Sint-Pieters-Leeuw Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw

Leeuw-Saint-Pierre (French)

Flag	Coat of arms

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw

Location in Belgium

Country

Flemish Community

Arrondissement

Halle-Vilvoorde

Area

• Total

40.38 km² (15.59 sq mi)

Population

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• Total

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Postal codes

1600-1602

Area codes

Website

www.sint-pieters-leeuw.be

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw is a town in the Flemish Brabant province of Belgium. It is part of the Flemish region. The town's name in French is Leeuw-Saint-Pierre.

This area is located just outside the big city of Brussels. It is known for its beautiful parks, old castles, green meadows, and lovely gardens. The Coloma park is a very special green space here.

As of 2018, about 34,025 people live in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. The total area is about 40.38 square kilometers. This means it has about 842 people per square kilometer. It is mostly a place where people live, with many natural areas and some industrial parts. The main language spoken here is Dutch.

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw includes several smaller towns. These are Oudenaken, Ruisbroek, Sint-Laureins-Berchem, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw itself, and Vlezenbeek.

History of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
Local Economy and Businesses
Fun Places to Visit
Famous People from Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
Twin Cities
See also

History of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw

Coloma Rose Garden

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw is one of the biggest towns in Flemish Brabant. It started as a small farming village. Over time, it grew into a busy place where many people live and work. The town has a very long and interesting history.

The oldest record of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw dates back to the 9th century. This document was a gift from a noblewoman named 'dame Angela'. It mentioned a large area of land with a main church and nine smaller churches. She gave this land to a church group in Deutz, Germany.

From 1236, the area became part of the Land of Gaasbeek. In 1284, Henry I, Duke of Brabant, who was also the lord of Gaasbeek, gave the people a copy of their local laws. This made Sint-Pieters-Leeuw an important center for a long time. It had its own 'meierij', which was a district ruled by a mayor, and a group of local leaders called Aldermen.

In 1687, the Gaasbeek area was sold off in different pieces. Through marriages and family inheritance, important nobles and court members gained control. For example, the Coloma water castle, which is now the town's cultural center, became the property of people like Jan Karel Roose and Vital-Alex de Coloma.

On January 1, 1977, several smaller towns joined together. Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Oudenaken, Ruisbroek, Sint-Laureins-Berchem, and Vlezenbeek all became one larger community.

Local Economy and Businesses

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw is home to some well-known companies. These businesses help the local economy grow.

One famous company here is Neuhaus. They are known around the world for making delicious Belgian chocolate. Another important business is Lindemans Brewery. This brewery makes special Belgian beers called lambics.

Other companies with main offices or factories in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw include:

Belle-Vue Brewery
Mercedes-Benz Truck Center
Vanden Borre
Printer Systems (part of Avery Dennison)
A Material Plant and Reinforcement Steel Plant (part of Besix)
DATS 24 (a company owned by Colruyt)

Fun Places to Visit

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw has many interesting places to see and explore.

Coloma Park and Rose Garden

The Coloma park is a beautiful green space. Inside the park, you can find the Coloma castle. This castle is now used as the Municipal Cultural Centre.

The Coloma Rose Garden is a very popular spot for visitors. It was created in 1995. In this garden, you can see over 3,000 different types of roses. These roses come from 25 different countries. There are more than 300,000 flowers in total! It is one of the most colorful natural areas near Brussels.

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw Tower

The Sint-Pieters-Leeuw Tower is a very tall structure. Some people call it the VRT-tower. It is 300 meters (about 984 feet) high. Built in 1996, it is the tallest freestanding building in all of Belgium. It is used as a transmitter tower for radio and television.

Other Interesting Sights

Witse-tree: This tree is famous because it was used in a popular Belgian TV crime show called Witse.
Castle of Klein-Bijgaarden: This is a castle that belongs to the Wittouck family.
Domain Groenenberg - Gaasbeek: A beautiful castle and park area.
Zuunvallei and Zobbroekvallei: These are natural landscapes, great for enjoying nature.
Hof ten Brukom and Hof ten Zellik: Historic farms or estates.
Castle of Rattendaal: Another interesting castle.
Churches and Chapels: You can visit the Church of Our Lady, Rats Castle, Saint Peter's Church, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Chapel of Saint Magdalen, and Chapel of Saint Roch.