jean Van Hamme, published by Dupuis.The principal character is Largo Winch whose birth name is Largo Winczlav....
, Thorgal
Thorgal

Thorgal is a Franco-Belgian comics series by the Belgium writer Jean Van Hamme and the Poland graphic artist Grzegorz Rosinski. It has first appeared in serial form in Tintin , and was later published in hardcover volumes by Le Lombard from 1980 on....
, etc.), Raoul Cauvin
Raoul Cauvin

Raoul Cauvin is a Belgium comics author....
 (Les Tuniques Bleues
Les Tuniques Bleues

Les Tuniques Bleues is a Belgium series of Franco-Belgian comics , first featured in Spirou and later published by Dupuis. Created by Louis Salverius, the series was taken up by artist Lambil and writer Raoul Cauvin....
, Agent 212
Agent 212

Agent 212 is the name of a humorous Franco-Belgian comics about a fat police officer. The scripts are written by Raoul Cauvin, and Daniel Kox illustrates....
), François Schuiten
François Schuiten

Fran?ois Schuiten is a Franco-Belgian comics comic book artist. He is best known for drawing the series Les Cit?s Obscures.Biography...
 and Benoît Peeters
Benoît Peeters

Beno?t Peeters is a comics writer, novelist, and critic. He has lived in Belgium, since 1978.His best-known work is Les Cit?s Obscures, an imaginary world which mingles a Jorge Luis Borges metaphysical surrealism with the detailed architectural vistas of the series' artist, Fran?ois Schuiten....
 (Les Cités Obscures
Les Cités Obscures

Les Cit?s Obscures is a graphic novel series set on a Counter-Earth, started by the Belgium comics artist Fran?ois Schuiten and his friend, writer Beno?t Peeters in the early 1980s....
) are among the most read cartoonists.

Belgium is home to some of the most important European comics magazines and publishers, with Dupuis
Dupuis

Dupuis is a Belgium publisher of comic books and magazines.Based in Marcinelle near Charleroi, Dupuis was founded in the early 1930s by Jean Dupuis, and is mostly famous for its comic books and magazines....
 (Spirou magazine
Spirou (magazine)

Spirou magazine is a Franco-Belgian comics magazines . First published April 21, 1938 as Le Journal de Spirou, it was an eight page weekly comics magazine composed a mixture of short stories and gags, Serial comics, and a handful of American comic book....
), Le Lombard
Le Lombard

Le Lombard or Lombard Editions is a Belgium comic book publisher established in 1946 when the Tintin was launched. In 2004 the company was acquired by the Groupe Dargaud....
 (Tintin magazine
Tintin (magazine)

'Le journal de Tintin' , 'Kuifje' , was a weekly Franco-Belgian comics magazines of the second half of the 20th century. Subtitled "The Journal for the Youth from 7 to 77", it has been one of the major sources of creation in the Franco-Belgian comics scene and published some famous series such as Blake and Mortimer, Alix...
) and Casterman
Casterman

Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Tournai, Belgium....
.

Music


Many important classical composers were born in Belgium. The most famous is undoubtedly César Franck
César Franck

C?sar Franck , a Belgian composer, organist and music teacher who lived in France, was one of the great figures in Romantic music in the second half of the 19th century....
 but Henri Vieuxtemps
Henri Vieuxtemps

Henri Fran?ois Joseph Vieuxtemps was a Belgium composer and violin...
, Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe

File:Eug?neYsa?e.jpgEug?ne Ysa?e was a Belgium violinist, composer and conducting. His brother was pianist and composer Th?o Ysa?e . He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein mentioned, "tzar"....
, Guillaume Lekeu
Guillaume Lekeu

Guillaume Lekeu was a Belgian composer of european classical music....
 and Wim Mertens
Wim Mertens

Wim Mertens is a Flanders Belgium composer, countertenor vocalist, pianist, guitarist, and musicologist....
 are also noteworthy. Many great Medieval and Renaissance composers, such as Gilles Binchois
Gilles Binchois

Gilles Binchois, also known as Gilles de Binche or Gilles de Bins , was a Franco-Flemish School composer, one of the earliest members of the Burgundian School, and one of the three most famous composers of the early 15th century....
, Orlande de Lassus
Orlande de Lassus

Orlande de Lassus was a France-Flanders composer of late Renaissance music. Along with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina , he is today considered to be the chief representative of the mature polyphony style of the Franco-Flemish School, and he was the most famous and influential musician in Europe at the end of the 16th century....
, Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay

Guillaume Dufay was a Franco-Flemish school composer of the early Renaissance music. As the central figure in the Burgundian School, he was the most famous and influential composer in Europe in the mid-15th century....
, Heinrich Isaac
Heinrich Isaac

Heinrich Isaac was a Franco-Flemish School composer of the Renaissance music, of south Netherlandish origin. He is regarded as one of the most significant contemporaries of Josquin des Prez, and had an especially large influence on the subsequent development of music in Germany....
 and Jacob Obrecht
Jacob Obrecht

Jacob Obrecht was a Franco-Flemish School composer of the Renaissance music. He was the most famous composer of mass es in Europe in the late 15th century, being eclipsed by only Josquin Desprez after his death....
 came from the area which is now Belgium (see the Franco-Flemish School
Franco-Flemish School

In music, the Franco-Flemish School refers, somewhat imprecisely, to the style of polyphony vocal music composition in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, and to the composers who wrote it....
).

Well-known singers include pioneer Bobbejaan Schoepen
Bobbejaan Schoepen

Bobbejaan Schoepen is a Flemish people pioneer in Belgian pop music, vaudeville and in European country music. Bobbejaan can be characterized as a "total performer" and entrepreneur: he is singer-songwriter, guitarist, comedian, a former actor and professional whistler, as well as the founder and former director of the amusement park, Bobbej...
, Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel

Jacques Romain Georges Brel was a Belgium singer-songwriter. The quality and style of his lyrics are highly regarded by many leading critics of popular music....
, Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday

Johnny Hallyday is a France singer and actor. An icon in the French language-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he is considered by some to be the French superior of Elvis Presley....
 (before he became French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
), Arno
Arno Hintjens

Arno Hintjens is a Belgium artist from Ostend. He was the frontman of the group TC Matic, after the split in 1986 he went solo.Hintjens sings partly in Dutch, English, French and Ostend dialect and his musical style can be defined as "European rock"....
, and Maurane
Maurane

Maurane, real name Claudine Luypaerts, is a Belgian singer. She lives currently in Schaarbeek, the municipality where Jacques Brel was born....
.

Adolphe Sax
Adolphe Sax

Antoine-Joseph "Adolphe" Sax was a Belgium musical instrument designer and musician , best known for inventing the saxophone....
, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Belgium. The country has also a very active jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 scene that is achieving international recognition with bands like Aka Moon
Aka Moon

Aka Moon is a Belgium avant-garde jazz band. Saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol, bassist Michel Hatzigeorgiou, and drummer St?phane Galland are the founding members of the core trio....
, Maak's Spirit
Maak's Spirit

M??k?s Spirit is a Belgium avant-garde jazz band . They recorded their fifth album live in Ghent in 1998. The band was then composed of Jeroen Van Herzeele , Laurent Blondiau , Salvatore La Rocca and Hans Van Oosterhout ....
 and Octurn
Octurn

Octurn is a Belgium polyrhythmic jazz musical ensemble led by Bo Van Der Werf . Its lineup as well as the composers are changed for every album....
. Harmonicist Toots Thielemans
Toots Thielemans

Jean-Baptiste Fr?d?ric Isidor, Baron Thielemans , known as Toots Thielemans, is a Belgium jazz musician well known for his guitar and harmonica playing as well as his highly accomplished Puccalo....
 and guitarist Philip Catherine
Philip Catherine

Philip Catherine is a Belgium jazz guitarist....
 are probably the best known Belgian jazz musicians.

Hooverphonic
Hooverphonic

Hooverphonic is a Belgium rock /pop music group, formed in 1995. Though early on categorized as a trip hop group, they quickly expanded their sound to the point where they could no longer be described as a lone genre....
, formed in the mid-1990s, is a Belgian pop
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 / trip hop
Trip hop

Trip hop is a music genre also known as the Bristol sound. The trip hop description was applied to the musical trend in the mid-1990s of downtempo electronic music that grew out of England's hip hop music and house music scenes....
 band that achieved international recognition through their inclusion on the soundtrack Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci

Bernardo Bertolucci is an Academy Award-winning Italy film director and screenwriter....
's 1996 film Io Ballo da Sola (English: Stealing Beauty
Stealing Beauty

Stealing Beauty is a 1996 in film Italy/France/United Kingdom drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and written by Bertolucci and Susan Minot....
). Other popular Belgian pop music comes from Axelle Red
Axelle Red

Axelle Red is a Belgian singer-songwriter....
, Vaya Con Dios
Vaya Con Dios

may refer to:* Vaya con Dios , a song written by Larry Russell, Inez James, and Buddy Pepper in 1953.* Vaya Con Dios , a Belgian band.** Vaya Con Dios , debut album of the band...
, Kate Ryan
Kate Ryan

Kate Ryan is a Belgium World Music Award winner. She began her singing career in 2001 and represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Je t'adore" coming in 12th place in the semi-final....
 and K's Choice
K's Choice

K's Choice is a Belgium rock band from Antwerp, formed in the mid-1990s and touring as recently as 2006. The band's core members are siblings Sarah Bettens and Gert Bettens ....
.

Belgium has also influenced electronic music with a.o. Front 242
Front 242

Front 242 is a pioneering Belgium electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. During their most active period they influenced many elektro-industrial and electronic artists....
, Praga Khan
Praga Khan

Praga Khan is an early techno music musician. His Belgian New Beat style stems back to the 1980s when techno came out of the Belgian underground....
 (also known as Lords of Acid
Lords of Acid

Lords of Acid is a Belgium acid house band from the 1990s that started as a spinoff of Praga Khan with the controversial New Beat single "I Sit on Acid" in 1988....
) and 2 Many DJ's, and rock music with dEUS and Soulwax
Soulwax

'Soulwax', headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/Electro music band from Ghent, Belgium. The two are perhaps best known for their influential contributions to the bastard pop genre under the names 'Flying Dewaele Brothers' and '2 many DJs' and the landmark record As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt....
.

Belgian hip-hop
Hip hop music

Hip hop music is a music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rapping which is accompanied with backing beats. Hip hop music is part of hip hop culture, which began in the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latino Americans....
 started with the rise of Starflam
Starflam

Starflam is a Belgian hip hop group from Li?ge in the French-speaking southern part of Belgium - Wallonia. The group started out in the early 1990s under the name H-Posse with members DJ Mig One, Fred'alabas, Seg and Balo....
, CNN (a Brussels-based crew) and 't Hof van Commerce
't Hof van Commerce

't Hof van Commerce is a Belgian_hip_hop crew from Izegem in the province West Flanders in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. Their name means 'chamber of commerce' in their local dialect....
 in the mid 1990s.

Architecture


There are still many old monuments visible in Belgium, like the romanesque
Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which evolved into the Gothic architecture style beginning in the 12th century....
 Collégiale Saint-Gertrude de Nivelles
Nivelles

Nivelles is a Wallonia city and Municipalities in Belgium located in the Belgium Provinces of Belgium of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the old communes of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux....
 (1046) and Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Tournai
Tournai Cathedral

Our Lady of Flanders' Cathedral of Tournai is one of the most important architectural monuments in Belgium. It has been classified both as a Wallonia's major heritage and as a World Heritage Site....
, gothic
Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late Middle Ages. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
 Antwerp
Antwerp

||-||-||-||}Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Antwerp in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions....
 cathedral
Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop. It is a Religion building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Anglicanism, Orthodox Christian and some Lutheranism churches, which serves as a bishop's seat, and thus as the central church of a dioc...
 (15th century) and baroque
Baroque

In the the arts, the Baroque was a Western cultural Epoch , starting roughly at the beginning of the 17th century in Rome, Italy. It was exemplified by drama and grandeur in Baroque sculpture, Baroque painting, literature, Baroque dance, and Baroque music....
 Brussels
Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....
 Grand' Place
Grand Place

The Grote Markt or Grand Place is the central market square of Brussels. It is surrounded by guild houses, Brussels Town Hall, and the Bread House ....
. Famous Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau is an international Art movement and style of art, architecture and applied art?especially the decorative arts?that peaked in popularity at Fin de si?cle of the 20th century ....
 architects Victor Horta
Victor Horta

Victor, Baron Horta was a Belgium architect and designer. John Julius Norwich described him as "undoubtedly the key European Art Nouveau architect." Indeed, Horta is one of the most important names in Art Nouveau architecture; the construction of his H?tel Tassel in Brussels in 1892-3 means that he is sometimes credited as the first to intr...
 and Henry Van de Velde
Henry van de Velde

Henry Van de Velde was a Belgium painter, architect and interior designer. Together with Victor Horta he can be considered one of the main founders and representatives of Art Nouveau in Belgium....
 have influenced the early 20th century architecture in Belgium and abroad.

Cinematography

Belgium cinema has already been rewarded several times at Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival , founded in 1946, is one of the world's oldest, most influential and prestigious film festivals alongside Venice Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival....
 (Benoît Poelvoorde
Benoît Poelvoorde

Beno?t Poelvoorde is a Belgian actor.His first film was the 1987 short student film Pas de C4 pour Daniel Daniel . It was a stylized trailer for a mock-spy film....
, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, etc.) and in other less-known festivals. Belgian movies are generally made with small budget, and are mostly funded by the regional governments (the Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, and Wallimage, among others) and private corporations by means of sponsorship and product placement
Product placement

Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, the story line of television shows, or news programs....
.

Gastronomy


Good cooking and fine beers are seen by many as part of Belgian culture. One of the many beers with the high prestige is that of the Trappist
Trappists

The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, are a contemplative Roman Catholic religious order , that follows the Rule of St....
 monk
Monk

A Monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, the unconditioning of mind and body in favor of the realization of one's true nature, and does so living either alone or with any number of like-minded people, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose....
s. Technically, it is an ale
Ale

Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a top-fermenting yeast brewers' yeast. This yeast Fermentation the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste....
 and traditionally each abbey's beer is served in its own glass (the forms, heights and widths are different). There are only seven breweries (six of them are Belgian) that are allowed to brew Trappist beer
Trappist beer

A Trappist beer is a beer brewed by or under control of Trappists monks. Of the world's 171 Trappist monasteries , seven produce beer . Only these seven breweries are authorized to label their beers with the Authentic Trappist Product logo that indicates a compliance to various rules edicted by the International Trappist Association ....
.

Although Belgian gastronomy is connected to French cuisine, some recipe
Recipe

A recipe is a set of instructions that show how to prepare or make something, especially a culinary dish .Modern culinary recipes normally consist of several components:...
s were reputedly invented there as e.g. french fried potatoes (regardless that name), Vlaamse stoofkarbonnaden aka carbonnades flamandes (a beef stew with beer, mustard and laurel
Laurel

Laurel may refer to:...
), speculaas
Speculaas

File:Spekulatius four pieces of.jpgFile:Speculaaskruiden.jpegSpeculaas is a type of shortcrust pastry biscuit , traditionally baked for consumption on St Nicholas in Belgium and the Netherlands ....
 (a sort of cookie), Belgian waffles, waterzooi
Waterzooi

Waterzooi is a classic stew of Northern Belgian cuisine. Its name is Dutch, meaning "watery mess". It is sometimes called Gentse Waterzooi or waterzooi gantois , which refers to Ghent, a city in Belgium....
 (a broth made with chicken or fish, cream and vegetables), endive
Endive

Endive , Cichorium endivia is a leaf vegetable belonging to the Asteraceae. Endive can be cooked or used raw in salads.Endive is also a common name for some types of chicory ....
 with bechamel sauce, Brussels sprout
Brussels sprout

The Brussels sprout of the Brassicaceae family, is a cultivar of Brassica oleracea cultivated for its small leafy green buds, which resemble miniature cabbages....
s, Belgian praline
Praline

Praline is a family of confections made from nut s and sugar syrup....
s (Belgium has some of the most renowned chocolate
Chocolate

Chocolate comprises a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree.Chocolate has become one of the most popular flavors in the world....
 houses), and Paling In 't Groen (river eel
Eel

True eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 19 Family s, 110 genera and approximately 600 species. Most eels are predators....
s in a sauce of green herbs).

Belgian cookies are noted for their aroma and unique texture.

Folklore


Festivals play a major role in Belgium's cultural life. Nearly every city and town has its own festival, some that date back several centuries. And these aren't just tricks for tourism, but real, authentic celebrations that take months to prepare. Two of the biggest festivals are the three-day carnival
Carnival

Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during January and February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus , masque and public street party....
 at Binche
Binche

Binche is a Wallonia municipality located in the Belgium province of Hainaut . On January 1 2006 Binche had a total population of 32,409. The total area is 60.66 km? which gives a population density of 534 inhabitants per km?....
, near Mons
Mons

Mons is a Walloon Region city and Municipalities in Belgium located in the Belgium Provinces of Belgium of Hainaut , of which it is the capital....
, held just before Lent
Lent

Lent, in Christianity, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. Conventionally it is described as being forty days long, though different Christian denominations calculate the forty days differently....
 (the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter), and the Procession of the Holy Blood, held in Bruges
Bruges

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
 in May. During the carnival in Binche, "Gilles" lead the procession, which are men dressed in high, plumed hats and bright costumes. Several of these festivals include sporting competitions, such as cycling
Cycling

Cycling is the use of bicycles, or - less commonly - unicycles, tricycles, Quadracycle s and other similar wheeled human powered vehicles as a means of transport, a form of recreation or a sport....
, and many of these festivals fall under the category of kermesse
Kermesse

Kermesse or kermis, is a Dutch language term derived from 'kerk' and 'mis' that became borrowed in English language and French language, originally denoting the mass said on the anniversary of the foundation of a church and in honour of the patron saint....
.

An important holiday (which is however not an official public holiday) takes place each year on December 6. This is Sinterklaasdag in Dutch or la Saint-Nicolas in French (English: Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker....
). This is sort of an early Christmas. On December 5 evening before going to bed, kids put their shoes by the hearth with some water or wine and a carrot for Saint Nicholas's horse or donkey
Donkey

The 'donkey' or 'ass', Equus africanus asinus, is a Domestication member of the Equidae or horse family, and an Odd-toed ungulates. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the Wild Ass, E....
. Supposedly St. Nicholas then comes at night and travels down the chimney. He then takes the food and water or wine, puts down presents, goes back up, feeds his horse or donkey, and continues his course. He also knows whether kids have been good or bad. This holiday is especially loved by children in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dutch immigrants imported the tradition into the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, where Saint Nicholas is now known as Santa Claus
Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus....
.

See also


  • Dutch literature
    Dutch literature

    Similar to other literary traditions Dutch literature is not restricted to the Netherlands alone. Dutch language authors do not necessarily have to be from the Netherlands, as Dutch literature is or was also produced in other Dutch-speaking regions, such as Belgium, Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles, French Flanders, South Africa and the for...
  • List of Belgians
    List of Belgians

    This is a list of notable Belgian people who either:*are or were Belgian nationality laws during at least one period of their life,...
  • Europalia
    Europalia

    Europalia is a cultural organization, established in Brussels, Belgium in 1969. Europalia wants to highlight the culture of member States of the European Community, by organizing festivals of art and culture at the heart of Europe....
  • Architecture of Belgium


External links