Hasselt combines a historic town centre with a ring of canals, a medieval street layout and a rich architectural history. When planning your visit, you can choose between a guided tour of the town centre and longer walking or cycling routes. Museums, churches and traces of historic crafts also give the town a distinctive cultural character.
Old Town, Canals and Hanseatic History
Hasselt’s historic town centre and its fortifications were designated a protected townscape in 1982. The historically valuable ring of canals includes the Brouwersgracht, Prinsengracht, Baangracht and Heerengracht. The medieval street layout is also still clearly visible. More than 70 nationally protected monuments stand in the historic town centre, so its history is reflected not in just one building but throughout the townscape.
The Vispoort dates from the 14th century and is the only surviving one of Hasselt’s original six city gates. Another landmark is the Oude Stadhuis, built in 1550. It houses the Historisch Centrum Hasselt, with historical objects, an old weapons collection, 17th-century paintings and changing exhibitions. Hasselt was also part of the Hanseatic League; this connection adds a history of trade to the town’s architectural heritage.
Churches and Traces of Historic Crafts
The Grote of Stephanuskerk has an organ built by Rudolf Knol in 1807. A more recent architectural period is represented by Hasselt’s Roman Catholic church: built in 1933 as a cruciform church, it was designed by the architect G. Th. Ruberg. The outdoor chapel belonging to the Heilige Stephanus complex is the Heilige Stede. Historical accounts record the Heilige Stede’s connection with a pilgrimage on the second Sunday after Pentecost.
The town’s industrial history can also be seen in specific buildings. The production of lime from shells continued for five centuries, starting in the Middle Ages. 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, images, tools and archival material. Another craft tradition is represented by Korenmolen De Zwaluw: this octagonal smock windmill with a brick base was built in 1867 and preserved as a monument. Visitors can learn how grain was milled in the past.
Walks and Longer Routes
For a guided historical introduction, a town walk with a guide takes about an hour and a half and starts at the Oude Stadhuis in the town centre. The Bilderpad offers a different scale: this walking route is more than 32 kilometres long, runs around Hasselt and heads towards Zwartsluis. The Rondje Zwarte Water cycling route is 47.6 kilometres long and can be started in Hasselt. Route details may be updated, so check the latest route information before setting out.
Among the area’s distinctive landscape and heritage features is the Stenendijk. About one kilometre long, it is nationally protected and Hasselt’s last surviving brick sea dike; it is considered the last surviving brick sea defence in the Netherlands. Van Stolkspark offers a green contrast to the buildings of the old town: it is an arboretum-style heritage park with a wide variety of trees and shrubs, laid out in the English landscape style in the 19th century.
Visitor Information and Event Planning
The Hasselt Tourist Information Point (TIP) is located in the Oude Stadhuis on the Markt. During opening hours, it offers walking and cycling routes in and around Hasselt, as well as other tourist information. The free Ons-Erfgoed app brings Hasselt’s heritage to life interactively using images, audio, augmented reality and 3D representations.
If you would like to plan your trip around an event, consider Hassailt: the festival takes place every five years in the historic town centre, along the quays and canals of the Hanseatic town. Dates vary with each edition, so check the dates for the specific edition if Hassailt is important to your travel plans.
Discover more destinations: Zwartsluis, Genemuiden.
Return to the main travel overview: Zwartewaterland.
