Dendermonde, which is situated where the River Dender enters the Scheldt River, is really a Medieval town full of critical heritage.
Two UNESCO Entire world Heritage Internet sites make headlines: a single a Gothic Belfry, another a beguinage that dates back into the thirteenth Century.
Ros Beiaard, a folkloristic horse that Dendermonde claimed to get renowned for, is another assert to fame. Ros Beiaard saved its grasp (Four Sons of Aymon), from being captured by Charlemagne.
This 800kg wooden beast, which is ridden by 4 brothers who're Medieval riders, is paraded about Dendermonde every 10 yrs, most just lately in 2020.
Ros Beiaard, a true VIP, is no doubt. It can be even the subject Dendermondes' town anthem.
Grote Markt
It can be remarkable to imagine that Dendermonde's primary sq. has become a meeting spot for numerous years.
This Place was originally the outer bailey for just a castle. Excavations have unveiled an 11th-century cemetery.
The Vleeshuis (meathall) and the town hall, with its Gothic belfry are actually at your discover.
In 2004, the square was paved by using a style by Harold Van de Perre.
Sit again and enjoy an area tripel, dubbel or beer around the terraces. If you are feeling courageous, You can even pair it with a piece of area specialty, headcheese, using a sprint mustard.
Each and every Monday, there are actually markets. In early December, an enormous Xmas market is held listed here.
Stadhuis
For its spectacular belfry, which is one of fifty six mentioned towers in Belgium and Northern France, the 13-century metropolis corridor continues to be specified a UNESCO World Heritage Web site.
Dendermonde's Belfry was at first built being a corner tower to assistance the town's fabric Corridor.
The developing highlighted stepped gables and rows of niches with finely carved details. It was integrated into town corridor in 15th century.
Because the 16th century, the belfry has experienced a carillon. It absolutely was reinstalled in 1970 after the stop of WWI. On Sundays and Mondays between 11:00 and 12:00, you may love a concert by the city’s carilloneur.
You'll be able to entry town corridor, belfry, and fabric hall on a self-guided audioguide tour.
This can be a exclusive working experience that you will not want to miss out on, In particular with the good art collection on the primary flooring. It is usually with the nineteenth-century Dendermondse University but will also features works by Piet Van de Ouderaa and Henry De Noble.
Vleeshuismuseum
Grote Markt's magnificent Late Gothic meat trading corridor was built-in 1462 to interchange an older structure dating back to the 13th century.
The bottom ground was where by community butchers could trade, and it absolutely was the one place in Dendermonde they have been allowed to promote to the public.
In the 1860s, the old meat counters had been dismantled and also the hall turned a protected vegetable current market.
The museum was recognized in 1899 and survived the 1st Entire world War unharmed.
Within, you'll find a mammoth skeleton that is real and thirty,000 several years previous, centuries-aged blades and firearms, and also a wood Merovingian and Saxon figurehead.
You may also find out about Dendermonde's culture and understand the town's processional giants in addition to Ros Beiaard, the hero horse.
Begijnhof
Lay spiritual Gals who did not consider poverty vows lived During this Local community given that its founding in 1288 and till the Dying of the last beguine in 1975. The Sint-Alexiusbegijnhof has 61 properties on the grassy trapezoidal sq., reconstructed at the end of the sixteenth century after an iconoclastic riot.
In 1998, the beguinage was specified a UNESCO Globe Heritage Web page. A museum was also proven to preserve residences No. 11,24, twenty five, along with the Infirmary, which dates back to 1709, all contributed to the upkeep of the website.
These properties are full of antique home furnishings and appliances that give insight to the daily life of the beguine during the nineteenth and 20th generations.
Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk
The beautiful Sheldt Gothic Church with its octagonal tower has many treasures.
Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk acquired its present-day design and style in the event the earlier eleventh-century Romanesque developing was reworked involving the 13th and 15th generations.
The structure you see hooked up to church's east side is a component of the chapterhouse, which has existed in some kind or A further Because the twelfth Century.
First, you can find paintings inside of by Anthony van Dyck and Gaspar de Crayer.
You should also just take the perfect time to see the 12th century Romanesque baptismal font constructed from Tournai's blue-black limestone. Also, you should look at the 17th-century Baroque Choir Display screen, the pulpit and other finely carved pieces of church household furniture which were developed round the exact time.
The church treasury shimmers with precious silver and gold liturgical things like monstrances, reliquaries, plus much more.
Abdij van Dendermonde
In the guts of Dendermonde, you will find Yet another impressive monument: the Benedictine abbey at Vlasmarkt.
This church is devoted to St Peter and St Paul. It absolutely was Established in 1837 by one the last monks of Affligem Abbey. The monastery was destroyed inside the French Revolution of 1797. Dendermonde's abbey was created on the location of the outdated Capuchin monastery from sixteenth century. It absolutely was reconstructed during the neoGothic design and style at the end of 19th century.
A portion of the Prinsenhof palace was also bought from the monks.
However, the intricate was seriously destroyed by fires through Earth War I and was rebuilt from the twenties.
Dendermonde Tripel is often a remarkably prized abbey beer which the monks with the abbey make their residing from. It truly is darkish blond, best-fermented and has a subtle sweet taste.
Smaragdus is usually a great herbal liqueur which might be used to be a digestif As well as in desserts.
Apart from the eye-catching, minimal-crucial basilica and monastic shop, the abbey continues to be shut to website visitors besides on Whit Monday afternoon, when guests will have scarce chance to check out how a monastery operates inside the 21st Century.
Dendermonde-Puurs Steam Railway
A fourteen-kilometer heritage line runs in between Dendermonde, Puurs and Antwerp. It is open up in July, August, and September.
A non-earnings society usually takes treatment with the railway's nine steam and diesel locomotives, in different states of restoration.
The journey normally takes you with the Antwerp and East Flanders countrysides in a 1930s-period carriage. It requires about 70 minutes to get from Baasrode-Noord, Dendermonde to Sint-Amands.
To check out rolling stock, the railway's ongoing work also to check out the depot and yard in Dendermonde, It's also possible to pay a visit to the workshop and property.
Gerechtsgebouw van Dendermonde (Justititiepaleis)
In Medieval moments, the Lords of Dendermonde lived in the existing Court of To start with Instance Found about the left financial institution of Oude Dender.
The castle was provided to the Carmelite monastery in 1664. It had been afterwards wrecked in the French Revolution.
Following the destruction of your Neoclassical creating, the grand neogothic courthouse that you see nowadays is the second.
The decoration on the facade was done by Oscar Sinia and Geo Verbanck, two distinguished sculptors.
Dendermonde's folkloristic horse Ros Beiaard (mounted by the Four Sons of Aymon) is usually identified.
The facade also capabilities the coats of arms of Belgium's various judicial areas. On top of that, the tower from the palace is decorated with gilded Owls for a symbol for wisdom.
Bastion VIII
Dendermonde was enclosed by walls nearly a metre higher plus a community of canals till the twentieth century. This is a remnant of its background for a barrier fortress that shielded more info the Kingdom of France through the Dutch Republic.
You could see evidence of defensive structures all through the town. If you have a map, it is straightforward to discover the route of your moat.
The former bastion was demolished and changed into a landfill inside the west of Dendermonde.
The location was saved a handful of many years ago and it is now a nature schooling Heart, principally geared to schools.
It is a fantastic spot to take a stroll using your developed-ups, as it's so near town Heart.
Some boards with interpretive signals detect the previous defenses. They can be found in a very mosaic habitat of freshwater, scrub, and soaked woodland.
Wandelroute: Dendermonde Vestingstad
The vacationer Office environment has made a going for walks path of 3 kilometres by way of Dendermonde's navy historical past.
The route is just not signposted but you may get a map and leaflet free of charge.
Bastions, ravelins and restored metropolis gates are just a few of the sights you will see.
This leaflet incorporates specific descriptions of every sight along with explanations in the complicated geopolitics that produced Dendermonde susceptible to invasion.