Discover the Delights of Vilvoorde, Brussels, Belgium

Located in Flemish Brabant, Vilvoorde is officially Dutch-speaking, although you are not always aware of that on its streets; a third of the population of Vilvoorde is Francophone. There’s also a large Spanish population, descendants from Spaniards who came here after the end of the Second World War. Vilvoorde also has quite large Moroccan and Turkish communities too. A microcosm of Belgium.

Historically, the town grew up around the important River Zenne. In the 14th century, thanks to its position on the river, Vilvoorde became a key commercial and military center. It could hold its head up high against Leuven and Brussels for the title of most important city in Brabant.

Alas, with the decline of the textile industry, Vilvoorde’s importance waned too. Until, that is, the early 19th century and the Industrial Revolution. Here the key to the revitalization of Vilvoorde was not the river but the Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal. It was already in existence, but in the 1830s it was deepened to allow access for bigger vessels. Around the same time the canal, and thus Vilvoorde, was connected to the burgeoning Belgian railway network as well as to the Brussels-Charleroi Canal. Suddenly Vilvoorde was in the center of commerce, between the coal mines of Wallonia and the port of Antwerp. All these changes were the catalyst that led to Vilvoorde becoming one of the largest industrial areas around Brussels. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).