Here are 15 Belgian towns explaining the origin of their names:

  1. Bruxelles
    Origin : Derived from Old Dutch Brucosella , which means “settlement (sella) in the swamp (bruoc)”. The city was founded in a swampy area along the Senne.

  2. Antwerpen
    Origin : There are different theories. A popular legend is that of the giant Druon Antigoon, who cut off the hands of toll refusers and threw them into the Scheldt ( throw hand ). Historically, the name probably comes from Panda (adjacent) and throwing (a headland or shore).

  3. Ghent
    Origin : Derived from the Celtic ganda , which means “confluence”. This refers to the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers.

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