Reningelst is a rural village in the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

province of

West Flanders ) , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of West Flanders.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van West-Vlaanderen.svg , shield_size = , image_map ...

, and a "

deelgemeente A deelgemeente (, literally ''part-municipality'') or section ( French) is a subdivision of a municipality in Belgium and, until March 2014, in the Netherlands as well. Belgium Each municipality in Belgium that existed as a separate entity on 1 J ...

" of the municipality

Poperinge Poperinge (; french: Poperinghe, ； vls, Poperienge) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, Flemish Region, and has a history going back to medieval times. The municipality comprises the town of Poperinge pr ...

. The village has about 1405 inhabitants. The deelgemeente of

De Klijte De Klijte ( French, La Clytte, West Flemish: ''De Klyte'', locally known as ''De Kliete'') is a village in the municipality of Heuvelland in West Flanders, Belgium. Before the 1977 Belgian municipal reforms, De Klijte was part of the municipality ...

used to be a part of Reningelst (then independent, now part of Heuvelland). De Klijte split from Reningelst in 1976 and is now part of the

Heuvelland Heuvelland () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of Dranouter, Kemmel, De Klijte, Loker, Nieuwkerke, Westouter, Wijtschate and Wulvergem. Heuvelland is a thinly populated rur ...

municipality.

Sports

Reningelst is host to several major cycling races each year. Reningelst calls itself a wielerdorp. Every year during the kermisweek a number of major cycling races happen here. The Eight of Reningelst owes its name to an 8-shaped trail in and around the village.

Sightseeing and cultural life

Probably the most popular tourist site is the Catholic village church, the St. Vedastuskerk. In the year 1568 three priests of Reningelst were murdered here because of the religious persecution during that period. The church was burned down in 1623 by Ypres

Geuzen Geuzen (; ; french: Les Gueux) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen (; ; frenc ...

and was rebuilt to it current, Gothic architecture circa 1623. However, it was again destroyed during the First World War (1914–1918) and again repaired. Although it was the town center during these perilous times, was never occupied by the German army. Today, still, much of the wooden interior of the church is of important historical value. The village used to have a castle that was built around 1100. On September 6, 1793 the fortified castle was completely burnt down, on the orders of

General Van Damme A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED On ...

. A double railway was constructed where the castle stood (now a meadow) during the First World War. Reningelst was a stopover for many soldiers on their way to or from the front. After the war, several military cemeteries were built across the Westhoek, as well as in Reningelst. There is the

Grootebeek British Cemetery Grootebeek British Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground for the dead of the Western Front of the First and Second World War. It is located near Reningelst in the municipality of Poperinge in western Belgium. The ce ...

, the Reninghelst Churchyard Cemetery next to the civil cemetery around the church. The Reninghelst New Military Cemetery includes those from the

Chinese Labour Corps The Chinese Labour Corps (CLC; french: Corps de Travailleurs Chinois; ) was a force of workers recruited by the British government in the First World War to free troops for front line duty by performing support work and manual labour. The French ...

. There is also a Memorial for the military and civilian victims of World War I and World War II from Reningelst. In the former village hall, the history of Reningelst appears on a stained-glass window. Until the 1960s a brewery on the village square brewed Roökop (translated from Flemish: Red Head). The beer has now gone, but the brewery still stands (though part of it in ruins), now as the local cultural centre, also called Rookop. The Rookop cultural centre houses many local sports and hobby clubs. Local theatre groups sometimes play there. Since 2006 it is also the location for the annual "Troost van Schoonheid" (Comfort of Beauty) one-day music and poetry festival. There are two bed-and-breakfasts in the village centre.

Public services

The village currently has a primary school, spread over two locations: one in the Pastoorstraat, and one in the Baljuwstraat. Reningelst also has a forward

Firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

station. This item is part of firefighters Great Poperinge. The Firefighter station is composed of 19 officers and troops.

Notable people from Reningelst

Piet Chielens Piet Chielens (born 1956) a Belgian writer, translator and curator. He is coordinator of the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres (Ieper) in Belgium. He is also artistic director of ''Vredesconcerten Passendale'' ('' Passchendaele Peace Concerts''). ...

was born in Reningelst in 1956. He is coordinator of the

In Flanders Fields Museum The In Flanders Fields Museum is a museum in Ypres (Ieper), Belgium, dedicated to the study of the First World War. It occupies the second floor of the Cloth Hall (Lakenhalle) on the market square in the city centre. The building was largely dest ...

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...

(Ieper) in Belgium. {{coord, 50, 49, N, 2, 45, E, display=title, region:BE_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki

External links

* http://www.reningelst.be/ Poperinge Populated places in West Flanders