Brakel
Brakel () is a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek and the Flemish Ardennes. The name is derived from a Carolingian villa ''Braglo'' first mentioned in 866 and located in the center of Opbrakel. Since 1970, the municipality has comprised the villages of Nederbrakel, Opbrakel, Michelbeke, Elst, Zegelsem. In 1977 Everbeek, Parike and part of Sint-Maria-Oudenhove were added. On 1 January 2018, Brakel had a population of 14,781. The area is 56.46 km² which gives a population density of 262 per km². The mayor is Stefaan De Vleeschouwer. The region is known for the green hills and valleys, which attract cyclists and walkers and play a role in the Tour of Flanders cycling race. The Braekel chicken is named after the town. The ''Uitkijktoren'', a high viewing tower was opened in April 2001. It is located at on the ''Twaalfbunderstraat'', north-west of Nederbrakel. Orientation boards at the top enable visitors to identify places of intere ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Opbrakel
Opbrakel is a village and ''deelgemeente'' (sub-municipality) of the municipality of Brakel, Belgium, Brakel. It is located in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. It used to be an independent municipality until 1971 when it was merged into Brakel. Overview The area used to be covered in forest, but only the to the south of Opbrakel has remained. The forest has become a nature area and varies in height from 65 to 130 metres. The village was first mentioned in 866 as villa Braglo, and is a Germanic forest name. Opbrakel used to be a ''heerlijkheid'', and used to have a castle named Herenhof which was demolished in 1863. In 1885, a railway station opened on the Zottegem to Ronse railway line. The railway line closed in 1963. The grist mill Verrebeekmolen was built between 1789 and 1803. In 1909, an electro motor was installed in the windmill, and by 1938 the windmill was no longer in operation. It was repaired between 1996 and 1997. It is in service every ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nederbrakel
Nederbrakel is a town in the municipality of Brakel. It is located in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders, Belgium. With 5,972 residents as of 2000, it forms the largest individual part of the municipality. Nederbrakel is located near the language border. Overview Ceramics have been discovered dating from 450 B.C. The town was first mentioned as Brakele Inferius in the 13th century. In the 19th century, the economy was mainly based on flax cultivation. The Railway line Aalst-Zottegem-Ronse opened in 1885 with a train station at Nederbrakel which closed in 1963. The Sint-Pietersbanden Church was built in the 14th century, and reconstructed in 1828. The tower was built next to the church between 1515 and 1521. The spire burnt down in 1750 and replaced with a simple spire. The tower was classified as a monument in 1936. In 1917, Dean August Vael prayed that the town would be spared in World War I. In 1924, the To ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zegelsem
Zegelsem is a village in the municipality of Brakel in the province of East Flanders, Belgium. Zegelsem is an agricultural community in the Flemish Ardennes. It is located about south of Ghent. Overview Zegelsem is a part of the hilly landscape of the Flemish Ardennes. The hills are cut by several brooks, the most important being the Perlinkbeek. The village was first mentioned in 866 as "Sigulfi villa", and means "settlement of Sigiwulf (person)". The settlement used to be property of the Lobbes Abbey. Around 881, the village and church were destroyed by the Vikings. The parish church which was later built, was dedicated to Ursmar, the first abbot of the Lobbes Abbey. Zegelsem is known for its street paved with sett and is nicknamed ''kasseidorp'' (sett village). As a result, it is featured in road cycling races like the Tour of Flanders. In the late 20th century, many streets were repaved. Between 1998 and 1999, all the streets in the village were renewed and relaid with se ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Parike
Parike is a village and ''deelgemeente'' (sub-municipality) of the municipality of Brakel. It is located in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. It used to be an independent municipality until 1977 when it was merged into Brakel. Overview The village was mentioned in 866 as Elsuth, and could mean area enclosed with spruce trees. In 1453, the village was burnt down by the citizens of Ghent during their war against Philip the Good. At the end of the winter, the Walmkebrand (Walmke Fire) is lit on the Parike Mountain, however that is probably an old heathen tradition. Parike used to be a ''heerlijkheid'', and there is a remnant of a motte-and-bailey castle about 1 kilometre east of Parike. The St Lambertus Church is a three aisled church with a small square tower. Unlike most churches it is oriented to the north. The church dates from the middle of the 18th century. In 2007, the church was extensively restored and the spire was renewed. Little is known about ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Everbeek
Everbeek (French: ''Everbecq'') is a village situated in the Flemish Ardennes and in the Denderstreek in Belgium. In 1977, it was included into the municipality of Brakel. Although it is Dutch speaking, this village was part of the Walloon province of Hainaut (Henegouwen) until 1963, when it became part of the Flemish province of East Flanders. History The area had been inhabited since Roman times. In 2019, a Roman silver treasure had been discovered in a wasteland in Everbeek. The municipality was first mentioned in the 11th century. The oldest settlement is Everbeek-Beneden which is located in the valley. A new settlement was later built on the hill and has become known as Everbeek-Boven. In 1333, the villages became part of Hainaut. In 1963, the municipality was moved to the East Flanders province, because it was a Flemish speaking area unlike Hainaut which is French speaking. The municipality was merged into Brakel in 1977. Nature The Everbeekse Forests consist of coll ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sint-Maria-Oudenhove
Sint-Maria-Oudenhove is a village in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders, Belgium. It was formerly an independent municipality. In 1977 the main part of the settlement became part of the municipality of Zottegem, with a smaller section joining the municipality of Brakel. History From the middle of the 12th century, Sint-Maria-Oudenhove was part of the Land of Aalst in loan by the Lords of Zotegem. In 1675, it became a barony. The Castle of Lilare is located near the . The original castle was plundered and set on fire by the troops of Louis XIV during the War of Devolution in 1667. The castle was rebuilt in the late 17th century. In 1933, the castle was bought by the sisters of Saint Francis of Opbrakel and turned into a girl boarding school. The castle is still in use as a school. During the 20th century, Sint-Maria-Oudenhove became mainly a commuter's community. In 1977, most of the municipality merged into Zot ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Elst, Belgium
Elst is a village belonging to the municipality of Brakel. It is located in the Denderstreek in the province East Flanders in Belgium. Overview The village was mentioned in 977 as Elsuth. There are two mills in the village. The oldest is the , an overshot watermill, which originated from before 898, and is one of the oldest in Belgium. The current mill was reconstructed in 1571. In 1859, it was severely damaged in a storm. In 1974, it stopped operations, and was declared a monument the next year. The Leberg is located in the village. It is a steep 99 metre hill, and has become known as a significant obstacle in the Tour of Flanders. Elst is known for its ''Geuteling {{unreferenced, date=July 2016 A ''geuteling'' (plural ''geutelingen'') is a traditional food of the Flemish Ardennes region of Belgium. It bears some similarity to a pancake. Origin Geutelingen began as a food to celebrate the Roman Catholici ...en'', a kind of pancake. Gallery File:PM 114664 B Elst.jpg, Vi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Michelbeke
Michelbeke is a village in the municipality of Brakel, Belgium. It is located in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders, Belgium. It was itself a municipality until the fusion of the municipalities on 1 January 1971. History Michelbeke has been inhabited since the Roman period. A Roman villa and bath house have been discovered during the construction of the Kammeland estate. The village was first mentioned in 1150s and is a toponym for mud brook. Railway line Aalst-Zottegem-Ronse opened in 1885 with a train station at Michelbeke which closed in 1963. The municipality merged into Brakel in 1971. Sports Women's volleyball club Richa Michelbeke Volley Richa Michelbeke is a Belgian volleyball team from Michelbeke (Brakel). The club was founded in 1966 and joined the official Belgian leagues one year later. Richa's first chairman was Belgian politician Herman De Croo. Their women's comp ... plays at the highest level o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Braekel
The Braekel or Brakel is a traditional Belgian List of chicken breeds, breed of chicken. It is thought to have originated in the area of Brakel, Belgium, Brakel, in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of East Flanders, for which it is named. There is a bantam (poultry), bantam version of the Braekel. The Campine (chicken), Campine of the United Kingdom derives from it. History The Braekel apparently derives from same extended population of gold and silver chickens which gave rise to the closely similar Ostfriesische Möwe and Westfälischer Totleger breeds. It is thought to have originated in the area of Brakel, Belgium, Brakel, in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of East Flanders, and particularly in the villages of Opbrakel and Nederbrakel; and to have spread along the valleys of the Scheldt and Dender rivers, in East Flanders and into Hainaut Province, Hainaut. In 1884 two distinct types were recognised as separate breeds: ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Peter Van Petegem
Peter van Petegem (born 18 January 1970 in Brakel, Belgium) is a former professional road racing cyclist. Van Petegem last rode for Quick Step-Innergetic, in 2007. He lived in Horebeke. He was a specialist in spring classics, one of ten riders to win the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix in the same season. He also earned a medal at the World Championship on two occasions; taking the silver in 1998 and winning the bronze in 2003. His last race was the GP Briek Schotte in Desselgem on 11 September 2007. Major results ;1991 : 1st Internationale Wielertrofee Jong Maar Moedig ;1994 : 1st Scheldeprijs ;1996 : 1st Trofeo Luis Puig : 1st Stage 2 Danmark Rundt ;1997 : 1st Omloop Het Volk : 1st Trofeo Alcudia : 1st Trofeo Cala Millor ;1998 : 1st Omnium, National Track Championships : 1st Omloop Het Volk : 1st Grote Prijs Beeckman-De Caluwé : 2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships : 3rd Road race, National Road Championships ;1999 : 1st Overall Three Days of De Panne : 1 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Flemish Ardennes
The Flemish Ardennes (Dutch: ''Vlaamse Ardennen'') is an informal name given to a hilly region in the south of the province of East Flanders, Belgium. Highest summit is the Hotondberg (145 m). Main characteristics of the region are rural hilly landscapes with hilltop bluebell woodlands (Muziekbos, Brakelbos, Kluisbos), windmills and watermills. The area is distinct and not adjacent to the larger Ardennes, which is further to the south east of the country in Wallonia, France, Germany and Luxembourg. Among the largest towns in the area are Oudenaarde, Ronse, Zottegem and Geraardsbergen. Cycling is particularly popular in the Flemish Ardennes. Many major bike races are held here, including a large part of the Tour of Flanders. Most of its toughest climbs (Koppenberg, Taaienberg, Molenberg, Paterberg, Oude Kwaremont, Muur van Geraardsbergen, Eikenberg) and most of its cobblestone-street sections (Paddestraat) are situated in the Flemish Ardennes. Photos Vlaamse Ardennen 03.jpg, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tour Of Flanders
The Tour of Flanders ( nl, Ronde van Vlaanderen), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road cycling race held in Belgium every spring. The most important cycling race in Flanders, it is part of the UCI World Tour and organized by Flanders Classics. Its nickname is ''Vlaanderens Mooiste'' (Dutch for "Flanders' Finest"). First held in 1913, the Tour of Flanders had its 100th edition in 2016. Today it is one of the five ''monuments'' of cycling, together with Milan–San Remo, Paris–Roubaix, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Giro di Lombardia. It is one of the two major Cobbled classics, anticipating Paris–Roubaix, which is on the calendar one week after the Tour of Flanders. The event had its only interruptions during World War I and has been organized without hiatus since 1919, the longest uninterrupted streak of any cycling classic. Six men hold the record of most victories, making the Tour of Flanders unique among the major classics. Belgians Achiel ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |