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HASSELT :
The center |
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GENERAL Hasselt (Home) History of Hasselt Info on Belgium SIGHTSEEING The center Museums Bokrijk Japanese Garden
EXTERNAL LINKS
The web site of the Virga Jesse Celebrations |
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 A
nice place to start a visit of the center of Hasselt is the Grote Markt
(Market Square) with its many teraces and cafés that certainly invite for a
refreshing stop. Hasselt has a lot of old houses with a rich past. One of the most remarkable is the house "T' Sweert" (the sword), one of the oldest timbered houses in the Low Countries. Originally built in 1462, it was renovated in 1659. It used to be an Inn for postal carriages and it now houses a pharmacy. In the adjacent streets (Hoogstraat, Kapelstraat, Maastrichterstraat) several old houses with old façades from the 16th till the 18th century can be seen. In the Maastrichterstraat at nr. 85, the former Hotel Stellingwerff (19th century) and the Waerdenhof (17th century) were renovated. The complex now houses the Museum Stellingwerff-Waerdenhof, dedicated to the history of Hasselt and the County of Loon. On the Leopold Square a statue has been
erected commemorating the "Boerenkrijg", or Peasant's revolt. During that
battle, a lot of farmers were killed by the occupying French troops.
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© All texts and pictures Copyright
Trabel.com and
Arakea.com. |
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The
main church of Hasselt is the Saint Quintinus Cathedral. It was here
that the first settlements in the Hasselt area took place. The chuch, and
especially the tower, reflect the different building stages. The lower part
of the tower is a reminder of the Romanesque church that stood during the
12th century. As from 1250 this first church was transformed into a Gothic
prayer house. The steeple of the tower dates from 1725, the original one
having been destroyed by lightning. The tower reaches a height of 63 meters.
Its carillion, consisting of 47 bells, is one of the best in the country.
