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Neighbourhood life, 
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made in Belgium

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The Export Edition

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Neighbourhood life

Belgium building

Discussing iconic Belgian architecture with urban planners, architects, writers and curators.

Do the right thing

Weekly listings of exhibitions, concerts, openings, parties and events to do over the weekend.

Area codes

Local heroes reveal their favourite neighbourhood hotspots and hangouts – from bars and bookshops to restaurants and galleries.

This is Belgium

The best Belgian-only art, food, photography, music, travel, architecture and neighbourhood tips from the magazine’s team of editors.

hub heroes

We team up with hub.brussels, Brussels’ Business Support Agency, and shine a light on 50 of the Region’s start-up success stories driving the capital city’s economic landscape forward. From the eco-conscious manufacturer to the technology-enabled post-production imprint, our 50-strong selection of portraits and interviews plays testament to the Region’s dense and dynamic culture of entrepreneurship.

The Brussels Bike Hundred

We’re teaming up with Bike for Brussels to put together a 100-strong selection of local heroes shaping the city each in their own way. From designers and DJs to performers and publishers, these are the creatives riding Brussels forward.

The Mechelen Hundred

Nestled between Brussels and Antwerp, Mechelen has often been overshadowed by its larger neighbours. Yet teaming up with the City of Mechelen, our line-up of 100 of the city’s most prominent people, places and projects proves the extent of its potential. From artists and creatives to critical thinkers and fighters, these are the powerhouses driving Mechelen forward one step at a time.

The House Hundred

We’re teaming up with Bulldog to select 100 essential people, places and projects in Belgian house music. From producers and DJs to record labels and festivals, these are the forces driving the homegrown house scene forward, one BPM at a time.

The Leuven Hundreds

We’ve joined forces with Leuven to highlight 100 local people, places and projects that contribute towards making the city what it is today. From artists and architects to producers and professors, these are the driving forces powering Leuven forward one ingenious initiative at a time.

The Antwerp Hundreds

We've teamed up with This is Antwerp to bring you The Antwerp Hundreds, a 100-strong selection of local movers and shakers setting the tone for the neighbourhood of tomorrow.

Art

On-design

An in-depth look at the work of Belgian design studios, published monthly.

Favourite Belgian movies

Selections of essential Belgian movies handpicked by artistic directors, curators and all-round cinema connoisseurs.

Curator talks

Intimate conversations with curators dissecting the ambitions, intentions and narratives of their recently opened exhibitions.

Exhibition reviews

Visual documentaries of recently opened contemporary art exhibitions in Belgium.

Portfolio reports

Reviewing the practice of Belgium-based artists through in-depth looks at their recent works.

Studio visits

Exploring the environments and artistic spaces of some of the country’s foremost contemporary artists.

The art throwaway project

Insights into the lives of local contemporary art movers and shakers through our office Quicksnaps.

Music

Exclusive mixes

Hour-long mixes recorded by the crème de la crème of Belgian DJs and producers exclusively for us.

Favourite Belgian releases

Selections of essential Belgian tracks handpicked by local tastemakers, from DJs and producers to record label heads and record store clerks.

The music throwaway project

Backstage antics, tour tales and onstage adventures with some of the country’s most exciting musical talents captured with our office Quicksnaps.

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menu The Word Magazine

Neighbourhood life, 
art and music
made in Belgium

Follow us

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Immortalising dancefloor memories: Nightlife anecdotes and club flyer designs

Immortalising dancefloor memories: Nightlife anecdotes and club flyer designs

To coincide with the opening of Designing the Night at ADAM, we team up with design historian and the show’s curator Katarina Serulus and ask a few committed archivists to submit their iconic club flyers.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
30 things to do in Belgium this weekend

30 things to do in Belgium this weekend

Grand openings in Ghent, silent statues in Antwerp and triple visual trouble in Charleroi. Go do the right thing.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
8 top restaurants to explore European cuisine in Belgium

8 top restaurants to explore European cuisine in Belgium

From Croation, British, Polish and Bulgarian food to Greek, Maltese, Portuguese and Austrian dishes, we've toured the country in search of home-cooked European flavours.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
8 essential botanical gardens and arboretums in Belgium

8 essential botanical gardens and arboretums in Belgium

We’ve put together a selection of eight essential botanical gardens and arboretums to pepper your summer bucket list.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Christophe Collas’ 15 best Belgian photobooks

Christophe Collas’ 15 best Belgian photobooks

In honour of the second edition of the Liège Photobook Festival running this weekend, we've asked photographer and curator Christope Collas to round up a 15-strong list of this year's best contemporary Belgian photobooks.

21 essential Belgian pro-abortion artworks

21 essential Belgian pro-abortion artworks

In the spirit of International Women's Day, we reveal 21 essential pro-abortion visuals, postcards, songs, stickers and pamphlets ranging from 1970 to 1990.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
10 public libraries in Belgium

10 public libraries in Belgium

Public libraries fulfil an invaluable, and very necessary, role in modern society – we pay tribute to some of the country’s most distinct and distinguished ones in the hope of encouraging you to renew your membership once and for all.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Neighbourhood Heroes: Best for cultural centres

Neighbourhood Heroes: Best for cultural centres

Our finetuned selection of cultural centres: the undisputed unsung heroes of the neighbourhood, the beacons of cultural empowerment remaining a crucial and necessary function of the social landscape.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
The Holiday Spirit: 10 charities for giving

The Holiday Spirit: 10 charities for giving

We've selected 10 Belgium-based charities that are tilting the balance towards generosity and kindness for those in need, from professional mentoring schemes aimed at refugees to national animal rights charities.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
11 iconic Belgian logos: the design and stories behind the country’s trademark symbols

11 iconic Belgian logos: the design and stories behind the country’s trademark symbols

We take a trip through memory lane and revisit some of the titans of Belgian industry, both past and present, through their iconic visual identities.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Adventures in the land of the local: Three local paradises in the heart of Belgium

Adventures in the land of the local: Three local paradises in the heart of Belgium

We asked our photographer Miles Fischler to pick, picture and profile three little-know holidaying destinations right here in good old, very uber local Belgium.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
The people’s idea of fun: 13 folkloric traditions in Belgium

The people’s idea of fun: 13 folkloric traditions in Belgium

The intriguing and sometimes even bizzare traditions and customs from all corners of Belgium, accompanied by archival visuals.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
11 must-see public artworks in Belgium

11 must-see public artworks in Belgium

From highway monument to coastal sculpture, we've toured the country to reveal 11 of the most striking examples of public art in Belgium.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
All-in-ones, or how the slash generation is re-inventing the work-life balance

All-in-ones, or how the slash generation is re-inventing the work-life balance

In a new collaborative series with discerning cognac maker Rémy Martin, we look into the balancing act played by some of the country’s relentless multi-taskers.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
10 striking examples of subway art in Brussels

10 striking examples of subway art in Brussels

A hand-picked selection to help you freshen up your daily metro travels.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
20 portraits taken from our book Thiis iis Belgiium

20 portraits taken from our book Thiis iis Belgiium

In Internet speak, it's called throwback Tuesday: 20 portraits culled from our book Thiis iis Belgiium.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
12 innovations in personal living

12 innovations in personal living

A hand-picked list of Belgium's most useful and effective initiatives within the sharing economy, sure to facilitate your daily life.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
13 Belgian brutalist gems

13 Belgian brutalist gems

Unearthing some of the most striking and singular examples of Belgium's Brutalist movement

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
12 quirky Airbnb getaways in Belgium

12 quirky Airbnb getaways in Belgium

From one-person Brutalist masterpieces right outside Ghent to enchanted tree houses in the province of Luxembourg.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
9 weekend retreats to do in Belgium

9 weekend retreats to do in Belgium

From yoga castles to wooden cabins, we scoured the country in search of the best places to unwind and relax.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
15 last minute quirky summer stages ideas for kids

15 last minute quirky summer stages ideas for kids

A meatball-making camp? Beat-making sessions? Analog photography workshops? We've got you covered.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
10 alternative radio shows in Belgium

10 alternative radio shows in Belgium

Turn it up a little louder with our selection of the finest alternative radio shows in Belgium.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Doris Cleven’s 13 best Belgian animation short films

Doris Cleven’s 13 best Belgian animation short films

We delve into the world of Belgian animation shorts films through the curator of the Brussels Animation Film Festival.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
The 25 best Belgian releases of 2015

The 25 best Belgian releases of 2015

Our top music picks of the year's most deserving Belgian releases.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
14 gift ideas for Christmas

14 gift ideas for Christmas

A selection of gift ideas to make him, her, and everyone around you happy in this end of year season.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
12 addresses for home-cooked food

12 addresses for home-cooked food

We've scoured the country on the look out for the best national foods around, from best Iranian and best Turkish to best Lebanese and best Senegalese restaurants. 12 addresses that'll send you on a world culinary tour and back.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Best for Arts and Crafts in Brussels

Best for Arts and Crafts in Brussels

We visit 15 of the most specialized, and secret, studios and ateliers in Brussels and find out what, exactly, is their craft made of.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Best for basketball

Best for basketball

Our selection of some of the best basketball courts in Belgium.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
21 essential addresses for pots & plants

21 essential addresses for pots & plants

We do our bit for mother nature and reveal 21 of our favourite addresses for pots and plants in Belgium.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
23 record shops in Belgium (Part 2)

23 record shops in Belgium (Part 2)

As we promised, here is the second part of our journey throughout the most enjoyable records shops in Belgium.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
23 record shops in Belgium (Part 1)

23 record shops in Belgium (Part 1)

We've crisscrossed the country to select its most notable and enjoyable record shops

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Best for child play

Best for child play

We’ve criss-crossed the country to reveal the best playgrounds that Belgium has to offer.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Best for live music, Part 2

Best for live music, Part 2

Part two of our live music venues roundup takes us from Namur to Ghent and back.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Best for live music, Part 1

Best for live music, Part 1

Belgium is known as a haven for bands and their touring ambition. And these are the places they want to play at.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Where to get This is Belgium in Brussels

Where to get This is Belgium in Brussels

Some of the fantastic Brussels bookshops that stock This is Belgium, our book documenting the country's creative coming-of-age.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
10 of Belgium’s best weekend getaways

10 of Belgium’s best weekend getaways

From Liège and Namur to Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels, we unveil 10 of our favourite quirky Belgian weekend getaways.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
15 facts and figures about This is Belgium

15 facts and figures about This is Belgium

We handpick 15 facts and figures about our book This is Belgium.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Inside This is Belgium

Inside This is Belgium

Word-potographer Miles Fischler plays around with This is Belgium's ubiquitous red rectangle.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Around Belgium in 80 days

Around Belgium in 80 days

Photographer Joke De Wilde, a driving force behind our upcoming book This is Belgium, selects six of her favourite images. In Around Belgium in 80 days.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Six of Belgium’s best travel guides

Six of Belgium’s best travel guides

These six books offer perfect introductions and insights into one of the world's last remaining superpowers.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Best for news in Brussels

Best for news in Brussels

10 neighbourhood newsagents and a legendary downtown kiosk that'll cater to all the city's international press needs.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
15 spaces for photography in Belgium

15 spaces for photography in Belgium

From Brussels' Contretype to Antwerp's FoMu, we’ve crisscrossed Belgium looking for the best spaces for photography.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
15 addresses for vintage design in Belgium

15 addresses for vintage design in Belgium

A rolodex of addresses for vintage design in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liège.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
20 of Brussels’ best fountains

20 of Brussels’ best fountains

Take this as a tease, but we're closing the summer with a list of Brussels' top 20 fountains.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
20 of the best spaces for emerging art in Belgium today

20 of the best spaces for emerging art in Belgium today

We round-up 20 of the most exciting spaces for emerging art in Belgium today.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Eight of the best rooftops in Belgium

Eight of the best rooftops in Belgium

A guide to the elevated eateries, drinkeries and hangouts with the kick-assest panoramas in the country

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Belgium’s best independent cinemas

Belgium’s best independent cinemas

We're big fans of the flicks, and the cool and unconventional spots that screen them. Not a multiplex in sight. Here we present you Belgium's best independent cinemas

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Belgium’s best art bookshops

Belgium’s best art bookshops

We found the hottest spots for the best and most beautiful art and photo books, all for the bibliophiles who covet them...

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Belgium’s best record shops

Belgium’s best record shops

Record-hunter Bart Sibiel honours Belgium's remaining legion of well-stocked vinyl emporiums with a list of Belgium's best record shops.

Neighbourhood life This is Belgium
Ten years of Catclub flyers

Ten years of Catclub flyers

Celebrating 10 years of Catclub dance floor goodness with a big birthday bash tomorrow night at Brussels' Wild Gallery, we caught up with founder Lady Jane to talk early beginnings, memorable nights and having the best flyers in the world.

The Word Magazine is Belgium’s leading English-speaking free media platform, documenting and championing the best in neighbourhood living, music and art. Published every two months, the magazine is distributed in over 500 distribution points across the country.

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