The best city hikes and walks in Bos Van Ranst

Where various merchants made a fortune...

The Hoogbrug (High Bridge) is located southeast of the Grote Markt and served an important function as a connection between the ecclesiastical domain of St. Gummarus and the city administration. The name refers to a brick arch bridge with a higher central section. The first stone bridge is believed to date back to around 1421, but it was repeatedly rebuilt or modified. In 1842-1843, it was replaced by a rotating flat bridge and in 1889 by an iron bridge, which was blown up in 1914 by the Belgian Engineers. The house that stood right next to the bridge before the First World War was also destroyed by Belgian engineers in October 1914. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Hoogbrug, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/10319

In Lier, there was a "St. James's Hospice" for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. In 1383, the city magistrate erected the St. James's Chapel next to the hospice. The pilgrim's symbol is the scallop shell, which can be found in bronze on the chapel's facade. After destruction during the religious wars, the chapel lost some of its pilgrimage function, but from the 17th century onward, it served as a parish church for the Spanish garrison stationed in Lier. Therefore, it is colloquially known as the "Spanish Chapel" by the people of Lier. The chapel contains a mural depicting coats of arms. Lier artist Bernard Janssens (1887-1976), folklorist, photographer, painter, etcher, restorer, and publicist, created this painting in 1926 in a blind pointed arch in the chapel. These are the coats of arms of the Spanish governors who governed the city of Lier.

The Hoogbrug is an arch bridge over the Binnennete river in the city of Lier. The bridge is part of the N10 motorway, which connects Mortsel with Diest. The bridge consists of three masonry spans: two side spans of 5.84 m each and a central span of 8.25 m.

The St. James' Chapel, also known as the "Spanish Chapel," was founded in 1383 by the magistrate at the St. James's Almshouse and dedicated to James the Greater. The chapel burned down completely in 1479, but was rebuilt shortly afterward and reconsecrated in 1582, following the religious unrest. During the 17th century, it served as a parish church for the Spanish troops (led by the Jesuits). After the French Revolution, it was temporarily designated as a Temple of Reason and—after the abolition of the Antwerp diocese—recognized as a parish church for the northern part of the city. In 1812, it was converted into an auxiliary church, as the city council deemed the St. Gummarus Church inadequate as a parish church. In the 19th century, the facade was restored, the interior renovated, and a new tower built. Severely damaged during the First World War (including all the furnishings), it was rebuilt in 1923 by the Lier contractor Florent D’Hulst, based on plans by the Leuven architect Frans Vandendael. Canon Raymond Lemaire, as a corresponding member of the Royal Commission for Monuments and Landscapes, strongly influenced this restoration. On February 20, 1939, the chapel was designated a protected monument by Royal Decree. The interior consists of a single-nave, plastered, and painted space, covered by a pointed barrel vault with brick transverse arches, and lit by pointed-arch windows. The five-bay nave is adjoined by a higher, single-bay choir with a three-sided nave and a radiating vault supported by consoles. In the second bay on the left is a blind pointed-arch window with painted shields of the Spanish city governors, signed "Bern. Janssens Fecit 1926". Inventory of Immovable Heritage: St. James's Chapel, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/10364

relaxing

It's wonderful to put aside my worries for a while!

A beautiful, shady walking path that follows the medieval city walls. Description: The Lier city ramparts, officially called a "city walk" but simply "De fort(en)" (The ramparts) in the city's vernacular, are a 5-kilometer-long green corridor around Lier's city center. The name "ramparts" refers to the original ramparts, the second city wall. Together with the City Park, the ramparts form the green lung of the city center. Source: Wikipedia