The Brussels Times Magazine

Current Issue: Winter 2022/2023

Magazine Articles

The Burgundians, the Low Country empire that time forgot

Seated on a small horse, John the Fearless led his troops and ordered them to annihilate the ‘insane’ and ‘vicious’ Liège rebels and to show them no quarter.

Sunday, 29 January 2023

Why Belgium’s winemakers are enjoying a vintage year

While Belgium is synonymous with beer, the country has recently been making waves with some award-winning wines.

Sunday, 22 January 2023

How Belgian bars and cafés are coping in the post-Covid era

The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on Belgium’s beer and hospitality industry.

Saturday, 21 January 2023

Five Belgian cities in search of cultural capital

The competition is already heating up, with the five laying out their charms as if for a beauty contest.

Wednesday, 18 January 2023

The Belgian prince who refused the crowns

Philippe spent most of his life lingering in the shadows of his older brother, who would later become King Leopold II.

Monday, 16 January 2023

Brussels Food and Drink

"I love how Brussels, as a cosmopolitan city, naturally absorbs other cultures and makes eventually them its own."

Saturday, 14 January 2023

The tracks down the years: A short history of the Brussels Metro

Rail has been part of the Brussels transportation scene since the mid-1800s but it was only in the 1970s that the city unveiled its metro.

Wednesday, 4 January 2023

Why the Mons train station is running late

Mons is only Belgium’s 16th biggest station in terms of traveller numbers. It did not need such a gargantuan project so different to the original plan.

Tuesday, 3 January 2023

How Brussels is building its next metro line

Line 3 will be a new route with 18 stations crossing the city from north to south over a length of 10.3 km.

Wednesday, 28 December 2022

Hair Force One

"While my research is limited and less than scientific, I think I can conclude that some people here in Brussels see some added value in promoting their goods and services in the English language."

Friday, 23 December 2022

Interview: Belgian Defence Minister pledges to rebuild country’s armed forces

After Russia invaded Ukraine, most European countries began reinforcing their militaries, including Belgium, which announced €1 billion in extra defence spending.

Thursday, 22 December 2022

How Belgium moved on from the bombings

The bombings made many Belgians face up to questions about the nature of their society. Six and a half years on, Belgium is certainly less innocent and probably less liberal.

Monday, 19 December 2022

The teenage top gun sweeping the skies

This year, Belgo-Brit Mack Rutherford became the youngest person to fly solo around the world.

Thursday, 15 December 2022

Tram 8, from Roodebeek to Louise

The trams of Brussels have diligently ferried people across the city for more than 150 years. Today, some 17 different tram routes are spread across some 215km of track.

Monday, 12 December 2022

Art and Events in Brussels

The Brussels Times selects some of the best exhibitions currently on show in museums and galleries.

Wednesday, 7 December 2022

How the bombs changed Brussels, and how the city is still coming to terms with them

The victims were a random group of people. Some locals. Others passing through. A retired Belgian ambassador waiting to board a flight to the United States. A university student on his way to classes. A Swedish illustrator who lived in Brussels.

Monday, 5 December 2022

Keep your wits about you

Hoegaarden’s commercial success prompted almost every brewery in Belgium to brew their own witbier, and as a result, there’s a whole host of great Belgian Witbiers to try. Here are five to get you started.

Friday, 2 December 2022

The fall and rise of green Brussels

Many would thrive in the final years of Leopold II’s reign as the proceeds of the Congo empire flooded in, and they were the ideal market for a reinvented mode of city living focused on the picturesque.

Wednesday, 23 November 2022

The art events at Ghent’s pioneering museum

Ghent founded its Fine Arts Museum even before Belgium became an independent country, providing a haven for some of the most important Flemish paintings. MSK Gent now celebrates its 225th anniversary.

Monday, 21 November 2022

Can the Red Devils go for gold? 'Yes!' Martinez tells us

“The team is stronger than four years ago.”

Sunday, 20 November 2022