Herentals () is a

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

and

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in the province of

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

. The municipality comprises the city of Herentals proper and the towns of

Morkhoven Morkhoven () is a village in the Belgian province of Antwerp belonging to the municipality of the city of Herentals. History The village was first mentioned in 1286 as belonging to the Land of Geel. Until the early 16th century it was part of the ...

and

Noorderwijk Herentals () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality and City status in Belgium, city in the province of Antwerp Province, Antwerp. The municipality comprises the city of Herentals proper and the towns of Morkhoven and Noorderwijk. In 2022, He ...

. In 2022, Herentals had a total population of 28,455. The total area is . Saint Waltrude is the patron saint of the city.

Highlights

Herentals has some outstanding historical buildings, including the church and town hall; the town hall and its

belfry The belfry /ˈbɛlfri/ is a structure enclosing bells for ringing as part of a building, usually as part of a bell tower or steeple. It can also refer to the entire tower or building, particularly in continental Europe for such a tower attached ...

is listed as one of the

Belfries of Belgium and France The Belfries of Belgium and France are a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, in recognition of the civic (rather than church) Belfry (architecture), belfries serving as an architectural manifestation of ...

, a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

. The old city gates, the ''Bovenpoort'' (Northern gate) and ''Zandpoort'' (Western gate) are still standing, while the ''Nederpoort'' and ''Koepoort'' were torn down a long time ago. The Hidrodoe science museum is located in Herentals. There is also a large

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

factory located in Herentals, which is the only production facility in the world for Milka's Leo chocolate wafer bar. Herentals is a centre of commerce in the region, although the cities of

Geel Geel () is a municipality and city located in the Belgian province of Antwerp, which acquired city status in the 1980s. It comprises Central-Geel which is constituted of 4 old parishes a/o towns: Sint-Amand, Sint-Dimpna, Holven and Elsum. Furthe ...

and Mol are quite popular as well. Herentals is twinned with

IJsselstein IJsselstein () is a municipality and city in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. IJsselstein received city rights in 1331. IJsselstein owes its name to the river Hollandse IJssel which flows through the city. It is a major commuting su ...

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. The inhabitants of the

Campine The Campine () or Kempen () is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-eastern Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands. It encompasses a large n ...

region have common

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ) is a descriptive nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym in that it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name without the need for explanation; it may beco ...

s that are particular to their towns; people from Herentals are referred to by the colloquialisms ''"Klokkenververs"'' (meaning "bell painters") and ''"Peestekers"'', which comes from the old story about the farmers of the town using carrots () as a lock on the "Zandpoort", one of the great city gates in that time.

Notable people

* Nicolaes Francken, painter, founder of the Francken painting dynasty (1520–1596) * Hendrik de Moy, father of

Isabella Brant Isabella Brant (or Brandt; 1591 – 15 July 1626) was the first wife of the Flemish baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, who painted several portraits of her. Family She was the eldest daughter of Jan Brant, an important city official in Antw ...

(1534–1610) * Hieronymus Francken I, painter (c. 1540–1610) * Frans Francken the Elder, painter (1542–1616) * Ambrosius Francken I, painter (1544–1618) * Charles-Auguste Fraikin, sculptor (1817–1893) * Stefaan Vaes, mathematician (born 1976) * Rik Van Looy, professional cyclist (1933–2024) * Wout van Aert, professional cyclist (born 1994) * Wim Eyckmans, racing driver (born 1973)

Gallery

File:Herentals belfort.jpg, Belfry of old town hall File:Postgebouw.JPG, Former Post office in the Market square File:P1020632 copyStadspoort Herentals.jpg, City gate File:Kanaal Bocholt-Herentals 2.jpg, Bocholt-Herentals Canal File:Herentals_Lakenhalle_&_Boerenkrijgmonument_02.JPG, The old town hall and the Monument for the 'Farmers Rising'

References

External links

* *
Local radio station with local news
- Only available in Dutch
Start Page
- Only available in Dutch
Toeristentoren Herentals
- The tourist tower of Herentals {{Authority control Municipalities of Antwerp Province Populated places in Antwerp Province