Lierre, Bruges' little sister, just a stone's throw from Antwerp

A small Flemish town in the province of Antwerp, Lierre is less than 20 kilometres from Antwerp and less than 50 kilometres from Brussels. Its location, close to Belgium's main thoroughfares and yet so peaceful, makes it a small town to visit if you want to soak up Belgian culture and get off the beaten track. Still largely unknown to the Belgians themselves, it nevertheless offers a multitude of activities to discover with the family or as a romantic getaway. Take a stroll through the heart of the town, take a cruise on the River Nèthe, visit the town by bike, stroll through its medieval architecture, its belfry and its main square - it's time for an overview of this charming little town in the north of Belgium.

The Zimmer Tower and its famous clock is surely the city's most emblematic monument. The tower is a vestige of the town's ramparts, but its clock has a very special history. Louis Zimmer, an artist from the town of Lierre, the son of a clockmaker and a clockmaker himself, was passionate about astronomy. He spent more than 5 years designing and building his clock. The clock that sits proudly at the top of the tower today is absolutely unique. It displays in real time no fewer than 13 space-time related indications. It tells the time and date, as well as the phases of the moon, the zodiac, the tides of the Nèthe, a globe and the equation of time. It's a remarkable piece of work that you won't see anywhere else. After creating his clock, Zimmer decided to give it to the town of Lierre to celebrate Belgium's 100th anniversary. The town decided to display it on a tower in the town, an old medieval tower, the Cornelius Tower, for all citizens to enjoy. The Zimmer Tower was inaugurated in 1930.

King Albert1st, impressed by this clock, commissioned an astronomical clock from Zimmer for the 1935 Universal Exhibition. Noting the finesse of this new creation, the artist was congratulated by Albert Einsten himself. The tower now houses an astronomy museum. Count 5 euros and 45-50 minutes of visit.

🌐 To book your visit to the Zimmer museum:

Zimmertoren

⭐Where to stay in Lierre?

In days gone by, eel fishermen sailed the Nèthe in flat-bottomed boats. Without engines or sails, the small boats drifted and were carried away by the tide. During the journey, the fishermen would drag nets across the current. The eels travelling up the river were then trapped. This fishing technique, which was banned in 1974, was unique to the town of Lierre. In 1981, the fishermen decided to make the most of their boats and refitted them as small boats to welcome tourists for a trip down the river. These same boats have now been refitted to welcome day-trippers for a relaxing cruise.

Outings take place from1

April to 31 October at weekends.

🌐 To book your cruise:

Bootjevarenin Lier

Like the Bruges Beguinage (link), the Lierre Beguinage is also well worth a visit. A picturesque maze, a vestige of the life of nuns in the Middle Ages, the beguinage was a place where a community of often widowed or single women lived. Living like nuns but not having taken their vows to the Church, the beguinage system was frowned upon before finally being accepted by the Church. These women lived in an enclosed group of dwellings, thanks to embroidery, weaving and lacemaking. The beguinage in the town of Lierre has 162 houses and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

Like many towns in Belgium and northern France, Lierre has its own belfry on the main square. It was built in 1369 in Gothic style. It quickly established itself as a symbol of independence for the inhabitants, as it houses the charters of freedoms acquired by the town. Since 1999, the monument has also been a UNSECO World Heritage Site.

The town of Lierre is not very large, so you can easily walk around it. During your walk you will come across other important monuments. Like the church of Saint Gommaire, or the Hôtel-Dieu Sint-Anna and Sint-Joachim. You'll also see some beautiful murals and graffiti by the artist Joachim Lambrechts. What's more, the town boasts a small oasis of greenery, a park where little ducks enjoy a peaceful day by the pond. It's the perfect place for a picnic with the kids or a romantic reunion on the grass.