Cittaslow Network Belgium

BELGIUM

Created in 2017 at the initiative of the municipality of Silly, the Cittaslow Belgium network currently has 7 municipalities, 6 of which are in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of the country, and 1 in Flanders, the Dutchspeaking part. The network will soon welcome a new municipality and others are interested

The Cittaslow Belgium Network has been working for 6 years now and has created many projects of which here are some examples. The Cittaslow Cooking Book realized in 2020 proposes original recipes which combine good cooking and good products and which are composed of local products. It also lists all the local Belgian Cittaslow producers in order to promote the dynamics of local trade. Visitors can discover the new Cittaslow interactive terminal in the municipal park of Silly. They can now discover the Cittaslow philosophy via the touch screen of the terminal and explore the latest quality of life and well-being projects, events, local producers and tourist attractions in the 7 Belgian Cittaslow cities. Since 2020, all sustainable initiatives and actors of the Belgian Cittaslow municipalities are compiled on the new eco-responsible platform «beeslow», created in the framework of a provincial call for projects. More than 300 Belgian initiatives are listed so far on the themes of soft mobility, local economy, waste reduction, energy consumption and environment, leisure and social/political. Cittaslow Belgium has responded to the “Cittaslow Bee Manifesto” call of Cittaslow International in 2021. During the Cittaslow Week from 20 to 26 September 2021, the network mobilized for the protection of bees and the preservation of biodiveristy. Various awareness-raising activities were organized: a “Beekeepers” corner, an exhibition of melliferous plants, a Slow Food lunch based on honey, etc. Then, the realization of video capsules is in preparation. These videos will present the local cultural events and educational projects of each Belgian Cittaslow commune. Their release is planned for the end of 2022. They will be broadcasted on the internet and social networks. Finally, the commune of Silly has the project to develop a cultural and environmental project with the Quebec town of Lac-Mégantic.