Discover Ninove: City History, the Dender and a Cycling Tour

Ninove between City History and the Dender

Ninove reveals its history not only through individual buildings. The city centre has preserved its medieval street pattern well, while the Dender flows through the city centre. In addition, there is a Baroque church, archaeological remains, a preserved city gate and a long cycling route. This allows you to discover Ninove according to your travel plans: through its cultural history, on a city tour or by bicycle.

The historic structure of the centre is a good starting point for anyone interested in the development of a city. The Koepoort is the only surviving one of Ninove’s four former city gates. As a standalone building, it illustrates the former city fortifications without requiring you to plan an extensive collection of sights.

Abbey Church, Archaeological Site and Hospital Chapel

Ninove’s Abbey Church, the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, is a Baroque church. The archaeological site next to the Abbey Church has brought to light remains of Gothic and Neoclassical abbey buildings. The foundations that are visible today are particularly illustrative: they belong to the Neoclassical monastery built between 1761 and 1794 on the orders of Abbot Ferdinand Van der Eecken.

The Hospital Chapel is also part of Ninove’s historic side. The present-day Hospital Chapel was built in 1763 to replace the dilapidated former chapel. It also provides tourist information. This means that a visit need not focus solely on a single building, but can be combined with a closer exploration of the history of the place.

City Tour or Cycling Tour

On a guided city tour of Ninove, a walk of around two hours forms the core of the visit. This is a suitable option if you want to explore the city not only independently by visiting individual buildings, but also to experience its historic character in a connected tour.

Those who prefer to experience Ninove by bicycle can choose the clearly defined 39-kilometre “Ninove-Congoberg” cycling tour. It starts at Ninove’s old town hall. The route length is a concrete factor in planning your day; at the same time, the starting point provides an easily recognisable landmark for beginning the cycling tour.

Find a Holiday Apartment or Holiday Home to Suit Your Travel Style

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Ninove, you can use your preferred travel style as your starting point. If city history is the main focus, the Abbey Church, archaeological site, Hospital Chapel and Koepoort are important considerations for your planning. If you would like to combine culture and activity, you can consider the guided city tour and the cycling tour as different options for your day.

For a family trip, this selection is especially helpful because you can choose between a more culture-focused visit and a more active outing without having to change locations. Your decision should be guided by the experiences you have planned and the pace of travel you prefer.

More Destinations for Planning Your Trip

If you would like to compare Ninove with other places or extend your trip to include several destinations, you can also view the pages on Ghent, Sint-Martens-Latem, Oosterzele, Hamme, Hoeselt, Kruibeke, Beveren and Stekene. This makes it easier to determine whether Ninove, with its combination of a medieval urban pattern, religious architectural history, the Dender and cycling experiences, is a good fit for your planned trip.

For the higher-level travel overview: East Flanders.