Aalter () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

located between

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...

and

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...

in the Belgian province of

East Flanders , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of Oost-Vlaanderen.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van O ...

. The municipality comprises the towns of Aalter, Bellem, , , Knesselare and . It is bordered on the north by Maldegem, on the east by Zomergem and Nevele, on the south by

Deinze Deinze () is a city and a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders. It comprises the city of Deinze, and the towns of Astene, Bachte-Maria-Leerne, Gottem, Grammene, Hansbeke, Landegem, Meigem, Merendree, Nevele, Petegem-aan-de-Lei ...

, and on the west by the province of

West Flanders West Flanders ( nl, West-Vlaanderen ; vls, West Vloandern; french: (Province de) Flandre-Occidentale ; german: Westflandern ) is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the No ...

. The mayor is Pieter De Crem. Effective 1 January 2019, the municipality of Knesselare was merged into Aalter. Aalter was home to 29,242 people in 2021.

History

Aalter is located on the border of the

Meetjesland The Meetjesland is a historical region in the north-west of the province East Flanders in Belgium. Etymology There are many legends surrounding the origin of the name. The most known is the one of Emperor Charles V (Charles V) who was known for ...

with the forest of Flanders. The area was inhabited since prehistory. Artefacts have been recovered from 3,000 to 2,000 BC. The village was first mentioned in 1974 as "Villa Haleftra". The etymology is unclear. The current name started to emerge around 1700. Aalter to home to several small '' heerlijkheden'' (landed estates) some of which had

motte-and-bailey castle A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy t ...

s. Between 1613 and 1623, the was dug, and several fortifications were built by Spanish against the Dutch. In 1838, a railway station opened and Aalter started to developed into a town which nowadays has many commuters.

Gallery

File:Poeke Kasteel R02.jpg,

Poeke Castle Poeke Castle ( French: Château de Poucques, nl, Kasteel van Poeke) is a castle near Poeke, a small town in the municipality of Aalter in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The castle, standing in of park, is surrounded by water and is ac ...

File:Duiventoren Bellem (1).JPG, Pigeon-tower in Bellem Kasteel Mariahove, Bellem (DSCF0109).jpg, Mariahove castle in Bellem File:Aalter Markt Kiosk - 116780 - onroerenderfgoed.jpg, Bandstand in the square

References

External links

* * - Only available in Dutch Municipalities of East Flanders {{EastFlanders-geo-stub

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links