To Zottegem and Geraardsbergen

With this route you will discover the beautiful nature and culture of the Flemish Ardennes between Zottegem and Geraardsbergen. First of all, today you will discover Zottegem, the gateway to the Flemish Ardennes, at the foot of the rolling hills. It is known as Egmontstad: Lamoraal van Egmont is buried in the crypt under the church. Two statues, a castle, two beautiful paintings and a dozen signs remind us of the unfortunate 16th-century count. It is worth taking a look inside, just like at the archaeological museum: in the PAMZOV you will learn everything about how people lived in rural Flanders in prehistory, the Gallo-Roman period and the early Middle Ages. Further on you will see another beautiful spot: the castle of Leeuwergem. It has a rich history behind it and is considered national heritage. The Castle of Leeuwergem is a walled castle on the territory of Elene, a sub-municipality of Zottegem. It is one of the most interesting and authentic rococo buildings in the province of East Flanders. At the end of a one-kilometre-long avenue lies the almost quadrangular castle, balanced in line and shape, in the middle of flower beds, on a raised piece of land, surrounded by water. The elegance is given both inside and outside by its Louis XV style. Rocaille decorations, shell motifs and curved lines are predominant here. A small charming chapel on the first floor, dedicated to the 4 evangelists, is still in its original state as on the day of its blessing in 1764. You will soon spot the second castle along this route: Breivelde Castle. The castle is currently being given a makeover, but the restaurant remains open if you want to take a look inside. You can enjoy a daily menu here for a small price and you can also drink coffee there. The surrounding domain, which was created a century ago, is worth discovering with a stroll. It consists of three parts: a park zone is located in the center, the edges of the complex are wooded, and a park forest was created as a connecting element. The numerous views, the so-called vista\\\'s, are very special. Each zone has its characteristic vegetation: evergreen shrubs in the park forest, deciduous trees in the edge zone and evergreen conifers in the central park. The park forms a large open space near the castle. The extensive lawn reaches to the imitation river bend, in which the castle is reflected so that this pond is sometimes described as a mirror pond. Water plays an important role in the Domain. Together with the numerous winding paths, the winding ponds provide a beautiful addition to the park, park forest and forest. Ten water features give the whole the allure of an English water garden. The ponds, constructed on different levels, are connected to each other and are fed by each other. The differences in height allowed the creation of a mountain river, with waterfalls, mossy boulders and adapted bank vegetation. After a nice rural crossing, it is time for even more natural beauty, if you follow the Dender to Geraardsbergen. This river is located in the Scheldt basin and flows over a length of 65 km through the provinces of Hainaut, East Flanders and Flemish Brabant. The Dender originates in Ath (height approx. 65m) by the confluence of the Eastern Dender (source on the border between Masnuy-Saint-Jean and Masnuy-Saint-Pierre) and the Western or Small Dender (source in Barry) and flows into the Scheldt on the right bank in Dendermonde. Due to canalization, this tributary of the Scheldt is navigable for ships up to 300 tons, but it is mainly used for recreation. So you can have fun watching boats! And then you pass Geraardsbergen. Be sure to discover the medieval city here, today Geraardsbergen-Centrum and formerly, along with Aalst, one of the two cities of the so-called'Land van Aalst\\\'. Geraardsbergen originated in the 11th century as a city with a strategically important location. The foundation of the southeastern corner of present-day East Flanders by Baldwin VI was a precautionary measure by the count in case one of the neighbors - the German emperor in whose realm the neighboring district of Brabant was located, and/or the future count of Hainaut - would pose a threat to Flanders. In order to attract people and populate the city, the count granted the city numerous rights, including a guaranteed freedom, which was a very special exception in a world of serfs. The count then took steps to transfer the abbey of Dikkelvenne to the new city at the end of the 11th century. This is how the St. Adrian's Abbey came into being, which developed an enormous appeal and charisma thanks to the veneration of St. Adrian as a plague saint. At one point, Geraardsbergen was even called Adrianopolis. Around 1200, the city was endowed with the Hospital of Our Lady, one of the oldest hospices in the country. Geraardsbergen today has a valuable art heritage and numerous sights: the town hall, the St. Bartholomew's Church, the Marbol, the Manneken Pis, the Dierkost, the priory of Hunnegem, the church of the Josephite fathers, the St. Catherine's Church... so worth getting off!