Heritage days in Belgium: Events and activities for all ages

Every heritage lover living in Belgium looks forward to September – as it signals the feast of activities, including open-door events and guided tours.

The annual event is staged over the second and third weekends – in Wallonia and Flanders (weekend one) and Brussels (weekend two). Sites are open from 10.00 and 18.00.

In the capital on the final day, 20 September,  it is also Brussels’ Car-Free Day (9.30 – 19.00), meaning more entertainment, family-friendly fun and the chance to cycle down a car-free Rue de la Loi.

Moreover some architectural gems on show are not normally accessible to the public and everything – from guided cycle rides to sound and light shows are free.

Wallonia: Journées du Patrimoine – 12-13 September

Rejoice in Walloon heritage by visiting the region’s places to celebrate – as the theme of Wallonia’s 38th heritage weekend is ‘spectacles’.

Highlights this year include rarely open Liège Hotel de Ville, the medieval château de Balâtre at Jemappe-sur-Sambre and its artisanal market and Tournai’s 12th century corner tower, the Red Fort.

One tip is to take a guided tour of the recently renovated air-raid shelter at Liège’s one-time swimming pool the Cité de Miroir. And while in the Cité Ardente, you can also enjoy the Parcours des Artisans taking place the same weekend.

This year, as in previous years, there is also no theme – meaning any heritage site can reveal its marvels to the public.

With no printed brochure this year, you need to click online to discover the endless options. Happily some towns like Soignies - that boasts a pharmacy ‘that time forgot’, unchanged since 1895 - have produced special booklets listing their town’s weekend activities. 

Flanders: Open Monumentendag – 13 September

Flanders is pulling out its heritage stops too with ‘In Good Hands’. The region’s packed programme shines a light on people who keep heritage sites running – from architects and skilled workers to volunteers and owners.

“The theme is a tribute to the passion, love and commitment of the thousands of local organisers and volunteers for our heritage,” says Griet Langbeen, coordinator of European Heritage Days Flanders.

This year Kortrijk (pictured) will host this celebration of heritage conservation. The town’s captivating programme includes the chance to visit the Tack brewery, go down Deelfabriek bunker, climb a 1940s fire station tower and explore one of Flanders’ still standing open-air swimming pools.

In total, a record 890 locations are participating in this year’s Open Monumentendag, which boasts some 1,180 activities from guided walks to games. 

Brussels: Heritage Days – 19-20 September

This year’s focus is on “our landscape, our legacy” – part of co-ordinators Urban’s annual theme – ‘urban landscapes’.

Participants are invited to explore Brussels through its landscapes - built, natural, social, and every day - as well as via its icons and panoramic views. The aim is to examine how architecture, public spaces, infrastructure, residents and the ways in which these spaces are used shape our perception of the city and see how these landscapes evolve over time.

Again, as well as myriad guided walks and cycle rides, you get the chance to see buildings or institutions whose doors are normally shut, including Schaerbeek’s Art Nouveau Maison Devalck and soap factories, Molenbeek’s Brasseries Atlas, or a ‘vinaigrerie’ in Anderlecht.

Just a few other highlights include visiting a falcon museum, enjoying Terdelt cité-jardin’s centenary festivities or enjoying the view atop Brussels’ Brutalist 35-storey masterpiece - Jacques Cuisinier’s 1970s-built Brusilia.

Many activities need prior reservation (from 8 September) via Urban’s heritage day website and be warned – places fill up soon.