scubish.com: Scuba diving Hasselt - Belgium

Hasselt is the capital of the Belgian province of Limburg.

Get in

By train

Hasselt is an IC station.
Train information: Hasselt NMBS STation, Tel. +32 11 29 60 00 or www.nmbs.be.
The station has an information office.
By Bus

Good connections link Hasselt to all municipalities in Limburg and Maastricht.
Bus information: De Lijn Limburg, Tel. +32 70 22 02 00.
De Lijn has a shop at the Station Square.
By car

Hasselt and its car parks are easily accessible by motorways E313 (exits 27 - 28 - 29) and E314 (exit 29).

Get around

Public transport by bus is free in Hasselt.

See

Japanese Garden

Fashion Museum

National Gin Museum

Municipal Carillon Museum

Museum of the 'Heilig Paterke'

Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg. The Hasselt municipality includes the city of Hasselt and the old communes of Sint-Lambrechts-Herk, Wimmertingen, Kermt, Spalbeek, Kuringen, Stokrooie, Stevoort and Runkst.
On January 1st, 2006 Hasselt had a total population of 70,035 (48.8% male and 51.2% female). Hasselt is located at the Demer river and is also connected to the Albert Canal. Hasselt is located in between the Campine and Hesbaye regions in the middle of the Euregion Meuse-Rhine.

History

Hasselt was founded in the 7th century on the Helbeek, a tributary of the Demer river. The name Hasselt came from Hasaluth, which means hazel wood. It was one of the bigger cities of the county of Loon, whose borders were approximately the same as the current province of Limburg. Hasselt was first given a name in 1165 and shortly thereafter received the much sought after city charter. In 1232 this status was officially confirmed by count Arnold IV.

Even though the city of Borgloon was the official capital of this small principality, Hasselt was to become the biggest city thanks to its favourable setting and to the proximity of the count’s castle and the Herkenrode abbey in Kuringen. In 1366 the county of Loon became part of the Bishopric of Liège and remained so until the annexation by France in 1794. Maastricht became the capital of the area that was then called the Department of the Lower Meuse. After the defeat of Napoleon and the union with the Netherlands, the name Limburg was adopted, after the old county of Limburg which had never held power over Loon. Even when Belgium gained its independence, this name was retained and the name Loon disappeared. In 1830 Hasselt became the provisional capital of the Belgian province of Limburg. When Maastricht stayed Dutch in 1839, it became the permanent seat of its provincial government within the Netherlands, also called Limburg. In 1967, Belgian Limburg was detached from the Diocese of Liège and Hasselt became the seat of the Diocese of Hasselt.

Transport

Hasselt is a traffic junction of important traffic arteries from all directions. The most important traffic artery is the motorway E313 Antwerp-Liège. Hasselt itself is enclosed by 2 ring roads. The outer ring road serves to keep traffic out of the city centre. The inner ring road, the so-called "Green Boulevard", serves...