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Welcome to Aalst Are you tired of the well-worn paths of Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, and Leuven?

The ‘Onions’ of Aalst are delighted to welcome you to the second city of East Flanders. Aalst is a lively and varied city: old buildings, new architecture, historic festivals, trendy festivals, an open-air shopping centre, etc.

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Belfort • Dates from 1225 • City proverb: ‘Nec spe, nec metu’ (no hope, no fear) Borse van Amsterdam • New building dates from 1630 • The former meat market • Roman Catholic party meeting place during the Daens era

Dirk Martens • Statue from 1856 • Ode to Dirk Martens (1446-1534), who brought the printing press to the South Netherlands • Nickname: The black man

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Town Hall • Dates from 1830 • Civic festive hall and wedding room • Courtyard with a statue of Ondineke

Market Square Walking leaflet Find out more about city centre tourist attractions with the walking leaflet ‘Tussen de rokken van de ajuinenstad’.

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The impressive St. Martin’s Church in the city centre is a place of peace, quiet, and art.

1. The church is dedicated to the patron saint St. Martin. It is he, and not St. Nicholas, who brings something tasty for well-behaved children each year on 11 November.

2. Admire the original painting ‘victims’ by Pieter Paul Rubens.

3. Priest Daens was christened here, did his communion here, and also celebrated his first mass in 1873.

4. In ’t Gasthuys Civic Museum you can see a replica of St. Martin’s Church as it should have been built according to the architect, since his plan had been to build a much bigger church.

5. In May 2003, restoration work started on St. Martin’s Church, a project in 10 phases which will take until 2027.

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St. Martin’s church

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Aalst is synonymous with its carnival.

Each year, this unique and popular festival captivates our city for three days and three nights.

Each year, thousands of people in Aalst live and work for this event. You can admire the result on carnival Sunday in a magnificent parade full of humour and satire.

Aalst Carnival is a festival of satire, sharp-tongued dialect, the real ‘Voil Jeanet’, and countless Aalst carnival pranks.

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Aalst

Carnival

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Carnival Sunday UNESCO

Oilsjt costumes

parade 7,5 km route satire magic

carnival work halls

70 carnival groups doughnut balls

winter pedlar

popular festival floats

voil jeanet dialect songs

During the Sunday parade, 70 carnival groups troop through the city centre streets. The floats are ingenious, the costumes are even works of art. Humour and self-mockery are the main themes of this colourful parade. Aalst Carnival quite rightly takes its place on the UNESCO list of ‘intangible cultural heritage of mankind’.

The week before and the week after the carnival, over 100 fun fair pedlars take over the city squares. You really must try the ‘doughnut balls’, perhaps best after you’ve been on a wild attraction.

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Carnival Monday Monday afternoon, the Gilles of Aalst drive out the evil spirits during their traditional broom dance on the Market Square. This is followed by the Onion Throw, where thousands of onions are thrown down at the public from the town hall balcony.

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Carnival Tuesday Tuesday is the day of the ‘Voil Jeanetten’.

Not a transvestite show, but an ode to the old carnival tradition of men dressing up in women’s clothing. Mandatory accessories: corset, broken umbrella, bird cage with herring, lampshade, and ‘fur coat’. The tears which are shed on

Tuesday evening as the carnival puppet goes up in flames are real. Men and women, young and old, rich and poor, Aalst Carnival is special to all segments of the population. And everyone shouts loudly in the local dialect, ‘Weir doen voesj.’

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’t Gasthuys

Civic Museum, Aalst

The city’s civic museum on the ‘Oude Vismarkt’ derives its name from the old hospital which used to be there. The wards and chapel have now been transformed into exhibition halls. Dirk Martens, Valerius De Saedeleer, Adolf Daens, and Boon, Aalst’s four most famous sons, each have their own hall.

Amongst other things, there is the printing press of Dirk Martens and the splendid paintings of De Saedeleer.

In the carnival museum you can immerse yourself fully in the Aalst carnival spirit.

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Louis Paul

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Boon Louis Paul Boon is the perfect example of the saying ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’. Amongst other things, he wrote a moving social history of Aalst. He became one of the most influential Dutch writers.

In the museum courtyard you can sit face to face with ‘The narrator’.

In the town hall inner courtyard there is a statue of Ondineke, the main character from ‘De Kapellekesbaan’ (novel by Boon).

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Date of birth: 15 March 1912 Place of birth: Aalst Died on: 10 May 1979 Died in: Erembodegem Most well known works: De Kapellekesbaan, De Bende van Jan De Lichte, Daens, Mieke Maaike • Candidate Nobel Prize winner • Honorary citizen of the City of Aalst

The leaflets ‘Wandelen in de voetsporen van Boon’ and ‘Boonfietstocht’ immerse you in the world of Boon.

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Adolf Daens

‘The labourer is neither a slave nor a beggar. He should be a free and prosperous man.’ Those were the words of priest Adolf Daens from his pulpit in St. Martin’s Church.

This is also written on his statue on the Werfplein.

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Daens (certainly well known in Belgium due to the film and musical of the same name) was committed to helping labourers, farmers, and small businesses. He worked to achieve political and social reforms and this often brought him into conflict with the leaders of his conservative and Christian party and his spiritual superiors.

You will find more about the life and work of Daens in the walking leaflet ‘In de voetsporen van Daens’.

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Date of birth: 18 December 1839 Place of birth: Aalst (Kerkstraat 11) Died on: 14 June 1907 Died in: Aalst Priester Perpetual incumbent at St. Joseph’s College • Member of parliament for the Christian People’s Party • Honorary citizen of the City of Aalst

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Dirk Martens

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Date of birth: 1446 Place of birth: Aalst Died: 25 May 1534 Died in: Aalst Importer of the printing press to the South Netherlands Promoter of humanism Good friend of Erasmus He printed ‘Utopia’ by Thomas More and the adventures of Christopher Columbus.

Honorary citizen of the City of Aalst

Hendrik Conscience taught his people to write, whilst Dirk Martens taught his people to print. In 1473, he opened his first printing workshop in Aalst.

Martens was a fervent humanist and moved in intellectual circles. Thanks to Martens and his printing presses, works such as ‘Utopia’ by Thomas More became a reality.

The museum contains a printing press of Martens. During workshops, the printing technique was passed on to children so that the tradition would not be lost.

Valerius De Saedeleer Painter and artist Valerius De Saedeleer was one of the chief representatives of the Latem school.

He mainly produced landscapes of the Leie region and the Flemish Ardennes.

You can see De Saedeleer’s masterpieces in ’t Gasthuys Civic Museum, Aalst. Between those masterpieces, if you take a glimpse out of the window you can see the artist’s statue on the Old Fish Market (‘Oude Vismarkt’).

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Date of birth: 4 augustus 1867 Born in: Aalst Died: 26 september 1941 Died in: Leupegem Chief representative of the first period of the Latem school • Honorary citizen of the City of Aalst

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City Park

You can escape the hustle and bustle of urban life in Aalst in the city park, the Gerstjens, and Kravaal Woods. The city park was built in 1915 and includes over 100 different types of trees.

The adjoining Osbroek nature reserve is a paradise for walkers and joggers. In Kravaal Woods, in Meldert, there are some splendid walks in areas of natural beauty.

Every first Sunday in September there is the hop picking competition, a remnant of the once flourishing hop cultivation in our region.

The River Dender also offers peace and quiet.

You can enjoy a walk or go cycling along the river. And why not go on a boat trip?

You will find a list of all cycling and walking leaflets on pages 42-43.

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Kravaal Woods

Green area

Gerstjens

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Faluintjes

‘Faluintjes’ is a nature reserve which stretches from Herdersem to Affligem Abbey. It is the collective name of the districts of Meldert, Moorsel, Baardegem, and Herdersem. This green oasis in Aalst attracts lots of cyclists and hikers.

The ‘Faluintjes wandelbrochure’ is the perfect guide to help you discover the Faluintjes.

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Pikkeling The Pikkeling is an annual harvest and folklore festival with international appearances during the final weekend of July. The festival erects its tents in sequence in one of the four Faluintjes districts (Meldert, Moorsel, Baardegem, and Herdersem). On Friday evening, a well known name from the cabaret world opens the festival and, on Saturday and Sunday, the Pikkeling is the ideal place for a family trip. Tradition and folklore colour the programme with demonstrations of old crafts and field activities and an old-timer tractor show. Folk dance groups from every corner of the globe give the show an exotic flavour.

Moorsel

oven cake carthorses flower carpet

tradition harvest festival farmhouse

music Pikkeling threshing Baardegem

folklore Meldert Herdersem

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Post-Tour Race Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali, Alberto Contador, Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish; year after year, the Royal Cycling Committee manages to lure the top stars from the Tour de France to Aalst. Barely 24 hours after the finish on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, they’re on our Market Square for the start of the oldest Post-Tour Race in the country. Thousands of cycling enthusiasts come to Aalst in their wake to make one great festival of it. As a prelude to the prof race, yesterday’s cycling heroes compete against each other in the Gentlemen’s’ Classic.

Dare to take on the training course of a cycling legend with the cycling leaflet ‘In het wiel van Lucien Van Impe’.

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Cirk!

Every third weekend of August it’s more Cirk! than ever before in Aalst. During this free street theatre festival, the city centre streets are immersed in colourful artists for three whole days. The ideal family trip.

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Aalst might not (yet) be a city of world renown, but it does have enough trendy folks. And they give the city an energetic vibe. Each weekend, you can take in a legendary celebration.

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The concrete park in the city park is the biggest outdoor skating park in Flanders. It also hosts the skating and music festival Betong each year.

The graffiti on the carnival halls are real works of art. And the collection grows each year.

Urban

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Admittedly, the skyline of Aalst is somewhat limited due to its compact nature. Nevertheless, you can also see many hidden corners and sides if you do look upwards.

Recent buildings have been designed by top class architects and really are state of the art. The Station Square fittingly adorns the attractive train station, and concrete seats near the shops and the ingenious drawbridge near the administrative offices on the Werfplein are just a few examples.

You can enjoy Aalst in the evenings, too. There are several frontages which stand out magnificently.

The perfect setting for a nice evening stroll.

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Innovative city

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Eat & Drink

The people of Aalst love going out to eat and drink. You can see that from the number of bars, brasseries, and tea rooms in the city centre and surrounds. Trendy coffee bars, pubs, and stylish restaurants. There’s something for everyone. And the terraces seldom get chilly, even in the winter.

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The streets in the centre of Aalst form one big open-air shopping centre. The pedestrianised streets, which all adjoin the Market Square, have a mix of big chains, specialist stores, and trendy boutiques.

To get completely into the festive spirit, you really must visit the Saturday market. From 7.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., you can hear the market traders lauding their goods. The range is also complete: fruit and vegetables, textiles, flowers, and plants.

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Shopping paradise

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Localproducts Local Do you fancy another taste of Aalst when you get home? If so, you really must put these local products on your shopping list: Aalst flan, gin, wine and beer. Sweet teeth will love ‘the brown gold’ of Aalst, a recognised local product which is made with maslins, and not with gingerbread or spiced biscuit. There are two sorts of Aalst gin and various sorts of beer. Cheers!

Aalsterse Vlaaien recipe

Ingredients: 1 litre of milk, 45 lumps of sugar, 2 eggs, 400g of Candy syrup, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 pinch of mace, and 7 maslins.

Preparation: • Boil the milk.

• Add sugar.

• Grate the maslins.

• Mix the beaten eggs, cinnamon, and maslins.

• Add this mixture to the milk.

• Pour on the candy syrup and mix thoroughly.

• Bake for 2 hours in an oven at 170°C.

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By bike

If you want to hire a bike you should contact De Fietserij (Tragel 5, Aalst, info@defietserij.be, mobile phone 0491-348567).

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• Fietsknooppuntenkaart Scheldeland The cycling network of Scheldeland, to which Aalst belongs, means 840 kilometres of enjoyable cycling along the banks of the Rivers Scheldt and Dender and along country lanes.

• Hoppetocht Two cycling routes take you to places which remind us of the once thriving hop cultivation in the largely unknown green area between Brussels and Aalst.

• Denderende stedentocht Discover the Dender cities of Aalst, Dendermonde, Ninove, and Geraardsbergen from your bike. There are four cycling routes.

• Boonthematocht Two cycling routes take you to locations from Boon’s historical novels. You cycle along the well known Kapellekensbaan, churches, and castles from the ‘Geuzenboek’ and places where the gang of ‘Jan de Lichte’ came together.

Tourist products Aalst Tourist Board sells lots of products to help you discover Aalst in a pleasant, original, and even digital manner.

On foot • In de voetsporen van Boon Two hikes take you to places which were important in Boon’s life and work.

• In de voetsporen van Daens This walking leaflet (in Dutch only) takes you from the cradle to the deathbed of this memorable man to places in Aalst which remind us of his dogged and sometimes heroic struggle.

• Wandelen in de Faluintjes Four signposted hikes mean you can enjoy the green lung of Aalst in one of the four Faluintjes districts (Baardegem, Herdersem, Meldert, and Moorsel).

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I-Padwalk ‘Wij zijn zot van Aalst’ Bring your I-Pad for a city tour and discover Aalst’s illustrious past during an interactive walk.

You can download the app free in the app store.

If you don’t have an I-Pad, you can hire one from Toerisme Aalst.

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Tourist products

Children’s walks ‘Van ier no doar’ Via amusing questions, rebuses, and ‘do’ questions, children learn more about the Aalst monuments and the four Aalst heroes.

There are three different leaflets: • Adolf Daens • Louis Paul Boon • Dirk Martens and Valerius De Saedeleer

‘Daytrips’ for groups Reading the leaflet ‘Dagtrips voor groepen’ is the ideal way to prepare for a visit to Aalst. Discover the unique sides of our city together with your family, friends, club, or your colleagues. A guided tour, a company visit, or a completely outlined team building session?

Contact the staff of Toerisme Aalst.

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Overnight accommodation Extend your visit to Aalst with an overnight stay in one of these hotels or guest rooms. There is also a camper van car park with Sanizuil.

Aparthotel Malpertuus * Kattestraat 77 9300 Aalst tel. 0473 92 85 14 fax 053 78 62 00 aparthotel_malpertuus@telenet.be New Hotel de la Gare * Statieplein 11 9300 Aalst tel. 053 77 58 43 fax 053 77 12 89 Hotel Hostellerie De Biek *** Moorseldorp 3 9310 Moorsel tel. 053 60 76 40 fax 053 60 76 41 info@hostelleriedebiek.be www.hostelleriedebiek.be Hotel Ibis *** Villalaan 20 9300 Aalst tel. 053 71 18 19 fax 053 71 07 11 ibisaalst@cgmhotels.com www.ibis.com/3155 Station Hotel *** A. LiĂŠnartstraat 14 9300 Aalst tel. 053 77 58 20 fax 053 78 14 69 info@stationhotel-aalst.com www.stationhotel-aalst.com

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Hotel Royal Astrid *** Keizersplein 27 9300 Aalst tel. 053 70 65 00 fax 053 75 08 75 info@royal-astrid.be www.royal-astrid.be Hotel Keizershof Best Western **** Korte Nieuwstraat 15 9300 Aalst tel. 053 77 44 11 fax 053 78 00 97 info@keizershof-hotel.com www.keizershof-hotel.com Tower Hotel **** Vrijheidsstraat 62 9300 Aalst tel. 053 21 01 00 info@towerhotelaalst.com www.towerhotelaalst.com

Vakantielogies De Mooie Molen *** Nedermolenstraat 3 9310 Meldert tel. 052 36 95 40 fax 052 36 95 60 info@dmm.be www.demooiemolen.com Gastenkamers Hof Selmussen **** Blektestraat 140 9308 Hofstade-Aalst tel. 053 21 50 53 mobile 0477 61 18 71 info@hofselmussen.be www.hofselmussen.be Gastenkamers La Vie en Roses **** Tinnenhoekstraat 61 9310 Moorsel-Aalst tel. 053 78 80 34 mobile 0472 76 86 05 info@lavieenroses.be www.la-vie-en-roses.be

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Gastenkamer ‘t Slaapmutske Zijpstraat 97 9308 Hofstade tel. 0472 53 00 70 info@tslaapmutske.be www.tslaapmutske.be B&B De Zwarte Maan Dirk Martensstraat 11 9300 Aalst tel. 053 78 37 29 mobile 0478 59 94 81 info@dezwartemaan.be www.dezwartemaan.be B&B Den Boomgaard Hollestraat 72 9310 Moorsel mobile 0473 86 40 92 karel@denboomgaardmoorsel.be www.denboomgaardmoorsel.be Vakantiewoning Het Gedicht (sleeping accommodation for up to 4 people) Denderstraat 15 9300 Aalst mobile 0486 78 33 59 het.gedicht@hotmail.com Vakantiewoning Hof Ter Dromen (sleeping accommodation for up to 4 people) Grote Baan 13 9310 Herdersem tel. 053 21 48 10 mobile 0476 60 37 10 / 0475 29 76 69 hof.ter.dromen@skynet.be www.hofterdromen.be

Parking for camper vans With Sanizuil Zwembadlaan 2, Aalst

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Toerisme Aalst Hopmarkt 51, Aalst • tel. 053 72 38 80 • toerisme@aalst.be www.aalst.be/toerisme • www.facebook.com/toerismeaalst

The staff of Aalst Tourist Board would like to welcome you to the tourist office in Hopmarkt a stone’s throw from the Market Square. A wall of leaflets leads on to the practical touch screens where you can find the best restaurants, nicest shops, and all the tourist attractions.

Film in a 360° hall The highlight of the new office is the 360° chamber.

You step inside a mini-cinema hall where you can see the very best of Aalst and its surrounds in seven minutes. A unique experience!

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Colophon

Editor Aalst Tourist Board & City Marketing and Communication, Werf 9, 9300 Aalst tel. 053-779300 - info@aalst.be Photography All photographs in this magazine were taken by photographer Gert Swillens, except for: • Guy Kokken: pages 6 (glass window), 7 • Jo De Coninck: pages 23 (Kravaal Woods), 25, 28, 29 • Joris Strickx: pages 26, 27 • Jean-Pierre Swirko: pages 35 (Sint-Annabrug), 44

• Stijn Bollaert: page 20 (inset picture) • Kris Goubert: pages 40, 41 Printing and layout: Drukkerij Artoos, climate neutral company This magazine is printed on 100% recycled paper.

Depotnummer: D/7199/2015/27 Published by: Christoph D’Haese - Mayor, c/o Werf 9, 9300 Aalst.

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ONIONS

In the city of mockery and satire everyone from Aalst bears the name ‘Onion’ with pride. The people of Aalst owe this nickname to the onion plantation which flourished in the 19th century along the fertile river polders on the Dender. It so happens that the affirmative answer in the local dialect of Aalst sounds like ‘onion’.