Hoeilaart is a disarmingly picturesque suburb just a few miles south of Brussels, complete with a multi-turreted town hall resembling a fairytale chateau, an annual wine festival and a rich history featuring prehistoric hunters, Roman armies, Augustinian monks and medieval dukes. But as Belgian politics finds itself paralyzed by the schism between the country's competing identities, tranquil Hoeilaart leaves no doubt as to its preference. Just last week, the town council voted to make proficiency in the Flemish language (a dialect of Dutch) a precondition for the purchase of land. "We are part of the Flemish region, and we want to keep our culture," says Mayor Tim Vandenput. "It is part of our history and it is part of our future."
