From Paal to Diest, back through nature

In Belgian Flemish Brabant you can cycle through peaceful nature, but also explore charming towns. Take the town of Diest for example. There is a lot of fun 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 antiques and curio market is also organized there. The Begijnhof itself is a historic city district. Furthermore, the town is surrounded by city walls on which a beautiful mill stands. Another place where elements of 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 Bruges-Cologne trade route. The predecessor of what today forms Herk de Stad was first mentioned in a papal document from 1107. The medieval history is still clearly reflected in the spacious market square. The city walls, which now form a ring road around the city center in an egg-shaped pattern, are also a clear reference to that time.