The best city hikes and walks in Polder En Kasteeldomein Van Hingene

At Markt number 4 stands a deep corner house in the Rococo style with Baroque elements. It was commissioned by Franciscus van Strydonck, mayor of Temse in the 18th century. From 1966 to 1972, it housed the Municipal Museum. A striking feature is the medallion of a Roman emperor in the front door, designed by the Temse sculptor Philippus Nijs. He also created numerous sculptures for the Church of Our Lady and founded the local Academy and School of Drawing in 1776.

The Church of Our Lady on the Market Square is the oldest of Temse's seven churches. Protected as a monument since 1983, it features a mix of architectural styles and is the result of centuries of construction and renovation. The church's foundation is attributed to Saint Amelberga, patron saint of Temse, around 770. Statues of her can be seen both inside and outside the church. Inside, you'll find various art treasures and curiosities, such as beautiful 18th-century wood carvings and the mausoleum of Roeland Lefèvre from 1517. He was the first secular lord of Temse. Some also call the Church of Our Lady the Nijs Museum, after the renowned family of artists from Temse who designed much of the interior. Adrianus Nijs's wife served as the model for Saint Amelberga in the pulpit.

At the entrance to the Church of Our Lady stands the statue of Father Poppe. Edward Poppe (1890-1924) was born in Temse, the son of a baker. He was ordained a priest in 1916. He served as assistant pastor of a parish in Ghent for two years, director of a monastery in Moerzeke for four years, and spiritual director in Leopoldsburg for two years. He wrote many prayer books for children, translated into more than 30 languages. Poppe was beatified in 1999. Valeer Peirsman designed this life-size statue for this occasion. The bas-relief depicts Poppe's life.

Two-storey eclectic-style townhouse dating from 1912, designed by architect Charles Nissens.

The Temse deanery is a remnant of the Oratory founded in 1631 by the Oratorians. This typical 18th-century building was raised in 1898.

Everywhere along Flemish roads, you'll come across a chapel. Here, at the large Heideplaats, they also had some leftover bricks. The community of Niel has built a little house of devotion there.

The late Gothic Church of Our Lady is a three-aisled hall church made of Ledian limestone, built after a complex construction history on the foundations of the Saint Amelberga Chapel. The eight-sided crossing tower with a pear-shaped spire was only completed in 1720-1721, designed by Egidius Adriaan Nijs, a native of Temse. The interior contains a series of furniture and sculptures by the same artist and by his son Philippus, in classicizing Baroque and Rococo styles, respectively. In 1886-1888, the lower church was expanded under the direction of architect Pieter Van Kerkhove. Around the turn of the century, Mathias Zens created new Neo-Gothic altars for the church. (Open Churches)

This crane is a sentimental object for the people of Temse. Many residents used to work at the Boelwerf. Restoration is urgently needed, but hasn't yet begun.