Discover Hillegem: Trails, History and Wine

Hillegem combines varied trails with a remarkable local history. The elevated village centre, the Doormansbeek Valley and historic farmsteads reveal different sides of Hillegem. For your travel planning, it is worth choosing a holiday apartment or other accommodation according to the pace of holiday you want: longer hikes, historical details or a peaceful exploration of the village and landscape can take centre stage.

Hiking trails for different day plans

The Hillegem Route is 9.3 km long and takes around 2 hours and 11 minutes to walk. It starts at Kerkplein Hillegem. If you prefer a shorter route, you can choose the shortened version of 6.4 km; this also starts at Hillegemplein. This allows two clearly different route lengths to be incorporated into your daily planning without removing the local history and landscape from your itinerary.

Another landscape highlight is the Doormansbeek Valley on the border between Hillegem and Herzele, which is considered an ecologically valuable valley area. Doormansbos and a nearby old flax-retting pit on Ternatstraat form the southern part of the valley. Natuurpunt Denderstreek has created a signposted circular trail to Doormansbos. In summer, the northern section of Diepestraat forms a green canopy with its overgrown embankments. Those who want to combine nature observation with exploring the village will find a suitable focus here for an active day.

History Visible in Specific Places

Among the notable historic buildings is the former Hillegem presbytery, dating from 1750. The brick building has shutters, windows with painted bands and a dormer window from the 19th century. Hof de Meierij also tells of the village’s past: it was one of three tenant farms owned by Ghent’s Sint-Pieters Abbey in Hillegem. The farm was first mentioned in 1364. Hof ten Berge is a historic quadrangular farmstead; the oldest documented mention of a tenant farm at this site dates from 1424.

A reconstruction of a Roman milestone was installed in 2019 at an elevated point near Hillegem. It indicates distances in Gallic leagues to Velzeke and Asse. One leuga corresponds to 2,222 m; the distances given are 4 leagues to Velzeke and 12 leagues to Asse. Hillegem’s wooden windmill was moved from Ghent to Hof de Meierij in 1734, but was completely demolished in 1944. A garden now occupies the former site.

Church, Cemetery and Small Local Details

The Sint-Bartholomeus Church is a basilical neo-Gothic church built between 1877 and 1880. The present-day tower dates from 1890. The historic surroundings also include gravestones in eclectic, geometric Art Deco and modernist styles in the cemetery. At a crossroads of farm tracks stands a field and boundary cross, which is believed to have been erected around 1880. These individual elements provide additional stopping points on walks through Hillegem without requiring every outing to be a major sightseeing programme.

Winegrowing and Historic Transport Routes

A vineyard named Piro is located in the Briel district. Wijndomein Piro lists Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Auxerrois and Cabernet Dorsa among the grape varieties grown in its vineyards in Herzele, Hillegem and Bottelare. For travellers interested in regional produce as well as the landscape and architectural history, this connection with winegrowing adds another facet to the villagescape.

Transport history is also part of Hillegem’s development. Railway line 89 between Kortrijk and Denderleeuw was built between 1867 and 1868 and contributed to population growth in Hillegem. Until shortly after the Second World War, the “fossetreinen” on line 82 between Aalst and Ronse also stopped in Hillegem. These rail connections are part of the local history.

Putting Hillegem’s Accommodation Location into Context

When searching for a holiday apartment in Hillegem, you can first decide which experiences should shape your stay. The longer Hillegem Route is suitable for a more extensive day of hiking, while the 6.4 km variant allows for a more compact plan. For culture-focused days, the presbytery, Sint-Bartholomeus Church, historic farmsteads and milestone offer specific themes. Those who want to combine landscape and local history can include the Doormansbeek Valley, the circular trail to Doormansbos or Diepestraat in their selection. If you would like to compare other places, you can also view Sint-Lievens-Esse.

For the higher-level travel overview: Herzele.