Who was Émile Verhaeren? To some, a forgotten poet, to others, one of the most powerful voices of the Symbolist movement. At the Émile Verhaeren Museum, nestled along the Scheldt in Sint-Amands, you’ll discover the life, work, and ideas of this internationally acclaimed French-speaking Belgian poet and art critic.
Verhaeren was a bridge between city and countryside, modernity and melancholy. His work touches on themes such as social struggle, urbanisation, the experience of nature, and inner unrest. His poems have been translated into more than 25 languages. The museum offers a literary and visual journey through letters, manuscripts, photographs, illustrations, music, and rare publications.
Its location by the Scheldt is no coincidence: the river plays a central role in his poetry and forms a natural connection between his words and the landscape. Just next to the museum, you’ll also find the graves of Verhaeren and his wife, Marthe Massin.
The museum is located on the banks of the Scheldt, the river that inspired Verhaeren and connected him to his surroundings. Here, the Geopark reveals how a landscape is more than just a story of nature or geology; it is also a story of language, emotion, and culture.