Send Gift Baskets to Brasschaat, Belgium

Celtic settlements are the foundation of Brasschaat’s history. After the Gallic tribe of the Belgae displaced them, the Romans conquered the area, building a major road. In the third and fourth centuries, the whole region became Christianized due to Germanic invasions. The little river Laar, flowing through the woods of the municipality, served in the Middle Ages as a natural border between the Bishopric of Liège and the Bishopric of Cambrai.

Breesgata, sometimes spelled Brexgata, was mentioned for the first time in 1269. Nuns founded a convent in 1482, traces of which can still be seen today. Brasschaat was geographically part of the Campine region, but politically and religiously, it belonged to the Bishopric of Liège until 1569. Around 4,500 people and 383 horses lived in the village at that time. There was a tough time for the population at the end of the 16th century. There were only 420 people and 59 horses in the town after 25 years of war between Catholics and Protestants. Only 26 families remained in the community after the plague pandemic struck in 1610. In 1667, the guild of Sint-Antonius was founded, making it the oldest local association.