Regional Culture
Dutch is a national language not only of the Netherlands, but also of Flanders in Belgium where a variety of Dutch called Flemish is spoken. Together they have provided Europe with some great cultural assets. Read the following; then try the game below; does the item belong to the Netherlands or Flanders?
Flanders
Great cathedrals
Antwerp cathedral is, a Gothic cathedral built between 1352 and 1530, with the highest church tower in the Benelux. When you walk in here, it feels like walking in an ancient forest with all the pillars and the way the light filters through the stained glass windows.
Art Nouveau buildings
Brussels is the capital of Art Nouveau, a style, characterised by the use of flowing lines, often in the shape of flowers and plants. Victor Horta was the main architect of Art Nouveau. Other w ell known Art Nouveau architects in Belgium are Paul Saintenoy and Henry Van de Velde.
Flemish beer
Belgium has about a thousand different beers on offer, each will always be served in its own specific glass, at the right temperature and with the correct ‘head’. Beer lovers will tell you it tastes differently and not as good if served otherwise!
Belgian Chocolate
Belgian chocolates are renowned the world over. Belgium has always maintained high standards for its chocolates, guaranteeing a 100% cocoa butter content combined in wonderful concoctions of plain, white and milk chocolate with praline, cream and liqueur fillings.
Great Masters
Pieter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) is a famous Baroque painter, a style characterised by movement, colour and sensuality. Many would associate Rubens with his voluptuous female figures, but he is also well known for his landscapes, portraits and religious and mythological paintings, all of which breathe energy and life. See www.peterpaulrubens.org/
Surreal Modern Art
Marcel Broodthaers (1924-1976) is a famous Belgian surrealist conceptual artist. He portrays Belgium’s most popular dish, mussels and chips, in a painting called “Casserole and Closed Mussels” which can be seen in the Tate Modern in London. Mussels and seafood are very popular at the seaside and in Brussels. Other well known surrealists from Belgium are René Magritte (1898-1967) and Paul Delvaux (1897-1994). Food and drink are an art form in itself in Belgium. Some people would say the food has French quality but comes in German proportions!
More
For more on Flanders and its culture, have a look at www.visitflanders.co.uk/go/discover.
