Discover Bomal: Cultural Heritage and Rural Trails

Bomal combines remarkable cultural heritage with trails through the surrounding countryside. Anyone looking for a holiday that combines architecture, regional history and outdoor activity can bring together different day-trip ideas when searching for a holiday apartment in Bomal: exploring the Église Notre-Dame du Rosaire, walking the Coyardes route or cycling the Circuit de la Ramée.

Church and Presbytery as Historical Landmarks

The Église Notre-Dame du Rosaire lies at the heart of the village’s history. The Neoclassical church was built in 1768–1769 from brick and white stone on a high base of quartzite and sandstone. Its tower is probably Romanesque in origin and dates from the 11th or 12th century. Different periods therefore come together in a single building.

The furnishings also offer several specific points of interest for discovering the area’s culture. The church contains a 15th-century Gothic image of Christ, several Baroque statues and a 16th-century baptismal font made of bluestone. The Coyardes route passes through Mont-Saint-André, Bomal and the hamlet of Laloux. Along the way, it makes the history of religious architecture tangible, including at the Romanesque tower of Bomal church.

Le presbytère is a former enclosed presbytery dating from 1737. The building was listed as a protected monument on 6 November 1933 and is regarded as one of Belgium’s earliest protected buildings because of its historical, artistic and architectural significance. Below the Église Notre-Dame du Rosaire lies the Ferme Dumont; only part of the former main building remains. The church and the adjoining Ferme de la Tourette together form the southern boundary of the village of Bomal.

Cycling and Walking Around Bomal

For an active holiday, the Circuit de la Ramée provides a clearly defined route. This rural cycling route is 16.5 km long and follows RAVeL 147 as well as country roads. It connects the villages of Ramillies, Hédenge, Bomal, Glimes and Mont-Saint-André. Those wishing to include this route in their plans can take its length into account when organising their day and include Bomal among the places along the route in their travel plans.

The Coyardes walking route has a different focus. It draws attention to the religious architecture along its course through Mont-Saint-André, Bomal and Laloux. This makes it possible to choose between a cycling day and a walking day according to the desired pace of travel: the cycling route offers a defined rural route of 16.5 km, while the walking route focuses on the historical perspective of churches and religious buildings.

Water, Mills and Landscape

The history of water power is also part of Bomal’s character. The Moulin Grognard lies about 100 metres downstream from the Moulin de La Ramée and is now located within the territory of Bomal. The Grande Gette provided enough flow to power the undershot water wheels of the Moulin de La Ramée and the lower-lying Moulin Grognard. This connection between the waterway and the history of the mills adds another regional theme to the view of the church and historic buildings.

To improve biodiversity and the landscape, 100 willows were planted along the Grande Gette in Petit Rosières and Bomal. For travel planning, this creates another connection with the landscape, without limiting Bomal to a single type of holiday. Families and other groups of travellers can give different weight to cultural visits, a walk and a cycling tour according to their interests.

Bomal as a Base for Your Holiday Search

Accommodation in Bomal is an especially suitable search option for travellers who want to plan their stay around the local cultural heritage and the routes mentioned above. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can therefore first decide whether the church, former presbytery, history of the mills or routes should take centre stage.

For further destinations in the same navigation section, you can visit Bertem, Jette, Aarschot, Jodoigne, La Hulpe, Ramillies, Linter and Court-Saint-Etienne.

To the higher-level travel overview: Brabant.