Geographically, Hasselt is located between theCampine region, north of theDemer river, and theHesbaye region, to the south. Both the Demer river and theAlbert Canal run through the municipality.
Hasselt was founded in approximately the 7th century on the Helbeek, a tributary of theDemer river. During the Middle Ages it became one of the free cities of thecounty of Loon (which had borders approximately the same as the current province of Limburg). It was first named in a document in 1165. In 1232Arnold IV, Count of Loon gave the city the same freedoms as those enjoyed in Liège. Hasselt became the biggest city in present-day Limburg thanks to its favourable setting, and the proximity of the count's castle atHerkenrode inKuringen. In 1366 the county of Loon came under the direct rule of thePrince-Bishopric of Liège and remained so until the annexation by France in 1794.[citation needed]
During theFirst French Empire, the city ofMaastricht became the capital of theFrench Department of theLower Meuse. This comprised not only the area of the modern province of Limburg in Belgium, but also what is now theprovince of Limburg in the Netherlands. After the defeat ofNapoleon in 1815, all of what is now Belgium became part of theUnited Kingdom of the Netherlands. During this time, it wasKing William I who re-named the Lower Meuse department after the medievalDuchy of Limburg. This Duchy was in fact named afterLimbourg on theVesdre river, now in the Liège province of Belgium, which had never encompassed Hasselt or Maastricht. Belgium split from the Netherlands in 1830, but the status of Limburg was only resolved nine years later in 1839, with the division of Limburg into Belgian and Dutch parts. Hasselt became the provisional capital of the Belgian province of Limburg. In ecclesiastical terms, Belgian Limburg became an independent entity from theDiocese of Liège only in 1967, and Hasselt became the seat of the newDiocese of Hasselt.[citation needed]
Since the beginning of the 21st century, many urban renewal projects have taken place in the city, including the construction of the Two Towers (TT) neighborhood. From 1 January 2025, the neighboring village ofKortessem will merge into Hasselt, becoming a new sub-municipality.[2]
The centre is mostly car-free and contains a number of historical buildings. Among the oldest buildings in the town centre are theSt. Quentin's Cathedral (11th to 18th centuries) and the Refuge ofHerkenrode Abbey, the city's oldest civic building (1542). TheGrote Markt (Grand Market) and the nearby streets are lined with restaurants brasseries, cafes and taverns.[citation needed]
The Demerstraat and the Koning Albertstraat are the most important shopping streets, while the Kapelstraat and Hoogstraat house upscale shops and brands.[4][5][6] Another major religious building besides the cathedral is theVirga Jesse Basilica.[7] The churches must cede domination of the skyline of the city to the modern twin towers of theTT-wijk (TT Quarter), however. In 2003, the renovation of this complex, now including a shopping mall and a hotel, gave the centre a new boost. In 2004, Hasselt was the first city to receive the title "most sociable city in Flanders".[8]
In 1977, the merger of Hasselt with several surrounding municipalities added 22.309 inhabitants at the time to its own population of 40.446 inhabitants. As of 1 October 2024, Hasselt had a total population of 81.708 (40.070 men and 41.638 women).[9]
Dutch in Hasselt is often spoken with a distinctive Limburgishaccent and vocabulary, which should not be confused with the Limburgish language.
Limburgish (orLimburgian) is the overlapping term for thetonal dialects spoken in the Belgian and Dutch provinces of Limburg. TheHasselt dialect is only one of many variants of Limburgish.[10] Limburgish is a language, and not the same as the regional variation ofDutch spoken inDutch Limburg andBelgian Limburg.St. Quentin's Cathedral Since Limburgish is still the mother tongue of many inhabitants, Limburgish grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation can however have a significant impact on the way locals speak Dutch in public life.[11]
French was historically spoken by some of the city population within living memory.
Hasselt is the main seat of the Catholic diocese of Hasselt, which covers the entire Belgian province of Limburg. The main church isSt. Quentin's Cathedral. Hasselt also consists of about 30 parishes. Next to the Catholic Church, Hasselt houses both a Moroccan and Turkish mosque as both communities are well-established in the city and the surrounding municipalities.
The Virga Jesse festival, featuring a Procession of the historic wooden statue of infant Jesus with Mary, is celebrated every seven years, it will be in August 2024.[13]
The yearly Jenever Festival celebrates the history of Jenever in Hasselt.
Hasselt celebratesCarnival, but at a slightly different date than most places.[14]
The suburb Kiewit is the location of the yearlyPukkelpop (Pimple Pop) festival, one of Europe's largest alternative music festivals with over a hundred concerts.Rimpelrock (Wrinkle Rock), a festival with music for an older audience, is held at the same location one week prior.
As in most Belgian cities, there is an annualKermesse on a date associated with the local church's patron saint - in this caseSaint Lambert -, which takes place in September.[15]
Hasselt brands itself as the "Capital of Taste", owing to its local distilleries ofJenever, the Hasselt Jenever Festival, Hasseltspeculaas, and chocolate production.[16][17][18]
United Hasselt Distillers distills the famous brandsFryns andSmeets of Hasselt jenevers or gins
Hasselt is famous for its gin, locally known asJenever. Even though the spirit is produced across the entire country of Belgium, Hasselt Jenever became famous when the city escaped the 1601 ban on the sale and production of the beverage imposed byAlbert VII, Archduke of Austria andIsabella Clara Eugenia, both Archduke and Archduchess of theHabsburg Netherlands, because it belonged to thePrince-Bishopric of Liège. Dutch troops stationed in the city from 1675 to 1681 ensured that Hasselt Jenever, more than any other Belgian jenever, carried aromas of herbs and berries.
The former Smeets gin distillery built in 1947, still standing at Raamstraat 17.
At the end of the 19th century, dire living conditions among the working population and cheap Jenever prepared from sugar beet molasses led to the annual consumption of 9.5 litres of Jenever (50% vol) per inhabitant of Belgium. Jenever production was the most important industry in Limburg in the 19th century with most distilleries being located in Hasselt. However, increase in excise duty, competition from cheap industrial alcohol, the confiscation of copper stills by the Germans during World War I, and the Vandervelde law against alcohol abuse caused most distilleries in Hasselt to disappear or to be taken over by larger competitors.
By the early 21st century, Hasselt only housed two distilleries (known as 'stokerij' in Dutch): the National Jenever Museum[12] and Stokerij Wissels, which was later bought by the larger Stokerij Fryns, based inGhent, which resumed Jenever production on the former Wissels grounds under the Fryns name. Today, three Jenever distilleries operate in Hasselt: the National Jenever Museum, Stokerij Fryns, and Stokerij Vanderlinden, founded in 2017.[19][20]
Het Borrelmanneke, symbolising the Hasselt gin culture and history
Every year during the third weekend of October, the two-day Hasselt Jenever Festival takes place. It includes, among other elements, musical, dance, andstreet theatre performances, theBorrelmanneke fountain on Maastricherstraat being transformed from a water fountain into a Jenever fountain for the day and aWaiters' Race through the city center.[21]
Hasselt speculaas is a type ofspeculaas originating from and only produced in Hasselt. It differs from the type of speculaas eaten in the rest of Belgium in its greater thickness, its smaller reliance on spices - which gives it a milder taste -, and in its structure, with a crispy crust and soft, doughy insides.[22]
Speculaas was baked in Hasselt as early as the 14th century. According to tradition, Hasselt speculaas was eaten with chilled Jenever. The early 19th century saw the introduction of theSpéculation de Hasselt - the Hasselt speculaas -, which was soon exported toBrussels and to Liège, among others. Until theSecond World War, Hasselt speculaas was only baked aroundSaint Nicholas Day, since then it has been sold throughout the entire year.[23]
Since the early 2000s, Hasselt has been known within Flanders for its distinctive and sometimes outspoken branding as a city. In 2002, former mayor,Steve Stevaert, introduced the catchphrase "Hasselt Capital of Taste" (Dutch:Hasselt Hoofdstad van de Smaak),[24] creating a well-known brand image across the Flemish region to promote its touristic attractions, stores and local industries.
After 15 years the city decided to rebrand to "Hasselt has it" (Dutch:Hasselt heeft het).[25] However, the city's old branding remained in use by its citizens and beyond. Five years later, due to this brand recognition, the city decided to reverse to the original catchphrase in spoken communication, and use"Hasselt Smaakmaker Spraakmaker" in written communication and visuals.[26]
In 2023, a dating platform had selected Hasselt as the Belgian city with the most eligible singles. The city developed a tourism campaign based on this claim, showing diverse couples throughout the city within promotional videos and posters, while also strategically highlighting the claims of the dating platform. The campaign saw the use of a new catchphrase "Hasselt tastes like more" (Dutch:Hasselt smaakt naar meer), building further on their earlier catchphrase "Hasselt Capital of Taste".[27][28][29]
Main entrance to the city centre campus of the Jessa Hospital in 2022.
With 3,000 employees, theJessa Hospital in Hasselt is the city's biggest employer with two health care campuses and one logistical campus.[30]Cegeka Group, a European provider of IT solutions, services, and consultancy is also one of the city's largest employers, generating a turnover of €744 million.[31] The city also provides an ecosystem for start-ups, scale-ups, and major companies through itsCorda Campus, surrounded by government organizations and research institutions. Currently, 5,000 people work in 250 companies over a land area of 9 acres, formerly being occupied byPhilips. By 2030, an investment of €150 million at the site is planned to generate employment for 7,500 people in 350 companies on an area of 14 acres.[32]
Hasselt lies at the junction of important traffic arteries from several directions. The most important motorways are theEuropean route E313 (Antwerp-Liège) and theEuropean route E314 (Brussels-Aachen). The old town of Hasselt is enclosed by 2ring roads. The outer ring road serves to keep traffic out of the city center and main residential areas. The inner ring road, theGreen Boulevard, serves to keep traffic out of the commercial center, which is almost entirely a pedestrian area. There are also important traffic arteries toTongeren,Sint-Truiden,Genk, andDiest.
The suburb ofKiewit, Hasselt is home to Belgium's oldest existing airfield, being also one of the oldest in the world.Kiewit Airfield opened in 1909, just six years after theWright brothers' first flight. In October 1910, the first Belgianair show took place here.
Currently it is a recreational airfield with a single grass runway of 600m length with mixed activity of airplanes and gliders.
Hasselt railway station. All the city's localzero-fare buses, as well as regional buses and trains depart from here.
Hasselt introduced azero-fare policy for all public buses in 1997. By 2006, the usage of public transport had increased by 800–900% compared to pre-zero-fare numbers.[38] In 2013, bus subsidies were reduced, resulting in the reintroduction of fares (60 cents per ride).[39]
[40] The city's official website records[41] passenger growth as follows:
Passenger growth
Year
Passengers
Percentage
1996
360 000
100%
1997
1,498,088
428%
1998
2,837,975
810%
1999
2,840,924
811%
2000
3,178,548
908%
2001
3,706,638
1059%
2002
3,640,270
1040%
2003
3,895,886
1113%
2004
4,259,008
1217%
2005
4,257,408
1216%
2006
4,614,844
1319%
A Belgian website describes Hasselt identity cards as becoming "like gold in value", because of free bus travel.[42]
In 2013, Hasselt cancelled free public transportation due to financial reasons. The operator increased its claim towards the city, which the city could not pay. Now persons up to the age of 19 travel for free.[39]
In February 2007, a plan was launched for the construction of an internationallight rail connection between Hasselt and Maastricht (Hasselt – Maastricht tramway). Agreements between the relevant governments were reached in June 2008 and December 2011. The line was planned to reduce the current travel time of 61 minutes by bus to only 36 minutes. Construction should have started in 2014, with the line expected to go into service in 2017.[43] The construction eventually was delayed several times due to problems with theWilhelminabrug in Maastricht, concerns about the profitability and the numbers of passengers making use of the planned line as well as opposition from the Hasselt city council regarding the planned route through the city.[44] The Flemish government eventually stopped the project, with various Dutch governments reporting to have spent more than €20 million without any major construction happening. The line has now been proposed to be replaced by a so-called electrictrambus system.[45] However, concerns were raised too as the new alternative might not fulfill the cross-border high-quality public transport needs of the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg.[46]
Since end 2024, the reopening ofrail line 20 between Hasselt and Maastricht is being reconsidered within Flanders, after the Dutch Government unveiled plans to demolish a vital railway bridge over theMeuse river in Maastricht.[47][48]
Hasselt has two university colleges: University College PXL and University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL). These offer courses in healthcare, social work, art, commercial sciences, and teacher training, among others.
Hasselt University, established in 1971, operates campuses in the city and in the neighbouring town ofDiepenbeek and, as of 2023, has more than 7,000 students and 1,700 academic, administrative, and technical staff. The university houses 7 faculties, 4 research institutes, 3 research centres, and 3 doctoral schools. In theTimes Higher Education ranking of the world's best universities under 50, Hasselt University is ranked 35th out of 605.[50]
Faculty of Law at Hasselt University, based in the former city prison since 2012
Hasselt is home toLimburg United, one of the Belgium's top professionalbasketball teams. The team plays its home games atSporthal Alverberg. The city's largestfootball club isSporting Hasselt, which plays its home games atStedelijk Sportstadion Hasselt. The city'srugby club isRC Hasselt.
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