Genk: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 69 - 240 Hotel Stiemerheide
 The stylish Hotel Stiemerheide is uniquely situated in the Limburg Kempen and was built in an English cottage style. The hotel provides a free swimmin… MoreEUR 37 - 225 NH Genk Hotel
 The hotel is situated in the center of Genk at the unique and beautiful Molenvijver Park. Our hotel is the gate to the National Park ”Hoge Kempe… MoreEUR 64 - 88 Oase Genk
 This intimate hotel is situated in quiet surroundings only a 5-minute drive from the centre of Genk. Oase benefits from a terrace with barbecue facili… MoreEUR 45 - 80 Hotel Europa
 This family hotel offers personal, intimate service and simple, neat guest rooms with private bathrooms. Make free use of on-site parking and relax in… MoreEUR 60 - 109 Hotel Ecu
 This elegant modern hotel is situated in the city centre, only 150 metres from Genk Railway Station. Ecu benefits from free Wi-Fi and a lounge bar wit… MoreEUR 50 - 65 Arte Hotel
 Arte Hotel is situated in the very heart of Genk. We are a cosy and comfortable family-owned hotel. Sibylle and Raf Tilliard are your hosts who will t… MoreEUR 55 - 90 Best Western Hotel Atlantis
 The Hotel Atlantis has a peaceful and beautiful location at one of the entrances of the National Park Hoge Kempen, the biggest national park of Flande… MoreEUR 89 - 164 Carbon Hotel
 This stylish 4-star hotel is located in the heart of Genk and offers a mix of design, luxury and originality. The hotel rooms are elegant in style and… MoreEUR 55 - 80 ´T Hert
 The cosy and family run Hotel ´t Hert is situated in the centre of Genk, surrounded by green areas with lovely cycling and walking paths. A golf… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genk: Guide
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Genk is a city and Municipalities in Belgium|municipality located in the Belgium|Belgian Provinces of Belgium|province of Limburg (Belgium)|Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the city of Genk itself. It is one of the most important industrial cities in Flanders, located on the Albert Canal, between Antwerp and Liège. Genk was recently voted the friendliest city in Europe by the SEA Tourist Commission.
History
Celtic and medieval origins
Genk probably originated as a Celtic village, and was converted to Christianity in the 10th century. The remains of a little wooden church dating from that period were found in the area. The first mention of Genk as Geneche can be found in a document dating from 1108, ceding the territory to the Abbey of Rolduc. Politically, Genk belonged to the County of Loon until it was annexed by the Prince-Bishopric of Liège in 1365.
20th century development
The village remained unimportant and small, growing slowly to a population of 2,000 around 1900. The peaceful village was the home of landscape painters and writers such as Neel Doff. In 1901, André Dumont found a large quantity of coal in the nearby village of As (municipality)|As. Soon after, the “Black Gold” was also found in Genk. After World War I, the village started to attract a large quantity of both Belgian and foreign immigrants, and quickly became the biggest city in Limburg after Hasselt, peaking to a population of 70 000. However, in 1966 the coal mine of Zwartberg closed down, and Genk had to develop new industries, mainly along the Albert Canal and highways. The most important nowadays is the Ford Motor Company factory, employing some 10,000 people and building the Ford Mondeo, Galaxy and S-MAX van. By the end of the 1980s, the two remaining coal mines of Winterslag and Waterschei were also closed.
Genk is now the industrial centre of Limburg, offering over 45,000 jobs, making it the third economical city in Belgium, and harbouring a population consisting of about 86 nationalities. In fact, one third of the population is of a foreign nationality. This mix of Belgian and Mediterranean (mostly Italy|Italian,15000; Turkey|Turkish,4000; and Greece|Greek,1000) culture makes Genk a true multicultural society. In 2000, Genk officially became a city.
Sights
The biggest tourist attraction of Genk is Bokrijk, an open-air museum consisting of reconstructed 19th century buildings from all over Flanders. In the summer, historical Flanders comes alive in Bokrijk through numerous actors and activities.
Also noteworthy are the old coalmines of Zwartberg, Waterschei and Winterslag, surrounded by huge black mountains of dug up soil and coal remnants. Some of the mine buildings and housing can be visited.
Despite its industrial past and present, Genk is nicknamed The Green City. It sports a nature reserve called "De Maten", the large recreational area Kattevennen (with the Europlaneterium), Bokrijk, and several other green areas. In sunny weather, you may also want to pay a visit to the Dutch: Zonnewijzerpark).
Events
Genk is the proud home of Motives Festival, an annual event taking place in November and celebrating "new sounds of jazz." Recent performers have included the fiery piano jazz of Esbjörn Svensson Trio, funky saxman Joshua Redman, and futuristic electronics wizard Leafcutter John. Another musical event, Genk on Stage, takes place during three days in the summer.
Genk is also rich in tradition, with a colourful carnival taking place around Ash Wednesday, the May celebrations featuring the May Queen, a flowers parade and a huge fireworks finale, and finally the Saint Martin procession, in honour of Saint Martin of Tours, one of the most popular saints in Flanders.
Famous inhabitants
Neel Doff, writer (1858-1942)
Jacques Germeaux, politician and senator (b. 1956)
Jo Vandeurzen, politician (b. 1958)
Dirk Medved, football (soccer)|football defender (football)|defender (b. 1968)
Ronny Gaspercic, football goalkeeper (b. 1969)
Karel Geraerts, football player (b. 1982)
Benjamin De Ceulaer, football player (b. 1983)
Sports
Genk's major soccer club, K.R.C. Genk, promoted from second division in 1996 and quickly became one of Belgiums top clubs. They finished first in the Jupiler League|highest soccer league in 1999 and 2002 and won the Belgian Cup in 1998 and 2000. Because of this success, the Fenix stadium of KRC Genk (place for 25 500 supporters) has become an important centre of both sport and non-sport activities in recent years.
Twin city
: Cieszyn
External links
- Only available in Dutch language|Dutch
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Genk". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.