Holiday apartment in Hasselt: Hanseatic heritage, canals and history

Hasselt combines medieval urban history with canals, churches, museums, and paths through the surrounding area. The historic town centre and its defensive structures were designated as a protected townscape in 1982. More than 70 state-protected monuments characterise this area. These include a historically significant ring of canals comprising the Brouwersgracht, Prinsengracht, Baangracht, and Heerengracht. The medieval street pattern is also still clearly recognisable. Hasselt was also part of the Hanseatic League.

Historical discoveries in Hasselt

One of the notable structures is the Vispoort, a 14th-century town gate and the only surviving one of Hasselt’s original six town gates. The Oude Stadhuis dates from 1550 and houses the Historisch Centrum Hasselt, with historical objects, an old weapons collection, 17th-century paintings, and temporary exhibitions. The Grote of Stephanuskerk has an organ built by Rudolf Knol in 1807. The Grote Kerk is used for concerts, audio recordings, and television broadcasts.

Religious history is also present in Hasselt: the open-air chapel of the Heilige Stephanus complex forms the Heilige Stede. It is associated with the tradition of a pilgrimage on the second Sunday after Pentecost. The Roman Catholic church in Hasselt was built in 1933 as a cruciform church to a design by the architect G. Th. Ruberg. A stay in the town therefore allows you to combine different eras and religious buildings.

Crafts, monuments and green paths

At De Kalkovens, lime was produced from shells for five centuries from the Middle Ages onwards. The two oldest round kilns date from around 1850 and were built from hand-moulded bricks. The museum next to De Kalkovens contains historical information, visual material, tools, and archive material. At Korenmolen De Zwaluw, an octagonal windmill of the bovenkruier type with a brick base, built in 1867 and preserved as a monument, visitors can learn how grain was milled in the past.

For quieter routes, Van Stolkspark, an arboretum and woodland park, offers a wide variety of trees and shrubs. It was laid out in the English landscape style in the 19th century. The Stenendijk is a one-kilometre-long state-protected monument, Hasselt’s last surviving brick-built sea dyke, and is considered the last surviving brick-built sea defence in the Netherlands.

Walking and cycling around Hasselt

The Bilderpad is a walking route of more than 32 kilometres around Hasselt in the direction of Zwartsluis. The 47.6-kilometre Rondje Zwarte Water cycling route can be started in Hasselt. A historical town walk with a guide takes approximately one and a half hours and starts at the Oude Stadhuis in the town centre. During opening hours, the Toeristisch Informatiepunt Hasselt in the Oude Stadhuis on the Markt provides walking and cycling routes in Hasselt and the surrounding area, as well as further tourist information.

Every five years, Hassailt takes place in Hasselt’s historic town centre, at the quays and canals of the Hanseatic town. Hasselt’s cultural heritage can be experienced interactively with the free Ons-Erfgoed app, using images, audio, augmented reality, and 3D representations.

A holiday apartment in Hasselt to suit your plans

When choosing your holiday apartment in Hasselt, your preferred holiday activities may be decisive. Those interested in the old town, churches, canals, and museums will find many points of interest in the town’s history. For active days, the Bilderpad, the Rondje Zwarte Water cycling route, and the guided town walk are key attractions. You can therefore choose accommodation in Hasselt according to your preferred mix of culture, short discoveries, and longer routes, without having to limit yourself to just one type of holiday.

You can discover more destinations here: Genemuiden.

To the overarching travel overview: Zwartewaterland.