The best city hikes and walks in Binnenbos En Omgeving

Where various merchants made a fortune...

The bridge that leads you to the city...

The St. John's Bridge was destroyed during both World Wars. It was later replaced by the current natural stone arch bridge; the road surface is paved with iron railings. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Zimmerplein, https://id.erfgoed.net/themas/2689

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 Barvest is a restaurant and cafe located on the city walls. Since this section mainly features photos of the green belt that forms the city walls, which start and end here, here's some information. The city ramparts are a 5 km long green walk around the center of Lier. A section of the city ramparts is a protected landscape. The Lier city ramparts largely follow the route of the second city wall from the first half of the 15th century. At that time, the ramparts primarily served a military function, providing protection against enemy cannon fire and raids. But the ramparts also had an economic importance: import and export duties were collected at the city gates. In the 19th century, the ramparts no longer served a military purpose and were dismantled. The ramparts between the Spui and the city park (towards Mechelsepoort) were lowered and planted with trees. The section between the city park and the Spui (towards Leuvensepoort) followed later. These spacious walking paths, known as the Begijnenvest, Davidsvest, Bergmannvest, Spuivest, Sionsvest, and the towpath along the Leuvensevest, together with the city park, form the green lung of the city center. A section of the ramparts is a protected landscape. A regent's decree from 1949. Now you'll mainly find trees like linden, red and green beech, oak, whitebeam, but also special species like pagoda tree. There used to be many elm trees, but they disappeared due to a disease. You can also admire several statues. On Davidsvest, you can admire Cadetje, a statue that refers to the former cadet school on the opposite side. Near Frederik Peltzerstraat is the statue of Anton Bergmann (lawyer and man of letters). Canon J.B. David (historian and linguist) has had his statue near Antwerpsestraat since 1923. The Chapel of St. Rita, near Mechelsestraat, was erected in 1948 in memory of Lier's political prisoners. And more at https://lier.be/wonen-en-leven/natuur-milieu-en-duurzaamheid/recreatie/de-stadsvesten

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

You can find the Anne Frank tree in this square. A sign was placed near the tree with a quote from Anne Frank's diary of February 23, 1944. Read the full explanation at https://www.lierbelicht.be/anne-frank-boom-geplant-op-sionsplein/

Today, a rectangular square on the Kleine Nete river, characterized by austere, often adapted workers' housing, dating from the second half of the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th century. Historical context: Until 1828, the "Sions Molenbergh" (Sion's Mill Hill) with the old "Sionsmolen" (Sion's Mill), also called "Clausgommaersmolen" or "Onze-Lieve-Vrouwemolen" (Our Lady's Mill), was located here. It was already mentioned in 1415; it has been owned by the Sionsklooster (Sion Monastery) since the end of the 17th century. It was seized and sold by the French in 1799. The leveling of the mill hill and the ramparts created the Sionsplein (Sion Square), aptly named after the former mill. Source: Inventory of Immovable Heritage