Bilzen is a Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg

Limburg (Belgium)

Limburg is the easternmost province of modern Flanders, which is one of the three main political and cultural sub-divisions of modern Belgium. It is located west of the river Meuse . It borders on the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Belgian provinces of Liège, Flemish Brabant...

 near Hasselt

Hasselt

Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg...

. On January 1, 2006, Bilzen had a total population of 30,057. The total area is 75.90 km² which gives a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 396 inhabitants per km².

Bilzen consists of the city of Bilzen and the following villages: Beverst, Eigenbilzen, Grote-Spouwen, Hees, Hoelbeek, Kleine-Spouwen, Martenslinde, Mopertingen, Munsterbilzen, Rijkhoven

Rijkhoven

Rijkhoven is a small village in the municipality of Bilzen, Belgium. There is a castle built near it called Alden Biesen. Once it was a part of the County of Loon....

, Rosmeer, and Waltwilder. It was in 1977 that they all became part of the municipality Bilzen because of the fusion of municipalities.

Between 1965 and 1981 Bilzen hosted Jazz Bilzen, 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 others Deep Purple

Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...

, Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

, The Kinks

The Kinks

The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...

, The Troggs

The Troggs

The Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around"...

, Procol Harum

Procol Harum

Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...

, Golden Earring

Golden Earring

Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings . They had international chart success with the songs "Radar Love" in 1973, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. In their home country, they had over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and...

, Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart

Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....

, Status Quo, Lou Reed

Lou Reed

Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...

, Aerosmith

Aerosmith

Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

, AC/DC

AC/DC

AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...

, The Cure

The Cure

The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...

, The Kids

The Kids (Belgian band)

The Kids are a Belgian punk rock band formed in 1976.They broke up in 1985, but came back together in 1996 for the soundtrack recording of the Belgian film Dief . They have been together ever since and still play gigs around the world....

, Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...

 and The Police

The Police

The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...

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

Rock Werchter

Rock Werchter is a Belgian annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, since 1974. It is one of the five biggest annual rock music festivals in Europe...

.

Places of interest

• Alden Biesen Castle
  Alden Biesen Castle
  Alden Biesen is a 16th century castle in Belgium, located in the small village of Rijkhoven in the municipality of Bilzen in the province of Limburg.-Present day:...
  
   in the village Rijkhoven.
• the abbey of Munsterbilzen

Born in Bilzen

Kim Clijsters

Kim Clijsters

Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian professional tennis player. As of 7 November 2011, Clijsters is ranked No. 13 in singles. Clijsters is a former World No. 1 in both singles and doubles....

 (June 8, 1983), tennis player.

Elke Clijsters

Elke Clijsters

Elke Clijsters is a former professional female tennis player from Belgium.Born in Bilzen, Bree, the daughter of Belgian football player Leo Clijsters and sister of former World No. 1 Kim Clijsters . She won the girls' U.S. Open doubles title in 2002 and reached a highest ranking of 389 on 15...

 (January 18, 1985), tennis player and younger sister of Kim Clijsters.

Camille Huysmans

Camille Huysmans

Jean Joseph Camille Huysmans was a Belgian politician.Huymans studied German philology at the University of Liège. He was a teacher from 1893 until 1897...

 (May 26, 1871 - February 25, 1968), Prime Minister (August 3, 1946 - March 20, 1947); Mayor of Antwerp (1933–1946).

External links

• Official website