Diest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diest
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Diest City Hall
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 Diest
Location in Belgium
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| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | Flemish Community | ||
| Region | Flemish Region | ||
| Province | Flemish Brabant | ||
| Arrondissement | Leuven | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 58.20 km2 (22.47 sq mi) | ||
| Population
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| • Total | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Postal codes |
3290, 3293, 3294
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| Area codes | 013 - 011 | ||
| Website | www.diest.be | ||
Diest (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdist]) is a cool city and a municipality in Belgium. It's located in the Flemish Brabant province. You can find Diest in the northeast part of the Hageland region.
It's about 60 kilometers (around 37 miles) from Brussels. Diest is close to the provinces of Antwerp (to the north) and Limburg (to the east). The municipality includes the main city of Diest and smaller towns like Deurne, Kaggevinne, Molenstede, Schaffen, and Webbekom. In 2006, Diest had about 22,845 people living there. The total area is 58.20 square kilometers, which means about 393 people live in each square kilometer.
Contents
Diest's Past: A Look Back in Time
Between 1499 and 1795, the town of Diest was controlled by the House of Nassau. This was a powerful family that also ruled places like Breda in the Netherlands and Orange in France. This family later became the kings and queens of the Netherlands in 1815.
One of the most famous people from the House of Orange was William I of Orange-Nassau, also known as William the Silent (1533-1584). He led a big revolt against Spain. His son, Philip William, is buried in Diest. Philip William asked that a special church service be held every year for him in the city's church.
Diest used to have tall walls around it to protect the city. Some parts of these old walls are still standing today.
Fun Places to See in Diest
The Grote Markt (Grand Square) is the main square in Diest. It's surrounded by beautiful old houses built between the 16th and 18th centuries.
The city hall is also here. It was designed in the 18th century. Inside its basement, you can find the city museum. The museum has interesting items like the armor of Philip of Orange.
The church of St. Sulpitius is also on the Grote Markt. It was built a long time ago, between 1417 and 1534, using brown sandstone. You can find the grave of Philip of Orange inside this church. He became the Lord of Diest after his father, William I of Orange-Nassau, passed away. The church also has a famous set of bells called a carillon, made in 1671.
In the town center, you can visit the house called "Hof van Nassau." The Gothic church of Our Lady is also worth seeing. It was built from 1253 to 1288 and has a very impressive pulpit and altar. The house where Saint John Berchmans was born, called "Gulden Maan," is on Sint Jan Berchmansstraat.
The Citadel of Diest: A Strong Fortress
The Citadel of Diest is a special place. It's the only brick citadel left in Flanders, a region in Belgium. A citadel is like a strong fort built to protect a city. This one was built between 1845 and 1843 on a hill called Allerheiligenberg. It was the last big part of making Diest a very well-protected city.
The citadel was built for military use. It looks like a five-sided star, with each side about 190 meters long. A dry moat (a deep ditch) surrounded the whole structure. There was also a drawbridge in front of the main gate. The citadel sits on a large area of land, about 28 hectares. The buildings themselves cover about 10,200 square meters.
Over time, the citadel's military role changed. In 1895, it was no longer a main fortress. It was used for a few more years to protect the railroad. After that, it housed a special army company and later a military storage area. During World War II, the Germans used it. After the war, it was briefly used as a prison.
In 1946, the city of Diest took over the citadel. Some emergency houses were built there. Later, in 1953, the First Parachute Battalion of the army moved in. In 1968, parts of the citadel were taken down to make way for new buildings.
Since 1996, the citadel has been a protected historical site. It helps us understand military buildings from the 1800s. The citadel became empty in 2011. The city of Diest is now looking for new ways to use this important site.
In 2012, there were plans to build a new hospital at the citadel. However, these plans were stopped in 2017. Now, the city is still looking for new ideas for this protected place.
Today, the citadel is home to different groups. These include sports clubs, cultural groups, schools, and youth organizations. The city wants to make it easier to visit the citadel, maybe with new stairs and an elevator. This would make it more attractive for tourists. The city is working with others to plan for the future of the citadel.
Diest's Sister Cities
Diest is connected with other cities around the world. These are called twin towns or sister cities:
- Buren (Netherlands)
- Breda (Netherlands)
- Steenbergen (Netherlands)
- Dillenburg (Germany)
- Orange (France)
Famous People from Diest
Many interesting people come from Diest:
- Saint John Berchmans (1599–1621), a Jesuit student.
- Martin Valvekens (1604–1682), a historian and friar.
- Luís Cruls (1848-1908), an astronomer.
- Timmy Simons, a footballer who played many times for the Belgian national team.
- Baron Bob Stouthuysen (born 1929), a businessman.
- Omer Vanaudenhove (1913–1994), a politician.
- Peter van Diest, a writer.
- Liliane Saint-Pierre, a singer.
- The Scabs, a rock band.
- Philip William, Prince of Orange is buried in the church of Saint Sulpice.
- Marleen Renders, an Olympic athlete.
- Marieke Vervoort, a paralympic athlete.
- Bruno Versavel, a football player.
Images for kids
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Saint Sulpitius church
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Entrance to the beguinage
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Great market
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"Monumental" houses
