Bilzen

Bilzen is a city and a municipality positioned within the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006, Bilzen had a complete population of 30,057. The total area is seventy five.90 km² which gives a populace density of 396 population consistent with km². Bilzen includes the city of Bilzen and the subsequent villages: Beverst, Eigenbilzen, Grote-Spouwen, Hees, Hoelbeek, Kleine-Spouwen, Martenslinde, Mopertingen, Munsterbilzen, Rijkhoven, Rosmeer, and Waltwilder. It became in 1977 that all of them have become a part of the municipality Bilzen because of the fusion of municipalities.

Cities in Bilzen's neighbourhood are, to its north, Genk, to its east, Maastricht, to its south Tongeren and to its north-west Diepenbeek, all within a distance of a few 10 to 15 kilometers. From 1965 to 1981 Bilzen hosted Jazz Bilzen, a jazz and rock pageant that lasted several days. In its time Jazz Bilzen became the most important Belgian pageant. Artists that carried out there have been, among many others, Humble Pie, The Moody Blues, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Humble Pie, The Kinks, The Troggs, Procol Harum, Golden Earring, Rod Stewart, Status Quo, Lou Reed, Aerosmith, AC/DC, The Cure, Toots Thielemans, Keith Jarrett and John McLaughlin. From the Nineteen Eighties onwards the festival became outmoded via Torhout-Werchter, that has now emerge as Rock Werchter.