Hasselt

Hasselt(Dutch pronunciation:[ˈɦɑsəlt],Limburgish pronunciation:[ˈɦɑsəlt],French pronunciation:[asɛlt]) is the capital and largestcityof theprovinceofLimburgin theFlemish RegionofBelgium.
As of 1 August 2023, Hasselt had a total population of 80,846.The old town of Hasselt is surrounded by a number of satellite hamlets includingKiewit, Runkst, Banneuxwijk,Godsheideand Rapertingen. Further away are severalsub-municipalitieswhich were once within independent municipalities, includingKermt,Kuringen,Sint-Lambrechts-Herk,Spalbeek,Stevoort,Stokrooie, andWimmertingen.
Geographically, Hasselt is located between theCampineregion, north of theDemerriver, and theHesbayeregion, to the south.  Both the Demer river and theAlbert Canalrun through the municipality.
In terms of economic regions, Hasselt is within the transnationalMeuse-Rhine Euroregion, connecting neighbouring regions inWallonia,the NetherlandsandGermany.
Hasselt was founded in approximately the 7th century on the Helbeek, a tributary of theDemerriver. During the Middle Ages it became one of the free cities of thecounty of Loon(which had borders approximately the same as the current province of Limburg). It was first named in a document in 1165. In 1232Arnold IV, Count of Loongave the city the same freedoms as those enjoyed in Liège. Hasselt became the biggest city in present-day Limburg thanks to its favourable setting, and the proximity of the count's castle atHerkenrodeinKuringen. In 1366 the county of Loon came under the direct rule of thePrince-Bishopric of Liègeand remained so until the annexation by France in 1794.
During theFirst French Empire, the city ofMaastrichtbecame the capital of theFrench Departmentof theLower Meuse. This comprised not only the area of the modern province of Limburg in Belgium, but also what is now theprovince of Limburgin the Netherlands. After the defeat ofNapoleonin 1815, all of what is now Belgium became part of theUnited Kingdom of the Netherlands. During this time, it wasKing William Iwho re-named the Lower Meuse department after the medievalDuchy of Limburg. This Duchy was in fact named afterLimbourgon theVesdreriver, 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 theDiocese of Liègeonly in 1967, and Hasselt became the seat of the newDiocese of Hasselt.
In 1977, Hasselt merged with several surrounding municipalities attaching the currentsub-municipalitiesofKermt,Kuringen,Sint-Lambrechts-Herk,StevoortandWimmertingen.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, many urban renewal projects have taken place in the city, including the construction of the Two Towers (TT) neighborhood. From 1 January 2025, the neighboring village ofKortessemwill merge into Hasselt, becoming a new sub-municipality.
The nameHasseltis derived from the Germanic wordHasaluthwhich refers to thecommon hazel.
The centre is mostly car-free and contains a number of historical buildings. Among the oldest buildings in the town centre are theSt. Quentin's Cathedral(11th to 18th centuries) and the Refuge ofHerkenrode Abbey, the city's oldest civic building (1542). TheGrote 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.Another major religious building besides the cathedral is theVirga Jesse Basilica.The churches must cede domination of the skyline of the city to the modern twin towers of theTT-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".
In 1977, the merger of Hasselt with several surrounding municipalities added 22.309 inhabitants at the time to its own population of 40.446 inhabitants. As of 1 October 2024, Hasselt had a total population of 81.708 (40.070 men and 41.638 women).
Hasselt is the main seat of the Catholic diocese of Hasselt, which covers the entire Belgian province of Limburg. The main church isSt. 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.
Hasselt brands itself as the "Capital of Taste", owing to its local distilleries ofJenever, the Hasselt Jenever Festival, Hasseltspeculaas, and chocolate production.
Hasselt is famous for its gin, locally known asJenever. 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 byAlbert VII, Archduke of AustriaandIsabella Clara Eugenia, both Archduke and Archduchess of theHabsburg Netherlands, because it belonged to thePrince-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.
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 Museumand Stokerij Wissels, which was later bought by the larger Stokerij Fryns, based inGhent, 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.
Every year during the third weekend of October, the two-day Hasselt Jenever Festival takes place. It includes, among other elements, musical, dance, andstreet theatreperformances, theBorrelmannekefountain on Maastricherstraat being transformed from a water fountain into a Jenever fountain for the day and aWaiters' Racethrough the city center.
Hasselt speculaas is a type ofspeculaasoriginating 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.
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 theSpéculation de Hasselt- the Hasselt speculaas -, which was soon exported toBrusselsand to Liège, among others. Until theSecond World War, Hasselt speculaas was only baked aroundSaint Nicholas Day, since then it has been sold throughout the entire year.
Since the early 2000s, Hasselt has been known within Flanders for its distinctive and sometimes outspoken branding as a city. In 2002, former mayor,Steve Stevaert, introduced the catchphrase "Hasselt Capital of Taste" (Dutch:Hasselt Hoofdstad van de Smaak),creating a well-known brand image across the Flemish region to promote its touristic attractions, stores and local industries.
After 15 years the city decided to rebrand to "Hasselt has it" (Dutch:Hasselt heeft het).However, the city's old branding remained in use by its citizens and beyond. Five years later, due to this brand recognition, the city decided to reverse to the original catchphrase in spoken communication, and use"Hasselt Smaakmaker Spraakmaker"in written communication and visuals.
In 2023, a dating platform had selected Hasselt as the Belgian city with the most eligible singles. The city developed a tourism campaign based on this claim, showing diverse couples throughout the city within promotional videos and posters, while also strategically highlighting the claims of the dating platform. The campaign saw the use of a new catchphrase "Hasselt tastes like more" (Dutch:Hasselt smaakt naar meer), building further on their earlier catchphrase "Hasselt Capital of Taste".
With 3,000 employees, theJessa Hospitalin Hasselt is the city's biggest employer with two health care campuses and one logistical campus.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.The city also provides an ecosystem for start-ups, scale-ups, and major companies through itsCorda 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 byPhilips. 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.
TheCompact CassetteandCassette Recorderwere invented by a team of Belgian and Dutch engineers, led by theLou Ottens, at Philips' Hasselt site in 1963.In 1983, a team of engineers developed one of the firstcompact disc(CD) devices at Philips Hasselt.
Hasselt lies at the junction of important traffic arteries from several directions. The most important motorways are theEuropean route E313(Antwerp-Liège) and theEuropean route E314(Brussels-Aachen). The old town of Hasselt is enclosed by 2ring roads. The outer ring road serves to keep traffic out of the city center and main residential areas. The inner ring road, theGreen Boulevard, serves to keep traffic out of the commercial center, which is almost entirely a pedestrian area. There are also important traffic arteries toTongeren,Sint-Truiden,Genk, andDiest.
The city lies within approximately an hour's drive from the airports ofBrussels,Liège,Antwerp,Charleroi,Eindhoven,Maastricht,Cologne/Bonn, andDüsseldorf. Within a three-hour radius, the major hubs ofParis,AmsterdamandFrankfurtcan be reached. Small private aircraft can land in Hasselt itself, on the airfield ofKiewit. Some of these airports have direct public transport links via either train or intercity bus lines, likeFlixbus.
Hasselt introduced azero-farepolicy for all public buses in 1997. By 2006, the usage of public transport had increased by 800–900% compared to pre-zero-fare numbers.In 2013, bus subsidies were reduced, resulting in the reintroduction of fares (60 cents per ride).
The city's official website recordspassenger growth as follows:
A Belgian website describes Hasselt identity cards as becoming "like gold in value", because of free bus travel.
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.
Hasselt railway station, run byNMBS, is located near the city centre, outside the innermost ring road.InterCitytrains link the city to major Belgian centres such asBrussels,Antwerp,Liège, andLeuven, as well as toBrussels Airport.
In February 2007, a plan was launched for the construction of an internationallight railconnection 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.The construction eventually was delayed several times due to problems with theWilhelminabrugin 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.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 electrictrambussystem.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.
Since end 2024, the reopening ofrail line 20between Hasselt and Maastricht is being reconsidered within Flanders, after the Dutch Government unveiled plans to demolish a vital railway bridge over theMeuseriver in Maastricht.
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 ofDiepenbeekand, 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 theTimes Higher Educationranking of the world's best universities under 50, Hasselt University is ranked 35th out of 605.
Hasselt is home toLimburg United, one of the Belgium's top professionalbasketballteams. The team plays its home games atSporthal Alverberg. The city's largestfootballclub isSporting Hasselt, which plays its home games atStedelijk Sportstadion Hasselt. The city'srugbyclub isRC Hasselt.