Culture and heritage

Day trips with Hotel Ship Miró*****

Boutique Hotel Ship Miró***** makes fully arranged day trips and multi-day Bike-Bike-Bike Vacations for individual guests and small groups (max. 10 persons).

The Miró***** is a small and unique hotel ship and registered as sailing heritage (since 1916). Recently completely architecturally restored and converted for sustainability. A beautiful unique historic ship with all the luxury and modern comforts including 5 x 2 pers. Outside cabin with double bed & bathroom en suite , Cv. Airco, TV. Wi-Fi etc. A beautiful salon with bar and large panoramic windows, a covered terrace and sun deck. Wide stairs and gangways

We organize customized day trips and our multi-day cycling & boating vacations are unique, perfectly taken care of with cab service, lodging, half or full board. Interesting excursions and beautiful most flat bicycle routes & e-bike tours - Incl. perfect tourist route descriptions and possibly with GPS and/or professional bicycle guide. There are 12 new e-Bikes on deck with 7 gears- strong 135 km battery, mid motor, hand and coaster brakes with extra low entry complete with bike bag, bike helmet and breakdown service.

Departure is from Kanne or from any port. Please call or send an e-mail to info@dutchparadise.com

Welcome aboard!
Miss Elly - Capt Mart. & Crew

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Artist Will Beckers has placed a towering shell, Time Capsule, where the sea was 30 million years ago. A little further along the route is a second work by the artist, Time Traveller. Water from the Odilias Spring flows through this sculpture. Both works of art are on the walking path to Mariënlof Abbey.

Start your walk at the Fruit Experience Centre Syrup Factory.
A brochure for this walk is available here.

Mark Dion honours Herbricht with new work for Art on the Meuse
The first international artist for the Art on the Meuse (Kunst aan de Maas) project has been announced. American artist Mark Dion has createed a tree of life for the municipality of Lanaken, with animals and objects of relevance to the surrounding area. The target date for completion is 30 June 2022 at the earliest. Also on display is the very first work by Benjamin Verdonck, which can be admired at the Boyen chapel in Dilsen-Stokkem.

Lanaken welcomes Mark Dion
Conceptual artist Mark Dion (New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1961) is bringing years of experience with him to the Meuse Valley. He gained international acclaim for his examination of ecological issues and the perception of nature.

Dion’s work was a deliberate choice by the artistic committee. It aligns with the heart of the project and complements the river landscape in and around Herbricht, which is defined by the Meuse Valley and the Meuse river. During last year’s floods, the area was literally transformed into a refuge for animals. This makes Dion’s Tree of Life even more symbolic.

Dion accepted the invitation and sketched an impressive eight-metre-tall sculpture; a tree of life for animals, insects and objects from the surrounding area. The tree is rich in symbolism yet can be freely interpreted by viewers. It can be seen as an evolutionary family tree, a mythological tree of life that connects heaven, earth and the underworld, or something else entirely. When deciding which animals and insects to include, Dion researched the species that once lived in the Meuse Valley, from ancient sturgeon and the famous Mosasaurus to species that still live here today, like the beaver and the iconic Konik horse. They are all of natural and symbolic value to the area and some even feature in local folklore. Viewers are free to interpret the relationship between these animals.

In 2021, Composite Presence was on show at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The presentation by Bovenbouw Architectuur was very well received there and is now coming to Belgium for the first time. In Z33, a life-size model of fifty buildings exposes the friction between city and architecture.

The Flemish city
How do we design the city together? That question was the starting point for Bovenbouw Architectuur for this exhibition. Visitors walk through a fictional, but at the same time very recognisable Flemish urban environment. The model landscape shows the unique relationship between city and architecture in Flanders and Brussels. It especially emphasises the complexity of that relationship. The fifty projects are brought together in a jumble of historical, classical and modern buildings. Each has its own interpretation, function and idea of architecture. From churches and social housing to primary schools: they seem to have been plucked out of a random Flemish city.

Source of inspiration
Despite their differences, they stand side by side in harmony. Together, the buildings create a varied landscape, where a lot is possible and allowed. Yet they are consistent in all their diversity: the entire scene does not look messy or chaotic, but rich, hybrid and diverse. The staged landscape mainly shows how historical layers, formal particularities and unforeseen collisions are an endless source of inspiration for contemporary architecture.

Fertile soil
Internationally, the high quality of architecture in Flanders and Brussels is appreciated. Where we once bore the name ugliest country, there is now fertile ground for various architectural projects. This is the result of a longstanding policy with attention to quality chambers and public tenders.

Curator: Bovenbouw Architectuur

Fitting In
The world turns increasingly pluriverse. How can we, without losing ourselves, become part of a larger entity? That question forms the starting point of the group exhibition Fitting In. Artists and designers show how lavish our context can be, if we are open to the many voices around us. They understand identities as multi-layered or fluid. In conversation with you they explore the boundaries between fashion, visual art, photography, design and the world.

Participating artists:

Christian Bakalov, Alia Ali, Lisa Konno & Sarah Blok, Mous Lamrabat, Berre Brans, Elisa Van Joolen, Das Leben am Haverkamp: Dewi Bekker, Anouk van Klaveren & Gino Anthonisse, The Fabricant & Teresa Manzo, CFGNY, Ines Alpha, Tom Van der Borght, Jo Cope & Boutique by Shelter, Marwan Bassiouni, Nazanin Fakoor, Helen Storey, Sanne Vaassen, ADIFF Angela Luna, Anais Hazo-Santorin, Elke Lutgerink, Lotje Heidingsfeld, Lucy & Jorge Orta, Mona Steinhaeusser, Sheltersuit, Thierry Geoffroy, Woman Cave Collective: Léticia Chanliau & Chloé Macary-Carney.

Curators: Annelies Thoelen, Branko Popovic and Marnix Rummens

LABIOMISTA, an evolving work of art about the mix of life. On the foundations of the mining past and the former zoo of Zwartberg (Genk), a project is evolving that transports you into the unique vision of artist Koen Vanmechelen and his life's work in terms of identity, fertility & biocultural diversity. A garden of order and chaos, an arena of culture and nature. Vanmechelen's wonder lab.

As you find your way in the 24-hectare park through an open-air exhibition with many of his (living) artworks and installations, universal societal topics such as diversity and human rights are made concrete and turned into conversation pieces.

The oldest Bosbeek mill sits in the shadow of St Lambertus church. This grain mill was first put into operation as early as 1330.The timber and loam structure made way for the existing building in 1859. The miller is eager to tell you - and show you - how the grain is ground into flour.

During a workshop in GlazenHuis' artisanal glass studio, you can create your own glass artwork. You will do this under the private guidance of one of our experienced glass blowers.

Experience from the front row how the liquid glass transforms into a unique self blown work of art.