Language & literature museums in Belgium

Museum Plantin-Moretus is the only museum in the world that is on the Unesco World Heritage List. It is a combination of a patrician house from the 16th to 18th century, a printing company that was founded in 1550 and active until the 19th century, a collection of art and a collection of manuscripts

The Bibliotheca Wittockiana, which bears the name of its founder, opened in autumn 1983. Michel Wittock had been an avid bibliophile since adolescence, and over his lifetime had built up an outstanding collection of books, manuscripts and autographs. He decided to share this with his bibliophile fri

The Maison de Toone is simultaneously a typical estaminet with its Spanish pink brick walls, blackened beams and tiled floor, and a puppet theatre in the attic, with its wooden benches, festooned, multicoloured cushions nailed into the raw wood planks, a workshop that manufactures puppets, a library

Museum Huize Ernest Claes is located in the Kempen farmhouse with an authentic 19th-century interior where the Flemish writer Ernest Claes was born. The museum is dedicated to the life and work of this writer who was among the most successful Flemish authors in the first half of the 20th century. Al

The General State Archives preserves more than 70 kilometers of archives. The State Archives regularly organizes exhibitions to involve a wider audience in its operations.

Literary Museum The Literary Museum preserves literary heritage and makes it available for scholarly research. The museum presents a contemporary story of two centuries of Flemish literature, in three periods: the 19th century, the interwar period and the period after 1950. Among others, Conscience

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At the Librarium - Royal Library of Belgium, visitors will learn all about the history of books, notebooks and libraries.

The Marc Sleen Museum is dedicated to Flemish cartoonist Marc Sleen who is best known for his comic series The Adventures of Nero & Co.

This location revolves entirely around Guido Gezelle (1830-1899), a significant poet and linguist in the Dutch language. His personality and work come to life in the multitude of manuscripts, photographs, and books. You will also find his writing desk, his travel case, and rosary. Gezelle was born i

Musée Jules Destrée is located in the attic floor of Charleroi City Hall. The museum is dedicated to Musée Jules Destrée. Through address cards, posters, his letter opener and glasses, his diploma and desk, exlibs, identity cards, letter books, publications, photographs, sculptures and paintings, am

The Aster Berkhof Museum is dedicated to Louis Van Den Bergh, known by the pseudonym Aster Berkhof (1920). Since 2008, the Aster Berkhof Museum has housed the impressive oeuvre of author Aster Berkhof. The author was born in Rijkevorsel-Centrum and raised in Sint-Jozef. Visit the museum and get t

The René De Clercq Museum is located in the birthplace of Flemish writer, poet, political activist and composer René De Clercq. The museum depicts the poet's life in words and images.

In the museum, you will discover the history of the Geuzenhoek, the Protestant community in and around Horebeke from 1550 to the present. What was life like throughout the centuries in this enclave? And what is happening in the Protestant church today? In addition, the history of the Protestant scho

Maison Adolphe Hardy is a small authentic museum exhibiting various objects from the personal life of poet Adolphe Hardy.

Herbert Foundation is a space for contemporary art in Ghent, holding the collection and archives of Annick and Anton Herbert. Their art collection and archive focus on the artistic developments in the periods around 1968 and 1989. Herbert Foundation’s heritage site, surrounded by a green garden, is

At the Suske and Wiske Children's Museum, groups of children between the ages of 8 and 12 can follow a 3-hour program centered around the cartoon and the work of Willy Vandersteen, especially Suske and Wiske.

In the Lijsternest: Streuvelshuis & writers' residence, visitors discover the life and work of Flemish writer Stijn Streuvels, aka Frank Lateur (1871-1969). The Lijsternest is the house he had built in 1904-1905 and where he lived and worked for more than sixty years. A photo exhibition shows an ove

Provincial Museum Emile Verhaeren is a literary museum dedicated to the French-speaking Flemish author Emile Verhaeren (1855-1916). He is considered one of the most prominent figures of Belgian Literature. On the basis of various letters, manuscripts, bibliophile editions, photographs, realia and wo

At the Literary Museum Hasselt, books and reading take center stage. Each room has a different theme and atmosphere. In the fairy tale room, the theme is "eating and drinking. In the peep boxes, information is given about children's authors and illustrators. In the mine cellar, visitors go back into

The Guillaume Apollinaire Museum is dedicated to the French-speaking writer and poet Guilaume Appollinaire. The museum recalls the poet's stay in the Stavelot area and introduces visitors to the artistic world of the author of the "Chanson du Mal-Aimé.

Museum Maurice Carême is dedicated to the life and work of Belgian Francophone writer and poet Maurice Carême (1899 - 1978). The museum is located in his old residence. The museum shows how he lived with original furniture, the antiques, and contemporary works of art by befriended painters and sculp

The Museum of Printing is located in the underground floors of the Royal Library. The museum displays a European collection of printing presses and printing equipment and highlights the evolution from the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 18th century to the advent of the computer circa 1980.

The André Demedts House is a combination of a static display with information about the life and work of writer and poet André Demedts and a library.

Museum-Library Michel de Ghelderode displays books, book bindings and printed matter. The museum also covers the following themes: editions of the 19th and 20th centuries, Belgian literature, popular and avant-garde literature, press and journalism.

The "Maison de l'Imprimerie et des lettres de Wallonie" is a museum dedicated to all crafts that have some connection with paper and printing.

The Archives OCMW Gent runs from the French era (1796 - 1815), spans the Dutch era (1815 - 1830) and ends in 1925. In addition, the Archives has a library of historical and legal works that can be consulted in the reading room. Exhibitions are organized from the Archives on a regular basis.

The Jaak Ballings Museum is dedicated to the poet, author and playwright Jaak Ballings (1881). The museum displays what Ballings left his Flemish people. Exhibits deal with his writing life, the fruits of his writer's pen, the contents of the legacy and various commemorative events.