Hasselt

Hasselt was founded in approximately the 7th century on the Helbeek, a tributary of the Demer river. During the Middle Ages it became one of the free cities of the county of Loon (which had borders approximately the same as the current province of Limburg). It was first named in a document in 1165. In 1232 Arnold IV, Count of Loon gave the city the same freedoms as those enjoyed in Liège. Hasselt became the biggest city in present-day Limburg thanks to its favourable setting, and the proximity of the count's castle at Herkenrode in Kuringen. In 1366 the county of Loon came under the direct rule of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and remained so until the annexation by France in 1794.

During the First French Empire, the city of Maastricht became the capital of the French Department of the Lower Meuse. This comprised not only the area of the modern province of Limburg in Belgium, but also what is now the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, all of what is now Belgium became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. During this time, it was King William I who renamed the Lower Meuse department after the medieval Duchy of Limburg. This Duchy was in fact named after Limbourg on the Vesdre river, now in the Liège province of Belgium, which had never encompassed Hasselt or Maastricht. Belgium split from the Netherlands in 1830, but the status of Limburg was only resolved nine years later in 1839, with the division of Limburg into Belgian and Dutch parts. Hasselt became the provisional capital of the Belgian province of Limburg. In ecclesiastical terms, Belgian Limburg became an independent entity from the Diocese of Liège only in 1967, and Hasselt became the seat of the new Diocese of Hasselt.

In 1977, Hasselt merged with several surrounding municipalities attaching the current sub-municipalities of Kermt, Kuringen, Sint-Lambrechts-Herk, Stevoort and Wimmertingen.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, many urban renewal projects have taken place in the city, including the construction of the Two Towers (TT) neighborhood. On 1 January 2025, the neighboring village of Kortessem merged into Hasselt, introducing several new sub-municipalities.

Since the early 2000s, Hasselt has been known within Flanders for its distinctive and sometimes outspoken branding as a city. In 2002, former mayor, Steve Stevaert, introduced the catchphrase "Hasselt Capital of Taste" (Dutch: Hasselt Hoofdstad van de Smaak), creating a well-known brand image across the Flemish region to promote its touristic attractions, stores and local industries.

After 15 years the city decided to rebrand to "Hasselt has it" (Dutch: Hasselt heeft het). However, the city's old branding remained in use by its citizens and beyond. Five years later, due to this brand recognition, the city decided to reverse to the original catchphrase in spoken communication, and use "Hasselt Smaakmaker Spraakmaker" in written communication and visuals.

In 2023, a dating platform had selected Hasselt as the Belgian city with the most eligible singles. The city developed a tourism campaign based on this claim, showing diverse couples throughout the city within promotional videos and posters, while also strategically highlighting the claims of the dating platform. The campaign saw the use of a new catchphrase "Hasselt tastes like more" (Dutch: Hasselt smaakt naar meer), building further on their earlier catchphrase "Hasselt Capital of Taste".