On 14 September, Flanders celebrates Open Monuments Day for the 37th time. This year's theme is “In style” and there are more than 1,100 activities. Everything is free, but for smaller locations or unique visits, you often have to book in advance, which you can do now. The full programme is available online .
From Gothic to Brutalism: this year's Open Monuments Day focuses on the many architectural styles, beautiful examples of which can be found across Flanders. You can go on an architectural walk or bike ride, get a unique glimpse of a rather special private home, visit a restoration site or even climb a tower here and there. There are also many interesting activities for children.
Everything is free on 14 September; many locations can be visited without an appointment, but for some activities you will need to book in advance, either because the spaces are small or to be able to go on a tour in a limited group. In Bruges, reservations start on Wednesday 3 September; elsewhere, they are already underway.
‘We invite everyone to take a closer look at our architectural heritage,’ says Griet Langbeen, coordinator of Open Monuments Day. ‘The facades, parks and buildings that we simply walk past on a normal day are full of beauty and interesting facts.’
Antwerp as host city
Antwerp is the host city, with more than 150 activities being organised. Under the heading “Holy Houses”, you can discover a wealth of religious heritage in the port city. Churches from all eras, from the Baroque Carolus Borromeus to the modernist glass-in-concrete windows of the Sint-Anna-ten-Drieënkerk or the lonely church tower of Wilmarsdonk, between the containers in the harbour.
A century of Art Deco
The Art Deco style celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025 and that is also being incorporated into the Open Monuments Day programme in various places, in De Panne, Aarschot, Sint-Niklaas and Westerlo and at in the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp at the “Millionaire's Quarter” and the Art Deco Van Eyck swimming pool in Ghent.
Other themes of this year’s Open Monuments Day are military architecture including the many forts around Antwerp, the round aircraft hangars at the former military airport of Grimbergen and the Virgin’s Tower in Zichem, parks and gardens with real heritage trees (such as the garden of Gaasbeek Castle and all kinds of city parks). You can also follow in the footsteps of famous and less well-known architects.