October in Belgium was unusually cold, with average daily temperatures 1.4°C below the seasonal norm, according to the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM). The IRM's weather station in Uccle recorded a daytime average of 9.7°C, compared with the usual 11.1°C in October. Overnight lows last month...

A new exhibition in Brussels presents 60 paintings celebrating the influence of American art collectors Peggy and Solomon Guggenheim. Spanning two continents, three decades and loads of different styles, these works bear witness to a revolution in European and American art. The show presents an...

Demonstrators gathered at Château de Noisy on Sunday in a last-ditch attempt to stop the demolition of the 19th-century Neo-Gothic castle in the Namur province of Wallonia. With cranes and bulldozers on standby to start work, around 70 people picketed the castle’s gate in a campaign ‘Make noise to...

The City of Leuven has announced plans to open a new welcome centre for expats. The International House will provide integration courses, in addition to all the necessary information on settling down, including financial obligations and educational options for children. The initiative is part of...

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, and so are the customers for the latest seasonal sensation from Delhaize: an advent calendar of beers, which, you’ll be surprised to learn, is a first for Belgium. The package is made up of 24 beers, to be consumed daily from 1 to 24 December. Each...

The British exit from the European Union could be a disaster for Flemish fishermen, who fear losing access to the British waters that provide them with 60% of their catch, industry representatives said. The UK will no longer be part of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which governs fisheries in...

The government of Flanders has approved a new, more challenging driving test, both theoretical and practical. The new rules, however, make it easier to renew a provisional licence that has expired. Under the new system, mistakes in the written test will be more strictly penalised, with serious...

Alison Woodward A Belgian resident since 1985 and in Europe since 1971, Alison hails from New York and Ohio. She has family in Florida and New Jersey "I am a senior associate fellow at the Institute of European Studies where I do political and sociological research on gender and diversity in the...

Belgian rail operator SNCB has approved a new plan to increase the number of trains and seats across its network from next year - accompanied by a 3% rise in fares in February. The new timetable, from December 2017, will see a 5% increase in capacity compared with the current plan, which has been...

Employers in Belgium could be required to contribute to a worker's long-term sick pay for up to seven months, in a new proposal that aims to make companies more invested in the health of their staff. Until now, the first month of sick pay is the employer's responsibility, and a health insurer picks...