Borgerhout: Culture, Jazz and Historical Discoveries

Borgerhout combines protected architectural heritage, vibrant culture and special venues for music, theatre and discovery. Those planning a trip with varied interests will find several points of departure here: historic churches, a former cinema that is now an event venue, jazz stages, a tradition more than three hundred years old, and routes to explore on foot or by bicycle. This combination helps you choose the right holiday apartment as a base for your personal experiences.

History and Culture in Borgerhout

Notable buildings include the Sint-Jan Evangelist Church, which is a protected historic monument, and the Heilige Familiekerk, a historic protected monument as well. Both places give Borgerhout an architectural and historical dimension that can be combined well with other cultural stops. The Reuskens tradition has existed for more than three hundred years, making it one of the area's particularly longstanding cultural characteristics.

De Roma was originally a cinema and now serves as a multifunctional event venue. Its profile includes theatre, concerts, films and sociocultural activities. For your travel planning, this means you can focus your stay more strongly on performing arts, music or film without reducing Borgerhout to a single attraction.

Jazz, Music and Activities for Different Age Groups

Rataplan is a participatory arts centre with roots in the jazz tradition and a jointly curated, innovative jazz venue for a broad and young audience. Rataplan also offers arts education for children and young people. This may be of interest to travel groups in which younger and older participants are looking for different ways to engage with culture.

Trix also helps shape Borgerhout's musical character. It is a place to work and meet, an event centre, concert hall and event organiser. In addition, Trix acts as a source of inspiration and a platform for a wide range of musical initiatives. Musicians, DJs and music lovers can find opportunities there to express themselves creatively and develop further.

Walks, Parks and Themed Routes

Te Boelaerpark and the surrounding areas were incorporated into what was then Borgerhout in 1914. They are located in the southeastern part of the present-day district and provide another geographical reference point for travel planning. The Theatergarage is also located in the Boelaer neighbourhood, in Borgerhout extra muros. It is a cultural meeting place for people interested in theatre, music and art.

Those who prefer to explore Borgerhout through stories and marked themes can use the audio story “De Bode van Borgerhout”. It guides visitors through the rooms of Borgerhout's district hall with interesting facts and anecdotes, narrated by several speakers. There is also a tour about the colonial heritage that can be completed on foot or by bicycle. Five permanent information panels explain the people after whom the respective places were named. This creates various options for a cultural day without requiring all travellers to choose the same pace or focus.

Which Accommodation Suits Your Plans?

If you mainly want to experience performances, concerts and jazz, a holiday apartment in Borgerhout can serve as an independent base for a culture-focused stay. For a trip with children and young people, Rataplan's arts education deserves particular attention; those more interested in history can include the protected churches, the Reuskens tradition and the audio story in their plans. For active exploration, the colonial heritage tour is available, and it can be completed on foot or by bicycle. The key question is therefore less about a general recommendation and more about which of these different experiences should shape your trip.

For further searches, you can also consider Merksem, Wilrijk and Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo. The Culture Team can be reached by tram and bus via Turnhoutsebaan to the Drink stop, as well as via a bicycle station on the square. This adds practical travel directions to the cultural planning.

For the overview of the wider trip: Antwerp.