AARSCHOT
is a very typical town with a long history, dating back to the era of the Roman emperors, according to myths. The church, which dominates the look of the city, is built with the typical brown stone harvested from the hills in the neighborhood. The same hills that, in the middle ages, were home to some of the most well-regarded vineyards of Europe. Today the chain hills, which originate in Diest and continue as far as Calais in France, are mainly covered with woods and fruit yards.
While the church definitely leaves its mark on the appearance of the city, nothing defines Aarschot better than the river that passes through it: the Demer. Aarschot is situated in the valley of this brown-colored river.
------
SCHERPENHEUVEL
is a place-name meaning sharp (or steep) hill which, since it falls within Dutch-speaking Brabant, is also known as Montaigu. Located just south of the river Demer between Diest and Aardschot, it is held in particular veneration by the inhabitants of the Kempen (provinces of Antwerp and Limburg) across the Demer to the north. However for the annual Candlelight Procession held outdoors at 2pm on the first Sunday after All Saints, thousands of pilgrims flock here from all over Belgium and from other countries as well.
This particular ceremony dates from 1629, when it occurred spontaneously as a special intercession to the Virgin for Relief from an epidemic. Veneration of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel, however goes back much earlier to a time when a statue of the Virgin was discovered in the boughs of an oak tree at the very top of the hill.
The early Baroque church which now houses the statue, draped in a rich Spanish cloak and wearing a crown, was built in 1609. Seven-sided square, out of the model of St. Peter’s Rome, the church stands on a seven-sided square, out of which streets lead to form a small community itself seven-sided in plan. The geometric perfection stems from the fact that Montaigu was constructed all of a piece to the order of Albert and Isabella, the Spanish Hapsburg rulers of the Low Countries after the death of Philip II.
-------
DIEST
Diest is a quiet leafy town, best known for its well preserved Beguinage. Wander around the Beguinage's cobbled streets lined with simple cottages, which are now home to Diest's artists. Diest was also home to Willem I of Orange-Nassau, who fought against the Spanish occupation.

A bog is defined as a mossy, peat-covered or peat-filled wetland (peatland), that develops on open terrain with restricted drainage (i.e., where the amount of water going in exceeds the amount of water going out). The water supply of a bog comes almost exclusively from precipitation, resulting in a nutrient-poor, acidic environment. As a bog has limited external drainage, the surface is frequently covered with small ponds.

When Philip IV of France annexed Flanders in 1301, Bruges led the rebellion against him. The French garrison was massacred (1302), and shortly afterward the citizen-army of Bruges was led to victory in the Battle of the Spurs. Despite frequent political disturbances, Bruges continued to prosper until the Flemish wool industry declined (early 15th cent.) as a result of foreign competition. In addition, the North Sea inlet on which Bruges was located silted up completely by 1490, and the city lost its access to the sea and to its outer ports. By c.1500, Antwerp had replaced Bruges as the chief entrepôt of N Europe. The commercial and industrial revival of Bruges began only in 1895, with the start of extensive repairs to its port; in 1907 the Zeebrugge canal was opened. The city was occupied by the Germans in World Wars I and II.

Bruges was the cradle of Flemish art during the rule (14th–15th cent.) of the Burgundian dukes in Flanders. Jan van Eyck, Gerard David, and many other masters are richly represented in the churches, public buildings, and museums of the city. Among its noted structures are the Hospital of St. John (12th cent.), containing several masterpieces by Hans Memling; the 13th-century market hall or cloth-workers hall, with its famous carillon; the city hall (14th cent.); the Church of Notre Dame (13th–15th cent.), with the tombs of Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgundy and with Michelangelo's Virgin; the Cathedral of St. Salvator (begun 10th cent.); and the Chapel of the Precious Blood (begun 12th cent.), a major site of pilgrimage. The Procession of Holy Blood, an annual religious pageant, takes place on Ascension Day.

Lier lies inbetween the cities of Antwerp and Mechelen and at about 45 minutes from Brussels.
Already inhabited during the Roman period Lier had developed into a town near the river Nete, when in 1212 the Duke of Brabant granted city rights. The economic pillars where the cloth industry and the cattle market. During the first world war the city was heavily damaged but tastefully rebuilt afterwards.

One of the prides of Lier is the "Beguinage" (Dutch : Begijnhof). It dates from the 13th century and ranks among the largest and most beautiful beguinages in Belgium.

Beguinages were founded in most medieval cities of the low countries at the time of the crusades. A lot of women had lost their husbands and wanted to live in protected communities. Most of these women, however, did not want to join a convent or a monastery, where they had to make vows. In the beguinages, the ladies could live like nuns or sisters, without having to make vows that would tie them for the rest of their lives. The system of beguinages continued to exist in the low countries until this century. Most beguinages consisted of a group a small houses, which, together, formed a little separate village inside a city.
(see for more info the descriptions under the pictures!)

Hoogstraten, St.Catharina's church
The magnificent heraldic display of colour in the 16th-century lead glass windows and the tapestries in St. Catharina's Church are absolutely superb. Our remarkable history is brought to life by the many tombs and the choir stalls, each gems of Gothic woodcarving, also dating from the 16th century.
This cathedral of the Holy Blood is also a meeting place for pilgrims. The precious relic is stored in a golden shrine and paraded every year in the famous Procession of the Holy Blood.

Short visit to the Beguinage and the castle.
One of the most beautiful and peaceful beguinages in Belgium can be found in Turnhout. It was founded in the 13th century in the park, called de Warande, which used to surrounded the castle in those days. Over the centuries, this beguinage has known moments of great prosperity, and was at times inhabited by hundreds of beguines. Yet it has not been spared from disasters like fires, looting and outbreaks of the plague. In 1998 the beguinage in Turnhout was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List and now houses mostly senior citizens.
Within walking distance of the market square is the historic castle of the Dukes of Brabant (12th century). Over the years the castle has been continually rebuilt. In the time of Mary of Hungary, Governor of the Netherlands, it was a magnificent building. In the following years the building had a chequered history until in the 18th and 19th centuries it had been so neglected that it was used, amongst other things, as a municipal storehouse. The province purchased the building at the beginning of the 20th century and carried out a thorough restoration after the First World War. It now houses the law courts.

homepage: www.grensparkzk.be
;) for Mike, more in depth info: http://www.wetlands.org/RSDB/_COP9Directory/Directory/3BE005.html