In Europe, there are certain regions in particular that exude an even stronger personality than others. Regions that proudly display their localisms and are more attached to their roots and reluctant to absorb foreign ones. Flanders is undoubtedly one of them.
The region of Flanders has no less than seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Nowhere else in the world are there so many cities of art so close to each other. It is the perfect destination for culture lovers and is easily visited in 3 to 4 days.
This year marks the 450th anniversary of the death of the painter Pieter Bruegel (1520-1569) known for his idiosyncratic landscapes and allegories, rooted in folklore and biblical or classical tradition.
The Flemish Masters star in the agenda of Flanders and Brussels between the months of February 2019 and January 2020, where a calendar will be developed in various cities that will include exhibitions and cultural appointments to know the roots of this great artist, we leave you some ideas:
‘The Fall of the Rebel Angels’ by Pieter Brueghel ‘The Elder’. ©KMSKB, photo: J. Geleyns / Ro scan
1 FEBRUARY to 26 MAY 2019: BRUSSELS
Bozar (Ravensteinstraat 23, 1000 Brussels): In the 16th century Bruegel used engraving which was the only method to print and make his work known. In this exhibition we will know how was the production process of an engraving in the 16th century.
7 APRIL to 28 JULY 2019: GAASBEEK.
Gaasbeek Castle (Kasteelstraat 40, 1750 Gaasbeek): The exhibition investigates how modern artists handled the artistic legacy of the Bruegels in the interwar and post-war period. In this castle whose view of the landscape was shaped by the Romantic period and whose collection contains many objects from Bruegel’s time, it is set in a 50-hectare park, with a museum garden offering an overview of the vegetables, fruits and pruning techniques of yesteryear.
El Castillo de Gaasbeek (S.XIII). Copyright Ekkow Photography
From APRIL 7 to OCTOBER 31, 2019: DILBEEK
Dilbeek: The “Bruegel’s Eye” is a Walk with Art with spatial and artistic interventions of what Bruegel would have seen when he painted his imposing pastoral landscapes. The 7 km walk begins and ends at two buildings painted by the artist: the church of Sint-Anna-Pede, which appears in Bruegel’s “The Parable of the Blind” and the water mill of Sint-Gertrudis-Pede, which is depicted in “The Magpie on the Scaffold.”
For further information please contact kathleen.leys@dilbeek.be
From APRIL 6 to OCTOBER 20, 2019: WINNER
Bokrijk (Bokrijklaan 1, 3600 Ghent): The Bokrijk open-air museum opened in 1958, and the curator at the time was greatly inspired by Bruegel.
The exhibition offers us a sensory and contemporary experience of the mid-16th century and guides us through the open-air museum. New technologies enhance the experience: augmented reality embarks us on a journey in search of objects from the painting “El combate entre don Carnal y doña Cuaresma.” The end result makes us stop and think about ourselves and society in a humorous way, just as Bruegel did. During the summer, from July 11 through September 1, 2019, the LAIKA theater company will perform a special performance about Bruegel twice a day.
JUNE 1 to 21: BRUSSELS
Halle Gate (Zuidlaan 150, 1000 Brussels): is a virtual reality exhibition that through 3D glasses the paintings will come to life and allow us to discover what life was like in the sixteenth century. An itinerary that includes works of art and archeology. Thought for history lovers where they will travel back in time on the turbulent period of the sixteenth century Bruegel through 4 themes: “power and rebellion”, “Travels and curiosities”, “Celebrations and entertainments”. The views from the walkway at the Halle Gate are magnificent! And through the telescopes we will be able to see a virtual image of the 16th century Brussels that Bruegel knew and was inspired by. Like the fortifications that abruptly separated the city from the countryside. The combination of original works, virtual reality and sensory experiences makes this exhibition very attractive.
OCTOBER 15 to JANUARY 15, 2020: BRUSSELS
Royal Library of Belgium (Kunstberg, 1000 Brussels): houses a complete collection of Bruegel’s work “on paper”. These unique and incredibly fragile documents will be on display in a very special exhibition during the Bruegel year.
OCTOBER 5 to JANUARY 19, 2020: AMBERES
Snijders&Rockox House (Keizerstraat 12, 2000 Antwerp): Pieter‘s father, Jan Bruegel the Elder wasan innovative and creative thinker who modernized Dutch landscape art andone of the most prominent and successful Flemish artists of the 1600s period. Pieter, built on his father’s work to lay the foundation for new art forms: landscapes and genre scenes.
The exhibition consists of six parts exploring Jan Brueghel’s main artistic interests. Memories of his time in Italy, views of rivers and villages, roads and travelers, forests, the sea and coastal scenes will appear in almost chronological sequences.
As for the Flemish masters, Bruges has the Groeninge Museum, Memling and Historium. They will allow you to get up close and personal with the work of Van Eyck or Van der Weyden. Some will also be part of the Brueghel Year..
The newly restored altarpiece of ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ by the Flemish Master Jan Van Eyck. Located in its original site, the Cathedral of St. Bavo in Ghent. Copyright www.lukasweb.be
GASTRONOMIC AGENDA IN 2019
This region of Flanders offers numerous gastronomic events in which beer, chocolate and typical dishes of the region, are the protagonists.
The Unesco declared the Belgian beer culture as Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Did you know thatBelgium brews more than 1,600 types of beer and has more than 220 active breweries?
If you like this drink, you will have to taste a typical Belgian specialty and for this nothing better than to do it from the hand of their true connoisseurs, the master brewers of the Halve Maan.
Halve Maan, the craft brewery in Bruges is an attraction for the lover of this popular beverage.
This factory opened in 1856, but completely modernized in 2005, is a craft brewery where you can experience firsthand, the complete process of the production of the most widespread drink in the country, and of course you will taste the two favorites of the house: the Brugse Zot and the Straffe Hendrik.
The biannual Tour de Geuze, (Gemeenveldstraat 11652 Alsemberg during May 4 and 5, 2019), during this event, lambic breweries and gueuze-blending breweries will open their doors to the public. There are free guided tours and, of course, the opportunity to taste beers such as lambic, gueuze, kriek and other beers, the Innovation Beer Festival (April 13 and 14), Kookeet food festival in Bruges, Gent Smaakt (May 20 to June 2, 2019) or Chocolate Salon are some examples.
From taverns to food trucks
With its 97 Michelin-starred restaurants, Flanders has one of the world’s highest concentrations of first-class restaurants. And the best thing of all? That fine dining is not only tasted in these great restaurants, but also in traditional taverns and foodtrucks. Flemish people have a passion for good food in their DNA. Check out the Bistronomie Guide for the best no-frills, unpretentious restaurants in Belgium.
In addition the Hof Van Cleve (Kruishoutem) restaurant of chef Peter Goossens who this year maintains the 3 Michelin stars.
Restaurant of the Hof Van Cleve located in the municipality of Kruishoutem
“In Flanders, we enjoy life and love to eat, which you can experience wherever you choose to do so”Chef Peter Goossens – Hof van Cleve
Another new addition to the city is the recently opened Chocolate Museum called Chocolate Nation, where visitors are expected to enjoy a multi-sensory experience through the history of the delicate Belgian delicacy with a journey into the world of Belgian chocolate through 14 themed areas that show from the Amazonian origin of cocoa to modern methods of production.
In conjunction with renowned master chocolatiers and other producers, the Nation Chocolate Museum has 3,500 square meters dedicated to this sweet pleasure.
Chocolate Nation, the sweetest attraction in Antwerp.
This delicacy has been marketed in this land since 1635. The Flanders region, in particular, is often called the chocolate capital, especially since two of the world’s largest chocolate factories are located here: Callebaut and Puratos. The brilliant master chocolatier Jean Neuhaus, a Brussels-based Swiss, created the first filled chocolate bonbon and called it “praline”.
The traveler who is planning his next trip. Who is in search of a small region but with a sober rooted personality, his destination is undoubtedly Flanders.
