Top Things to do in Aalst
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The 9 Best Things to Do in Aalst, Belgium
Discover the best top things to do in Aalst, Belgium including Belfry, St. Martin's Church, Visit Aalst, Carnival of Aalst, 't Gasthuys - Civic Museum, Dender Bicycle Trails, Stadspark, Jesuit Church, Quartier A.
Restaurants in Aalst
1. Belfry
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 32 reviews
The Belfry (Belfort) is open to the public. However at the moment, only guided visits are organised. Contact the Tourist Information Office for bookings. Price: 60 EUR per guide (maximum 20 persons per guide) The guided visit takes about 2 hours and includes a climb to the top of the Belfry tower (136 steps), offering spectacular views on the city!
Reviewed By Katrien S - Ghent, Belgium
The belfry and alderman´s house are not open to the public, but are well worth to see from the outside. The belfry is smaller than in many other cities. On the square there is also borse van Amsterdam, now a restaurant, a very nice old building with a Colonnade. A bit further on the square is the currently used town hall, and the inner courtyard is a well worth a quick visit. It houses the statue of Odineke, a character from one of Boon´s novel. On the square is also the statue of Dirk Martens, the first printer in the Southern Netherlands.
2. St. Martin's Church
Overall Ratings
4 based on 43 reviews
Temporarily Closed - The church will be closed from July 1st to December 31st 2017 for restoration works. But you can take a peek inside through a peekhole at the main entrance to follow up on the works!
Reviewed By Amazon122s - Santa Comba Dao, Portugal
The Saint Martin’s Church is a “Roman-Catholic” church, located in the Belgium city of Aalst, in the province of “Oost-Vlaanderen”, she was until the building of the “Saint Joseph Church” the one and only parochial church in Aalst. The church is erected in the Brabant’s Gothic, and contains allot of pieces of great art and artists, among them a painting of Rubens.
More than need to make a stop over to visit this church and certainly the inside, I have done 4 years high school in this town, and now after 40 years we have visited for the first time this church, unbelievable what you see on the inside.
This church is at only a few steps away from the “Belfry”, the “Jesuit Church” and the Municipal Hall.
On this moment the church is under renovation, but can be visited without any problem.
3. Visit Aalst
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14 reviews
Come by the tourist information office to start off your visit to charming Aalst! Our friendly staff will be more than happy to assist with any enquiries you might have and will provide you with all the tips and tricks to make the most out of your stay in Aalst. Oh and don't forget to check out our exciting 360° movie! We look forward to welcoming you to our lovely city soon!
Reviewed By Yvan820 - Denderhoutem, Belgium
The service of tourism is in this new building. You can go there for information, brochures or to ask a guide. Aalst has a very famous history and is the 5th city of Flanders. This city is very famous for it's Carnaval, the art of printing with Dirk Maertens as one of the first printers in Europe, Louis Paul Boon as a writer in the middle of the 20th century and Priester Daens, the priest who fighted for human rights in the 19th century. People who like to do a bicycle tours can find different tracks. For those who don't like the slightly accidented roads can take the trail near the river Dender, only open for bicycles and it can bring you from Aalst to the famous city of Geraardsbergen, the city who claims to have the oldest "Manneke Pis" and is famous for the wall of Geraardsbergen and the local delicatesse "Mattetaart"
4. Carnival of Aalst
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13 reviews
The lead-up to Ash Wednesday is an internationally celebratory time, especially at Belgium’s Carnival of Aalst. Over the course of 3 days, the streets and businesses of Aalst become home to dancers, musicians, actors, festive parades, and an amazing collection of costumes. The most infamous event of the weekend is when various performance groups provide satirical takes on world events from the past year. Attendees are encouraged to join in the fun by dressing up, face painting, and donning wacky accessories!
Reviewed By Levensgenieter365 - Aalst, Belgium
Ooit was Carnaval een feest voor iedereen maar in Oilst is het gedegradeerd tot een gigantische zwijnenfeest voor marginalen welk de belastingbetaler handenvol geld kost.
Vernielingen, zatte en ordinaire carnavalvierders die nooit op hun verantwoordelijkheden worden gewezen door bange politici die maar laten begaan.
Zeker niet aan te bevelen tenzij je zelf zatlap bent natuurlijk.
5. 't Gasthuys - Civic Museum
Overall Ratings
4 based on 23 reviews
Reviewed By Katrien S - Ghent, Belgium
This is a small museum housed in a converted hospital build in 1600. Entrance is for free, and inside the 4 famous "Aalstenaars" are honoured, from Dirk Martens who was the first printer in this part of the world, father Daens, who was fought for worker conditions (and was therefore thrown out of the church), Louis Paul Boon an author also engaged with the working class men, and Saedeleer, a painter. The last one is represented with a room of his paintings and some of his etches. There is also a room with modern Belgian art. Further the museum has a section on Carnival in Aalst, which now is listed as immaterial UNESCO World Heritage. Well worth a visit, but explanations seemed to be only in Dutch.
6. Dender Bicycle Trails
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By vuurvis - Aalst, Belgium
If you travel by bike or just want to make a tour starting from Aalst, don't hesitate. This is the best option you have. A traffic- free route along the river. The most beautiful side to choose is to Geraardsbergen, since the other side to Dendermonde is more straight, but here you can reach a higher speed as it is also larger.
i do not recommend this routes for hiking, because of the large number of bikers.
7. Stadspark
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
The Aalst park is situated a mere 800m from the city center and provides a peaceful,green oasis with a large variety of trees and plants. During the summer months of July and August every Monday people can enjoy the Engie Parkies Concerts and children have a large playground at their disposal. There's also a chalet in the middle of the park offering drinks and snacks.
Reviewed By Margot V - Aalst, Belgium
This large city park has something to offer for everyone. Nature enthusiasts find a large botanical variety and two big ponds, sports fanatics can go for beautiful jogs around the park, there's free Concerts in the summer and kids can play at a large playground. Plenty of nice spots to go for a picknick or just visit the "Melkhuisje" for a drink and a small bite to eat.
8. Jesuit Church
Overall Ratings
4 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By Amazon122s - Santa Comba Dao, Portugal
Jesuit Church – Pont street Aalst.
For sure when you ask somebody to indicate you the Jesuit Church in the Pont street, they send you immediately to the Saint Martin’s Church, but this is not the place to be, we know this now!
Starting on the Great Marked place after you have visited the Belfry and Municipal Hall, you enter in the Pont street, and then when you have passed the Saint Martin’s Church, you have on your right hand side a nice Baroque Façade, and behind this façade is the “Jesuit Church”.
They started building this church in 1708, but only finished the works in 1729 due to financial problems.
The church also has a crypt who contains 23 Jesuit graves.
The church became the status of Protected Monument in 1997.
Look good to the pictures of this review to find the church, who is in reality a “College” so you cannot walk into it like you do in a normal church (when open).
9. Quartier A
Overall Ratings
4 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By Marc M - Ternat, Belgium
Expo, evenementen, voorstellingen ... dit alles binnen een mooi heropgewerkte woning met 'loods'. Het geheel wordt beheerd door jonge mensen met een kunstzinnig en commercieel inzicht.
Met een beperkte bar en massa's mogelijkheden! Chapeau!
