Beguinages are a typically Flemish phenomenon. Nearly every Flemish town of any importance had one or more beguinages. Twenty-six of them have survived.
Four hydraulic boat-lifts on a short stretch of the historic Canal du Centre are a showpiece of the Walloon industrial heritage.
Grand-Place illustrates the evolution and achievements of a highly successful mercantile city of northern Europe at the height of its prosperity, dating mainly from the late 17th century.
The 30 belfries in Flanders and Wallonia are imposing bell-towers of medieval origin, generally attached to the town hall and occasionally to a church. In addition to their outstanding artistic value, the belfries are potent symbols of the transition from feudalism to a mercantile urban society. The site was extended to inclued 23 belfries in the north of France plus the belfry of Gembloux in Belgium in 2005.
Brugge is an outstanding example of a medieval historic settlement.
Includes four major town houses: the Hotel Tassel, the Hotel Solvay, the Hotel van Eetvelde, and Maison & Atelier Horta.
The Neolithic flint mines at Spiennes, covering more than 100ha, are the largest and earliest concentration of ancient mines in Europe.
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Tournai bears witness to a considerable exchange of influence between the architecture of the Ile de France, the Rhineland, and Normandy during the short period at the beginning of the 12th century that preceded the flowering of Gothic architecture.
Lynn Salmon <>{ Last updated: April 16, 2007