Discover Gerhardsbergen: Muur, Culture and Nature

Gerhardsbergen surprises visitors with an unusual mix of a distinctive cycling route, regional history, special buildings, natural areas and culinary traditions. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment for a varied trip can shape their stay around very different interests: sportily at the Muur van Geraardsbergen, with a focus on culture in the town and its buildings, or close to nature in the surrounding landscapes.

Oudenberg, Muur and sweeping views

The Muur van Geraardsbergen is a 1,075-metre-long cobblestone climb with a maximum gradient of 20 percent. The route leads to the 110-metre-high summit of the Oudenberg. From there, visitors can enjoy panoramic views across the surrounding region. This makes it possible to include the Oudenberg as a focus in your trip planning: anyone who wants to combine a distinctive cycling experience with a viewpoint will find a clearly identifiable destination here.

The Oriëntatietafel Oudenberg also offers a special perspective. From there, the view extends across the entire Dender Valley. For families with different interests, this viewpoint can provide a peaceful counterpoint to a more active day, without committing the trip to a single holiday theme.

Culture between chapel, church and tradition

The Oudenbergkapel stands on the Oudenberg. This Neo-Baroque chapel was built in 1905–1906 as a free copy of a chapel dating from 1640. The interior of Sint-Bartholomeuskerk is exceptionally well preserved. It includes the stained-glass windows, altarpieces and lights on the choir stalls. These varied impressions also make Gerhardsbergen interesting for travellers who want to discover architecture and religious art not merely as a side activity, but as a fixed part of their days.

Another special feature is the Manneken Pis of Geraardsbergen. It is 160 years older than the statue in Brussels. The Manneken-Pis Museum displays 365 costumes associated with the Manneken Pis of Geraardsbergen (as of 2025). The centuries-old double festival Krakelingen & Tonnekensbrand was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010. The festival includes a historic procession with around 1,000 predominantly local volunteers.

Nature and active days

De Nuchten comprises a swamp forest area with kingfishers and bitterns. The particularly wet sections are equipped with a boardwalk. Anyone who wants to include nature observation and walks in their trip planning will find a completely different landscape here from the stone climb of the Oudenberg.

Provinciaal Domein De Gavers has a swimming pond with a beach area where visitors can play beach volleyball. The area also has mountain-bike courses as well as opportunities for kayaking and rowing. This allows travellers to choose between culture, exercise and water activities without structuring their entire stay around a single experience.

Experience a regional speciality for yourself

Geraardsbergse mattentaart is also part of Gerhardsbergen. This pastry speciality originated in the Middle Ages and may only be produced in Gerhardsbergen and the neighbouring municipality of Lierde. In a workshop, participants make the pastries themselves. They are baked on site and can be taken home after about an hour. This is a tangible way to not only taste the local food culture, but also combine it with an activity of your own.

The right accommodation for your trip planning

Gerhardsbergen is easy to reach by train. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore first consider what focus you want your trip to have: views and Oudenberg, culture and architecture, nature observation, water activities or regional cuisine. A holiday apartment in Gerhardsbergen offers a suitable base for further planning, without requiring you to commit to a single day of your holiday in advance.

For further comparison, these destinations are also available to you: Ghent, Waarschoot, Leopoldsburg, Sint-Martens-Latem, Ursel, Wortegem-Petegem, Berlare and Laarne.

For the overarching travel overview: East Flanders.