Beersel
Beersel is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium, south-west of the centre of Brussels. The municipality comprises the towns of Alsemberg, Beersel proper, Dworp, Huizingen and Lot. On 1 January 2023, Beersel had a total population of 26.473. The total area is, which gives a population density of.
Beersel is perhaps best known for Beersel Castle, built between 1300 and 1310 by Jean II, Duke of Brabant, as a defense for Brussels. Guillaume Dufay, a notable 15th-century Franco-Flemish composer, was likely born in Beersel. In terms of gastronomy, Beersel is known for its boterham met plattekaas en radijzen, usually served with a geuze beer, and for its mandjeskaas, which is a white cheese stored in little baskets. Beersel also has two traditional, authentic geuze breweries, Oud Beersel and 3 Fonteinen.
Notable residents
- Eugène Prévinaire, second governor of the National Bank of Belgium from 1870 until 1877
- Herman Teirlinck, writer
- Stéphane Demol, assistant manager of the Belgium national football team
- Morten Olsen, former football player and manager of the Denmark national football team
- Karel Van Miert, former European Commissioner
- Guillaume Dufay, Burgundian composer