Toerist Modernist

- 12 city walks along modernist gems -

Toerist Modernist is a tribute to Belgium’s lesser-known modernist heritage. It all started with

an online heritage platform. In 2019, Gerlin Heestermans created toeristmodernist.be to share her passion for beautiful modernist houses and buildings and draw attention to their heritage value and vulnerability. Many of them currently do not have official monument status. Since then, spotting these gems, and ringing people’s doorbell to ask if she can take a peek inside, has become somewhat of an obsession for Gerlin.

She has mapped several architectural walking tours to promote this unique heritage and her Instagram account @toeristmodernist became a must-follow for architecture lovers.

The latest addition to the Toerist Modernist family is this guide, with Gerlin’s 12 favourite walks.

In it, she takes you on a tour of cities that are reputed for their modernist architecture, such as Ostend, Liège and Brussels, but also to less obvious places, including Eeklo, Charleroi, Tournai and Mariakerke. Each walking tour is described in lavish detail and illustrated with photos of the façades and a map of the tour. The many superb interior shots of some of the houses along the various routes also offer a glimpse of the unique designs that are concealed behind their front doors.