Rubrouck - Villages de Flandre / Charmante dorpen

Rubrouck is a village where the Flemish language is still alive, as evidenced by both its name and the street names. A few engraved stones around the church also bear witness to this heritage. In Rubrouck, the Flemish word brouck denotes that the village was once "marshy land". The ancient word ru or ruw means "scrubby". These terms tell us that Rubrouck was once an area of marshland dotted with thorn bushes.
An organized parish appeared as early as the early 12th century, when the church tithe was confirmed by Pope Calixtus II in favor of the abbey of Notre-Dame de Bourbourg. A considerable part of Rubrouck?s lands came under the jurisdiction of the sovereign, Count of Flanders or Lord of Cassel, then of the King of Spain, and from 1678 (date of the Treaty of Nijmegen), of the King of France. Other parts of the territory are under the control of individual seigneuries, such as Clytte or Belhof. A village in the Houtland region, Rubrouck lies close to the ancient shoreline, just a few kilometers from the polder area known as Blootland (bare land), conquered from the sea at the end of the first millennium. Home to Frère Guillaume, author of a journey to the heart of Genghis Khan?s Mongol empire in the 13th century, the village is now twinned with this country. Away from the busy roads, it has also preserved its typical setting and traditional habitat. The massive church is still surrounded by its cemetery, bordered by a hedge of local species. Hedgerows and centuries-old oaks mark the landscape, while gardens invite you into the center of the village.
Rubrouck is part of the "Villages de Flandre / Charmante dorpen" network.

DATAtourisme France