Geraardsbergen

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title: "Geraardsbergen" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["municipalities-of-east-flanders", "populated-places-in-east-flanders", "geraardsbergen"] topic_path: "general/municipalities-of-east-flanders" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraardsbergen" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox Belgium municipality"]

Field	Value
name	Geraardsbergen
picture	File:Geraardsbergen-Grammont(Belg).jpg
picture-legend	Montage of Geraardsbergen
map	Geraardbergen East-Flanders Belgium Map.svg
map-legend	Location of Geraardsbergen in East Flanders
arms	Geraardsbergen wapen.svg
flag	Geraardsbergen vlag.svg
province	East Flanders
arrondissement	Aalst
nis	41018
mayor	Ann Panis (Open VLD)
majority	CD&V, Open VLD
postal-codes	9500, 9506
telephone-area	054
web
coordinates
imagesize	250px
::

|name = Geraardsbergen |picture = File:Geraardsbergen-Grammont(Belg).jpg |picture-legend = Montage of Geraardsbergen |map = Geraardbergen East-Flanders Belgium Map.svg |map-legend = Location of Geraardsbergen in East Flanders |arms = Geraardsbergen wapen.svg |flag = Geraardsbergen vlag.svg |province = East Flanders |arrondissement = Aalst |nis = 41018 |mayor = Ann Panis (Open VLD) |majority = CD&V, Open VLD |postal-codes = 9500, 9506 |telephone-area = 054 |web = |coordinates = |imagesize=250px}}

Geraardsbergen (; ) is a city and municipality located in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Geraardsbergen proper and the following towns: :, , , , , , , , , , , Viane, , and .

In 2021, Geraardsbergen had a total population of 33,970. The total area is 79.71 km2.

The current mayor of Geraardsbergen is Ann Panis, from the (liberal) party Open VLD.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Geraardsbergen_1649_Blaeu.jpg" caption="Geraardsbergen in 1649"] ::

Geraardsbergen is one of the oldest cities in Belgium. It came into existence close to the settlement of Hunnegem and in 1068 was one of the first communities in Western Europe to be granted city status.

The city was destroyed in 1381 by Walter IV of Enghien and his troops. According to legend, during the siege local people threw some of their left over food over the city wall to show that they had sufficient food to survive a long siege. This bravado notwithstanding, the city was still captured by Enghien's troops. Every year the city organizes the krakelingenworp carnival on top of the hill at Oudenberg (111 m) to celebrate this historical event.

On 29May 1815, shortly before the Battle of Waterloo, Wellington and Blücher reviewed the Allied cavalry here. Some 6,000 troops were paraded in meadows on the banks of the Dender between Geraardsbergen and Jedeghem.

Places of interest

Manneken Pis, possibly the oldest such statue, perhaps older than the more famous one in Brussels.
The wall, a steep street paved with cobblestones, climbed every year by cyclists during the Tour of Flanders.
Boelare Castle, seat of the former feudal domain Land (Barony) of Boelare.
Overboelare Airfield, small glider airfield with a Douglas C-54A Skymaster (DC-4) as gate guard.

Geraardsbergen_Markt_R02.jpg|Market place Geraardsbergen_stadhuis.jpg|Town hall 0 Grammont - Manneke Pis (2).JPG|Manneke Pis is the most famous statue of Geraardsbergen Muur van Geraardsbergen.JPG|De Muur van Geraardsbergen (the Wall of Geraarsbergen) PriorijHunnegem.jpg|Priory of Hunnegem, 2005 0 Grammont - Chapelle N-D de la Vieille Montagne (1).JPG|Chapel of Our Lady of the Oudenberg (1724)

Mattentaart

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Mattentaart.JPG" caption="nl}}"] ::

Geraardsbergen is known for the , a type of sweet pastry. This is made with matten paste or cheese curd.

The mattentaart was granted Protected Geographical Indication status by the European Union in 2006, indicating they can only be made in Geraardsbergen or in the nearby municipality of Lierde.

Notable individuals

(1116–1196)
William of Moerbeke (1215–1286), first translator of Aristotle's works into Latin
(1415–1460), scrivenist and scribe ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Gabriel_Grupello.png" caption="Gabriel Grupello"] ::
Gabriël Grupello (1644-1730), Flemish Baroque sculptor
Frans Rens (1805-1874), Flemish scholar, active in the Flemish Movement
Robert de Foy (1893–1960), Belgian magistrate, and head of the Belgian State Security Service
(1893–1949), painter
Frans Van Coetsem (1919-2002), Belgian-born linguist and university teacher (Leuven, Leiden and Cornell )
Cyriel Delannoit (1926-1998), boxer, European champion 1948
Paul Van den Berghe (born 1933), Belgium Bishop in the Roman Catholic Church
Ferdi Van Den Haute (born 1952), cyclist
Guido De Padt (born 1954), politician
Jan Callebaut (1955-2022), communication and marketing advisor and entrepreneur
Marie-Christine Deurbroeck (born 1957), long-distance runner
Michaël Borremans (born 1963), painter and filmmaker
Alain Van Den Bossche (born 1965), cyclist
Maarten Larmuseau (born 1983), genetic genealogist at KU Leuven
Dean Delannoit (born 1989), singer
Storm De Beul (2002–2024), Belgian YouTuber

References

"Bevolking per statistische sector - Sector 41018".
"Stad Geraardsbergen - Geschiedenis van de stad Geraardsbergen".
"Stad Geraardsbergen - Krakelingen & Tonnekensbrand (Eng)".
[[Alexander Cavalié Mercer. Cavalié Mercer]], ''Journal of the [[Waterloo Campaign]] Kept throughout the Campaign of 1815'', Da Capo Press, 1995
(2006-01-06). "Summary, Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 'Geraardsbergse Mattentaart'". Official Journal of the European Union.
"Mattentaart".

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