From Paal to Diest, back through nature

In the Belgian Flemish Brabant you can cycle through peaceful nature, but also explore pleasant cities. Take the town of Diest for example. There is a lot to see and do. For example, every first Sunday of the month there is a book fair at the Beguinage, and on Ascension Day an antique and curio market is also organised there. The Beguinage itself is a historical city district. Furthermore, the town is surrounded by city walls on which a beautiful mill stands. Another town where elements from history have been well preserved is Herk-de-Stad.

This is a village where there was already a settlement during Roman times. The village is strategically located on the trade route Bruges-Cologne. The predecessor of what is now Herk de Stad is first mentioned in a papal document from 1107. The medieval history is still clearly visible in the spacious market square. The city walls, which now form a ring road around the city centre in an egg-shaped pattern, are also a clear reference to that time.