Geraardsbergen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geraardsbergen
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Montage of Geraardsbergen
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 Geraardsbergen
Location in Belgium
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| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | Flemish Community | ||
| Region | Flemish Region | ||
| Province | East Flanders | ||
| Arrondissement | Aalst | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 79.71 km2 (30.78 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 |
9500, 9506
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| Area codes | 054 | ||
Geraardsbergen is a city and municipality in Belgium. It is located in the East Flanders province. The city is known for its beautiful hilly area called the Flemish Ardennes.
In 2021, about 33,970 people lived in Geraardsbergen. The total area of the municipality is about 79.71 square kilometers. The current mayor of Geraardsbergen is Ann Panis. She is from the Open VLD political party.
Contents
A Look at Geraardsbergen's Past
Geraardsbergen is one of the oldest cities in Belgium. It started near a settlement called Hunnegem. In 1068, it became one of the first places in Western Europe to be officially called a city.
The city was destroyed in 1381 by Walter IV of Enghien and his soldiers. There's a famous story about this time. During the attack, the people of Geraardsbergen threw some of their leftover food over the city wall. They wanted to show that they had plenty of food and could last a long siege. Even with this brave act, the city was still captured.
Today, the city celebrates this event every year. They have a carnival called the krakelingenworp. It takes place on top of a hill called Oudenberg.
In 1815, just before the famous Battle of Waterloo, two important generals visited Geraardsbergen. Wellington and Blücher reviewed their cavalry here. About 6,000 soldiers were paraded by the Dender River.
Cool Places to Visit
Geraardsbergen has several interesting spots that you might enjoy seeing:
- Manneken Pis: This is a famous statue of a little boy. It is even older than the more well-known Manneken Pis statue in Brussels!
- The Wall of Geraardsbergen: This is a very steep street paved with cobblestones. It is famous in the cycling world. Cyclists climb it every year during the Tour of Flanders race.
- Boelare Castle: This old castle was once the center of a large feudal area.
- Overboelare Airfield: This is a small airfield used for gliders. You can see a large Douglas C-54A Skymaster airplane there.
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Manneke Pis is the most famous statue of Geraardsbergen.
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De Muur van Geraardsbergen (the Wall of Geraarsbergen) is a tough climb for cyclists.
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The Priory of Hunnegem, a historic building from 2005.
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The Chapel of Our Lady of the Oudenberg, built in 1724.
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The Famous Mattentaart
Geraardsbergen is very famous for its mattentaart. This is a special kind of sweet pastry. It is made using a unique paste or cheese curd called matten.
In 2006, the European Union gave the mattentaart a special status. This means that these pastries can only be made in Geraardsbergen. They can also be made in the nearby town of Lierde. This protects the traditional recipe and where it comes from.
Well-Known People from Geraardsbergen
Many interesting people have come from Geraardsbergen:
- William of Moerbeke (1215–1286): He was the first person to translate the works of Aristotle into Latin.
- Gabriël Grupello (1644-1730): A talented Flemish Baroque sculptor.
- Frans Rens (1805-1874): A Flemish scholar who was active in the Flemish Movement.
- Cyriel Delannoit (1926-1998): A boxer who became the European champion in 1948.
- Ferdi Van Den Haute (born 1952): A well-known cyclist.
- Michaël Borremans (born 1963): A famous painter and filmmaker.
- Dean Delannoit (born 1989): A popular singer.
See also
In Spanish: Geraardsbergen para niños
