Various events in Belgium

The summer holidays in Belgium fall in the months of July and August. The exact dates for the summer holidays in Wallonia may still change, but the general period is from July 1 to August 31. Where do the Belgians go? And do the Dutch also attend these major events? Everyone heads south to enjoy the 'goesting', say our southern neighbors. But what are the highlights for the Belgians?

Ghent Festival (July 18 to 27)

The Ghent Festivities are a festival that takes over the entire city center of Ghent, the Kuip, for ten days. The program includes both free and paid activities. In addition to outdoor activities, there are theater shows, guided walks, and visits to monuments and museums. Along with Oktoberfest in Munich and Las Fallas in Valencia, the Ghent Festivities are among the largest folk festivals in Europe. In 2021, the Ghent Festivities were recognized as intangible cultural heritage by the Flemish Minister of Culture.

The images: The Belfry, St. Nicholas Church, St. Bavo's Cathedral, City Hall, City Hall. Sheet: Panoramic view of Ghent by Antonius Sanderus and Hendrik Hondius from 1641. The Ghent Festivities are one of the highlights of the year. For 10 days (July 18 to 27), the city transforms into a vibrant festival with music, theatre, street acts, and above all, culinary delights. St. Bavo's Square and the Korenmarkt are transformed into open-air stages. Plenty to experience in this short time. See the program for details: https://gentsefeesten.stad.gent/nl https://visit.gent.be/nl/agenda/gentse-feesten  

Summer of Antwerp (July and August)

The Summer of Antwerp is a city and cultural festival in Antwerp that takes place annually in July and August. The festivities include concerts, circuses, theatre, film screenings, and summer bars, with partly free and partly paid admission. The financing of the event is largely in the hands of the City of Antwerp. In 1993, the Flemish city of Antwerp was the European Capital of Culture. The Zomer van Antwerpen (Summer of Antwerp) emerged from that year's summer program in 1995. Since then, the artistic direction of the event has been in the hands of Patrick de Groote, who is also responsible for the Sfinks summer festival in Boechout. The arts and culture organization Antwerpen Open developed from the Zomer van Antwerpen in 1997. One of its tasks became the annual organization of the Zomer van Antwerpen. In 1998, the Zomer van Antwerpen was one of their most important realized projects. At the end of 2011, Antwerpen Open and the Zomer van Antwerpen were separated, and since then the festival has operated as an autonomous non-profit association.

The images: hand of Brabo statue, Our Lady Cathedral, City Hall, houses: De Witte Engel, De Mouwe & Spaengien, houses: Huis De Spiegel, De Zwarte Arend, De Pauw/In den Vos. Summer of Antwerp is a multidisciplinary festival that transforms the Antwerp districts into a festival site all summer long. On average, a Summer attracts more than 300.000 visitors, although this can rise to more than a million if, for example, The Giants to come by. We focus on a surprising and varied program featuring music, circus, theater, dance, and film in unexpected locations. As a result, our festival is a broad reflection of the city and its inhabitants. The festival collaborates intensively with cultural and non-cultural partners and encourages co-creation. Special attention is paid to young makers and the global majority, with the aim of structurally involving emerging talent and diverse voices in the arts field. Through the use of unusual locations and an accessible offering, the festival aims to reach a broad audience, including young people, seniors, and people with disabilities, with extra attention to their participation. The festival relies on the commitment of hundreds of volunteers and local partners and places a strong emphasis on sustainability and inclusivity. Zomer van Antwerpen works closely with the City of Antwerp and is also supported by the Flemish Government. See: https://www.zva.be/nl/ https://visit.antwerpen.be/  

Belgian Coast and Beaufort Sculpture Park

The Belgian Coast, as part of the Flemish Coast or Coastal Region, is the region where Belgium (and more specifically West Flanders, as one of the Flemish provinces in the Flemish part of Belgium) borders the North Sea. It is 65 kilometers long and comprises a sandy beach up to 500 meters wide, with a dune belt up to 2,5 kilometers wide behind it.

In the northeast, the Zwin forms the border with the Dutch part of the Flemish coast. Here, it therefore transitions into the coast of Zeelandic Flanders. In the southwest, the Flemish coastline transitions into the French Opal Coast, which is also known as the French “Côte Flamande” (Flemish coast) in French Flanders, in Dunkirk, France, and to the east of it. Behind the coastal strip, further inland, lie the Polders. These polders and the coast together form Maritime Flanders in both Belgium and French and Zeelandic Flanders.

De Coastal tram is a tram line along the Belgian coast. The line starts in Knokke, near the border with the Netherlands, and ends in Adinkerke, near the border with France. With a length of 67 kilometers, it was the longest tram line in the world in 2012. The track gauge is 1000 millimeters (meter gauge), and the line is configured for one-way trams. The tram has been operated by the Flemish Transport Company De Lijn since 1991.

In the summer, six trams per hour in each direction run along the entire route. During the shoulder season and the Christmas holidays, the tram runs every 15 minutes, and during the rest of the winter, every 20 minutes. Before 08:00 and after 20:00, approximately two trams run per hour, but in the winter, only one tram runs per hour at those times. During peak hours, extra trams may run between Ostend and Westend. The tram takes approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes to cover the full distance, depending on traffic and any detours at Zeebrugge. The journey via the major bypass bridges is approximately one kilometer longer. Since the 2021-2022 season, the Coastal Tram has been operated by Urbos 100 low-floor trams manufactured by CAF in Spain. These replaced the older BN-ACEC coastal tram vehicles (Series 6000). The new tram type was named 'Zeelijner' (sealiner). The new trams look very similar to the Amsterdam series 3001-3072, but those are slightly shorter. See: https://www.dekust.be/ https://www.triennalebeaufort.be/nl https://www.delijn.be/nl/content/kusttram/