The best city hikes and walks in Doode Bemde

Very good restaurant in the table round.

The blue bridge over the pond of this quiet spot, hidden from some, is currently closed. More about the small park it's part of: https://www.komoot.com/nl-nl/highlight/4426495

The roughly circular wall centered around St. Peter's Church and was built with sandstone from the quarries in Diegem and Zaventem, along with iron sandstone, which was used for decorative horizontal stone bands and oriel windows. The wall was approximately 2,700 meters long and had 31 towers and 11 gates.[1] Where the Dyle River entered and left the city, there were two water gates flanked by defensive towers: these two gates were located at the Holland College (now the Paridaens Institute) and at St. Gertrude's Abbey, respectively. The wall, 1.70 meters thick, rested on a series of spar arches. On the inside, a continuous series of arches supported the 90-centimeter-wide rampart walkway. The wall had loopholes that were reduced on the outside to a narrow opening 90 centimeters high and 5 centimeters wide.

This monumental pulpit was made for the abbey church (Norbertines) of Ninove and consists of a rock and two palm trees. At the bottom, the conversion of Norbert is depicted, and Peter in a cave. In 1807, it was transferred to St. Peter's Basilica in Leuven. Source and more: https://ornamentsnijder.blogspot.com/2024/05/preekstoel-in-de-collegiale-sint.html

Our Leuven resident, Fonske, has had a turbulent history. Initially, he wasn't very popular, even though he's supposed to represent the source of wisdom. But let's be honest: everyone associates the source ('fons') with the mind it's supposed to nourish, in a context of downing beers instead of wisdom. Originally, the statue was commissioned for the renovated Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogy, but the dean wasn't keen on that idea. So Fonske was given to the city. Initially, you could find him between what was then Fochplein and the Grote Markt. Now, Fochplein has completely changed, both in appearance and name. Marshal Foch has been replaced by Rector de Somer. And during the redevelopment, Fonske was briefly absent. This wasn't the only time construction work caused him to disappear. Even in his early years at Fochplein, Fonske wasn't universally loved. Yet, he gradually became more popular, sometimes dressed in all sorts of costumes, a bit like Manneken Pis in Brussels. The Men of the Year played a particularly important role in this. The worst adventure our Fons endured was a real kidnapping in 1979. Fortunately, our Fons was found again in Louvain-la-Neuve, home to the new French-speaking university of Leuven after the split. He was a bit damaged but thankfully could be repaired. You can also find a photo of Fonske at Place des Wallons in Louvain-la-Neuve at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fonske_louvain-la-neuve_place_des_wallons_1979.jpg

Bronze statue of Paep Thoon, made in 1991 by P. Vanbekbergen, depicting Paep Thoon, a 15th-century folk figure and also chaplain and carillonneur at St. Peter's Church. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Statue of Paep Thoon, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/206351

Here—and from many other locations throughout the area—you have a beautiful view of the Norbertine abbey in Leuven, known as Park Abbey. For a view of Huldenberg Castle, you'll need a drone or balloon. From here to Huldenberg, it's about a 13-kilometer drive.

Is the Park Abbey !!!!!