Bilzen () is a former

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

and

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

located in the Belgian province of

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

. In 2021, Bilzen had a total population of 32,536. The total area is 75.90 km² which gives a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

of 426 inhabitants per km². Bilzen consists of the city of Bilzen and the following villages:

Beverst Beverest () is a village in the Belgian province of Limburg and is a submunicipality of Bilzen. It was an independent municipality until the 1977 fusion of the Belgian municipalities. It measures 983 ha and had 3458 inhabitants in 1976. Histo ...

Eigenbilzen Eigenbilzen is a village and former municipality in the Bilzen municipality of the Limburg province in the Flemish Community of Belgium. Eigenbilzen was an independent municipality until 1977 when it merged into Bilzen. History The village was fir ...

, , , , , , , ,

Rijkhoven Rijkhoven is a village in the Bilzen municipality of the Limburg province in the Flemish Community of Belgium. History The village was first mentioned in 1076 as Rudenchoven. It used to be part of the County of Loon. In 1220 the chapel of Alden B ...

, , and . It was in 1977 that they all became part of the municipality Bilzen because of the fusion of municipalities. Cities in Bilzen's neighbourhood are all within a distance of some 10 to 15 kilometers: to its north,

Genk Genk () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality and City status in Belgium, city located in the Belgian Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality comprises only the town of Genk itself. It ...

; to its east,

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...

(

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

); to its south

Tongeren Tongeren (; ; ; ) is a city and former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the only Roman administrative capital wit ...

; and to its north-west,

Diepenbeek Diepenbeek (; ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On January 1, 2012, Diepenbeek had a total population of 18,337. Its total area is which gives a population density Population density (in agriculture: ...

. From 1965 to 1981 Bilzen hosted

Jazz Bilzen Jazz Bilzen was an annual multi-day open air jazz and pop festival that took place from 1965 to 1981 in the Belgian city of Bilzen. Jazz Bilzen was the first festival on the continent where jazz and pop music were brought together. For this reas ...

, a jazz and rock festival that lasted several days. In its time Jazz Bilzen was the most important Belgian festival. Artists that performed there were, among many others,

Humble Pie Humble Pie are an English Rock music, rock band formed by Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton in Moreton, Essex, in 1969. They are known as one of the first Supergroup (music), supergroups of the late 1960s and enjoyed success in the early 1970s ...

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (multi-instrumentalist/vocals) and Clint W ...

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...

The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...

The Troggs The Troggs (originally called the Troglodytes) are an English beat music band formed in Andover, Hampshire, in May 1964. Their most famous songs include the US chart-topper " Wild Thing", " With a Girl Like You" and " Love Is All Around", al ...

Procol Harum Procol Harum () were an English rock music, rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold more than List of best-selling si ...

Golden Earring Golden Earring were a Dutch rock music, rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as The Tornados. They achieved worldwide fame with their international hit songs "Radar Love" in 1973, which went to number one on the Dutch chart, reached the top ...

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...

AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans (), was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for playing the chromatic harmonica, as well as his guitar and wh ...

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also be ...

and John McLaughlin. From the 1980s onwards the festival was superseded by Torhout-Werchter, that has now become

Rock Werchter Rock Werchter is an annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, Belgium, since 1976 and is a large sized rock music festival. The 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012 and 2014 festivals received the Arthur award for ''best festiva ...

History

For over 300 years, Bilzen was part of the

County of Loon The County of Loon ( , ) was a county in the Holy Roman Empire, which corresponded approximately with the modern Belgian province of Limburg. It was named after the original seat of its count, Loon, which is today called Borgloon. During the mid ...

().

Places of interest

Alden Biesen Castle Alden Biesen is a 16th-century castle in the small village of Rijkhoven, municipality of Bilzen, province of Limburg, Belgium. Present day The castle is used today as a cultural centre and conference centre. Festivals including the Scottish week ...

in the village of Rijkhoven. *

Munsterbilzen Abbey Munsterbilzen Abbey was an abbey of Rule of St. Benedict, Benedictine nuns in Munsterbilzen, Limburg (Belgium), Limburg, Belgium, founded in around 670 by Saint Landrada. It was plundered by Viking, Vikings in 881 but restored. From the 9th century ...

Born in Bilzen

* (born 1973), composer, conductor *

Elke Clijsters Elke Clijsters (born 18 January 1985) is a former professional tennis player from Belgium. Career Elke won the 2002 girls' Wimbledon Championships doubles title with Barbora Strýcová, and the girls' US Open doubles title with compatriot Kir ...

(born 1985), tennis player and younger sister of Kim Clijsters. *

Kim Clijsters Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters (; born 8 June 1983) is a Belgian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 20 weeks, and as the world No. 1 in women's double ...

(born 1983), tennis player. * Valérie Courtois (born 1990), volleyball player *

Lisa del Bo Lisa del Bo (born Reinhilde Goossens on 9 June 1961 in Mopertingen, Belgium) is a Belgian singer who is popular in her own country and also in Germany. Lisa del Bo is a Flemish singer who often sings in the Dutch language but has been known to ...

(born 1961), singer *

Camille Huysmans Jean Joseph Camille Huysmans (born as Camiel Hansen 26 May 1871 – 25 February 1968) was a Belgian people, Belgian politician who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1946 to 1947. Biography He studied German philology at the Universit ...

(1871–1968), politician, Prime Minister (August 1946 – 1947); mayor of

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

(1933–1946). *

Jelle Vossen Jelle Vossen (born 22 March 1989) is a Belgian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a striker (association football), striker for Belgian First Division A club S.V. Zulte Waregem, Zulte Waregem. Club career Genk Vosse ...

(born 1989), football player *

Thibaut Courtois Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois (; ; born 11 May 1992) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Belgium national team. Regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he is known ...

(born 1992) football player

Gallery

File:Bilzen, Parochiekerk Sint-Mauritius oeg558 IMG 1066 2021-10-10 11.24.jpg, Bilzen, church: parochiekerk Sint-Mauritius File:Bilzen - Stadhuis.jpg, Bilzen, townhall File:Kasteelschoonbeek-1673-1-.jpg, Beverst, Schoonbeek castle File:Mopertingen, Parochiekerk Sint-Catharina oeg723 IMG 1055 2021-10-10 10.48.jpg, Mopertingen, church: parochiekerk Sint-Catharina File:Munsterbilzen, Parochiekerk Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ten-Hemelopneming oeg734 IMG 1072 2021-10-10 11.50.jpg, Munsterbilzen, church: parochiekerk Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ten-Hemelopneming File:Landskommanderij, Alden Biesen.jpg, Rijkhoven, Alden Biesen commandry

References

External links

*
Community Bilzen on Leesmee
{{Authority control Bilzen-Hoeselt Former municipalities of Limburg (Belgium) Populated places in Limburg (Belgium)