• Old buildings are displayed behind a wooden fence in a green field.

    Visit Flanders | Flickr

  • A large white, wooden windmill is sits beind a wooden fence in a grassy field on a clear, sunny day.

    Visit Flanders | Flickr

  • An old, brick building sits in leafy surroundings.

    Visit Flanders | Flickr

  • Sheep graze in grassy with an old white house and trees behind them.

    Visit Flanders | Flickr

  • A horse and a foal stand together in a brown field with trees and a wooden fence in the background.

    Visit Flanders | Flickr

  • A man in a beanie is working is an old metal workshop with an anvil in the foreground.

    Visit Flanders | Flickr

  • A sheepdog is behind a group of sheep, herding them down a path with a man towards a large grey windmill surrounded by greenery.

    Tom Palmaers | Flickr

  • A very old, small bar is on display in a museum with stools in front of the counter, a microphone and speak and a cabinet with glass bottles behind the bar.

    Paul De Laet | Flickr

Bokrijk Open Air Museum
Openluchtmuseum

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Delve into some Flemish history as you wander around this vast open-air museum, a highlight of Limburg’s historical offerings!

Located between Hasselt and Genk, in the estate Domein Bokrijk, is a large open-air museum - known in Dutch as "Bokrijk openluchtmuseum", showcasing the social history and culture of the Flemish provinces. The exhibition is known as the “World of Bruegel” and aims to keep Flemish heritage alive. A picturesque, green setting and roaming livestock give the museum a really authentic feel, helping you to travel back in time. The museum’s collection of historical buildings and over 40,000 objects, tell the stories, customs and material techniques of several hundred years of Belgian history.

The museum is modelled on Skansen in Sweden, the world’s oldest open-air museum which showcases old houses and farmsteads from all over the country. Bokrijik displays a variety of buildings from all over Flanders, dating from the 17th to 20th century. They include urban houses, farmhouses, outbuildings, industrial buildings, mills, shops and more. The buildings are grouped into little hamlets representing particular parts of Flanders making it easy to explore the museum. Its 120-building collection led to the museum being protected as a monument since 1996.

  • The museum also features a more modern exhibition, ‘De sixties’, which takes you back to 60s Belgium.
  • If you’re bringing the offspring, there is also a large playground.
  • There are loads of options for food with some located in the museum and others around the estate.

It can take up to 3 hours to get through the museum if you’re really enthralled, but the Bokrijk estate is huge and has lots of outdoorsy things to do and see. You can walk around the beautiful Arboretum, trek through one of the forests or book a guided tour of Het Wik, a beautiful pond complex known for its bird watching and wildlife.

Don't forget to bring your bikes so you can enjoy Bokrijk's unique 'Cycling through water' experience, where you bike through the middle of a pond - its pretty cool.

Updated on 25 November 2021

Tips and Tricks

Getting There

  • By Car: car parking available on site. 5€ euro for the day
  • By Bus: 10 min walk from to bus stop Hasseltweg. Bus 1 stops here
  • By Train: 5 min walk from Bokrijk train station
  • By Bike: bike sheds in both car parks on site, plus charging stations for electric bikes. Cycling is a great way to get here as the site is well served by bike routes and you can arrive via ‘Cycling through the water’
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Apr to Oct, Tu to Sun, 10:00 to 18:00

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Autumn, Winter, Spring

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Adults 12.50€, Kids 2.00€, special discount rates available

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Open; there is a fixed walking route through the museum.

We recommend to book your stays in Genk in advance as it can get booked up quickly during certain periods. If you use this link , you pay the same price and we get a small commission - thanks for your support!

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