History of the Historium

How it began

The Historium is an initiative of the West Flemish families Claeys and Denolf (Roularta), Vandamme (Barco), and Brackx (Jetair), who jointly launched a tourism project in 2006. This project was intended to add extra luster to Bruges and to showcase their respective expertise in communication, technology, and tourism. In collaboration with a historical committee, the historical reconstruction of several medieval scenes in the form of an attraction became a reality. At its inception, the project received financial and logistical support from the Flemish Government, Visit Flanders, and the Province of West Flanders.

1. Foundation and vision (2006–2011)

After several years of preparation, renovation work on the building began in late 2011, and the film was recorded in 2012.

2. Opening and initial improvements (2012–2014)

In the meantime, the building was also furnished and decorated, leading to the official opening of the Historium on November 25, 2012.

In the first months and years, several changes were implemented to provide visitors with a better experience. For instance, the number of languages for the audio guides was expanded, the aftershow became an interactive exhibition, and additional elements were added to the immersive attraction.

4. Recognition and focus on families (2017–2018)

In 2017, the Historium was a finalist at the Visit Flanders Awards in the ‘Best Family-Friendly Tourism Product’ category. Additionally, the Family Trail was launched, placing an even greater emphasis on action and experience for children and families.

In the summer of 2018, the LABORIUM Virtual Reality Gaming Arcade opened to the public. Here, VR applications are tested and visitors can play VR games, whether or not they are linked to the Historium. Furthermore, the first works on the Historium Tower were initiated, and it received a ‘soft opening’ for the public. Additionally, the Historium was nominated as a laureate for the 2018 Innovation & Creativity Award by Westtoer: a wonderful recognition of the work done to inspire young people with new technology.

3. Digital innovation and VR breakthrough (2015–2016)

In 2015 and 2016, the first virtual steps were taken with the launch of the VR experience ‘Historium Virtual Reality’, the City VR (where visitors can view Bruges in the year 1435 using a cardboard viewer and their smartphone), and the Historium VR app (to play at home with compatible VR goggles). What began as a small test quickly grew into a success, making the addition of extra VR booths in the Historium inevitable.

5. Growth and renewal (2019–2021)

After all works were completed, the Historium Tower officially opened to the general public in early 2019. Additionally, the Historium received the Q-label quality mark from Westtoer.

In the first months of 2021, several more projects were realized: the development of the Historium Walking Map (as an alternative during the mandatory closure), the renovation and expansion of the Duvelorium Grand Beer Café, an expansion of the Historium Exhibition, and the relocation of the Tourist Information Point. The Laborium reopened in the summer as VR Arcade Bruges.

Location

The Historium is ideally located in the heart of the city. This was formerly the site of the Waterhalle, a significant building in the history of Bruges that plays a major role in the Historium attraction. The Waterhalle has been completely reconstructed in the Historium Story and the Historium Virtual Reality.

Cast

Anna – Clara Cleymans
Jacob – Lander Gyselinck
Jan van Eyck – Leslie De Gruyter
Piero Di Bicci – Michel Van Dousselaere
Wieland Lauweryn – Peter Van Den Begin
Porter – Marc Peeters
Carter – Norman Baert
Clerk 1 – Peter De Graef
Clerk 2 – Danny Louncke
Rosary maker – Ana Cristina Velasquez
Lucia – Noor Ben Taouet
Willem – Milton Boon
Maid – Maike Beckers
Naked girl – Joy Anna Thielemans

Fun facts

A total of 43 actors and extras participated in the film portion of the Historium.
The screenplay was written by Gerrie Van Rompaey, together with Nicholas Lens and Kene Illegems.
The construction of all sets took 9 weeks.
Filming took place in 3 different Alfacam studios in Lint.
On the first day of shooting, 20 hours were filmed.
During the first day of shooting, the 2 babies together urinated on Anna’s cape 8 times.
200 m² of cobblestones were used for the harbor scene film set.
The harbor scene set was built in the largest blue key studio (800 m² and 8 meters high) in Belgium.
Direction was handled by the well-known Caviar director Kene Illegems.
The director of photography is Toon Illegems, the father of Kene Illegems.
The rented costumes for the cast were imported from London and Madrid.
The costumes were designed by Charlotte Willems, a Flemish designer known for her costume design on the famous TV series “De smaak van de Keyser,” among others. Anna’s cape was designed by Kaat Tilley and manufactured by Kunstateliers Slabbinck from Bruges.
3 people worked for 3 days to decorate the cape with pearls.
The props were rented in London.
The rose-ringed parakeet “Happy,” who plays an important role in the Historium story, roamed freely in the studio looking for human contact. As soon as he was in his cage, he tried to break out. A standby rose-ringed parakeet was also provided to leave nothing to chance.
The music was written by Nicholas Lens and performed by the Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by Dirk Brossé. The vocals you hear are by the Flemish Radio Choir.
The music recordings took place in Studio 4 of Flagey.
The historical research for the realization of the Historium was conducted by a historical committee including em. prof. dr. Wim Blockmans, dr. Noël Geirnaert, and dr. André Vandewalle. Special thanks go to Kristel Van Audenaeren (Musea Brugge) and Hannes Dendooven.