Lanaken (Dutch pronunciation: [laːˈnaːkə(n)]; Limburgish: Laoneke) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg.

A number of neighbourhoods in Lanaken is characterized by these immigrants' numerous villas and exclusive landhouses.

In the Middle Ages, the domain of Lanaken probably belonged to the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

From the 12th century Lanaken was part of the seigniory of Pietersheim of Loon, whose lords founded the Abbey of Hocht around 1186.

In 1808 the present borough was formed, merging Lanaken with Smeermaas, Hocht, Pietersem, Ca(u)berg, Bessemer and Briegden.

In 1957, the Saint Barbara Hospital in Lanaken was established by the Limburg mines to enable research and combat occupational diseases, especially dust lung, which mostly affected the miners of the Kempen coal basin.

Marked walks through this area start both at Pietersheim Castle and at the parking lot near the Saint-Barbara Hospital.

Lanaken grew as a result of the presence of railroad and canals, there was commuter traffic to Maastricht, and jobs were created at the Eisden coal mine.

[5] The reactivation of the former railway Maastricht-Lanaken-Hasselt as a light rail known as the Hasselt – Maastricht tramway as part of the Belgian Spartacus plan was scheduled for 2014.