French pronunciation: [asɛlt]) is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium.

[2] The old town of Hasselt is surrounded by a number of satellite hamlets including Kiewit, Runkst, Banneuxwijk, Godsheide and Rapertingen.

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).

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.

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.

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

[citation needed] 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.

[citation needed] The name Hasselt is derived from the Germanic word Hasaluth which refers to the common hazel.

The Grote Markt (Grand Market) and the nearby streets are lined with restaurants brasseries, cafes and taverns.

[7] The churches must cede domination of the skyline of the city to the modern twin towers of the TT-wijk (TT Quarter), however.

Next to the Catholic Church, Hasselt houses both a Moroccan and Turkish mosque as both communities are well-established in the city and the surrounding municipalities.

Even though the spirit is produced across the entire country of Belgium, Hasselt Jenever became famous when the city escaped the 1601 ban on the sale and production of the beverage imposed by Albert VII, Archduke of Austria and Isabella Clara Eugenia, both Archduke and Archduchess of the Habsburg Netherlands, because it belonged to the Prince-Bishopric of Liège.

It differs from the type of speculaas eaten in the rest of Belgium in its greater thickness, its smaller reliance on spices - which gives it a milder taste -, and in its structure, with a crispy crust and soft, doughy insides.

Until the Second World War, Hasselt speculaas was only baked around Saint Nicholas Day, since then it has been sold throughout the entire year.

[30] Cegeka Group, a European provider of IT solutions, services, and consultancy is also one of the city's largest employers, generating a turnover of €744 million.

[31] The city also provides an ecosystem for start-ups, scale-ups, and major companies through its Corda Campus, surrounded by government organizations and research institutions.

The inner ring road, the Green Boulevard, serves to keep traffic out of the commercial center, which is almost entirely a pedestrian area.

The city lies within approximately an hour's drive from the airports of Brussels, Liège, Antwerp, Charleroi, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Cologne/Bonn, and Düsseldorf.

[39] Hasselt railway station, run by NMBS, is located near the city centre, outside the innermost ring road.

[45] However, concerns were raised too as the new alternative might not fulfill the cross-border high-quality public transport needs of the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg.

Hasselt University, established in 1971, operates campuses in the city and in the neighbouring town of Diepenbeek and, as of 2023, has more than 7,000 students and 1,700 academic, administrative, and technical staff.