Spring walk in the gardens of Hoegaarden

In the early Middle Ages, Hoegaarden belonged to the County of Brunengruz, ruled by Countess Alpaïdis. At the end of the 10th century, she founded a chapter of canons called Huardis. After his death in 987, Otto III gave the County of Brunengruz to Notger, Bishop of Liège. Hoegaarden became Liège territory and formed a Liège enclave in the Duchy of Brabant. Until the abdication of Charles V in 1555, Hoegaarden enjoyed a relatively quiet period. However, when King Philip II of Spain sent Duke Alva to the Netherlands to maintain order, Hoegaarden experienced the necessary inconveniences.

In 1673 and the following years, Hoegaarden had to constantly face the violence of the war: Liège supported the ambitions of Louis XIV.
Under Austrian rule (1713-1794), Hoegaarden experienced its golden age. Overall prosperity, mainly due to the beer industry, has increased dramatically. In 1726 there were 36 breweries and about 110 malting plants.

Thanks to this prosperity, the collegiate church of Saint-Gorgon was rebuilt in 1754.
The French Revolution marked the turning point and made Hoegaarden a Brabant commune. Today, Hoegaarden is a small, quiet rural village in the province of Flemish Brabant.
Since June 1991, the 4 ha chapter park has been home to a unique initiative in Belgium, namely the
Hoegaarden Gardens: more than 20 themed gardens hidden among the centuries
trees of the Kapittelpark, including the King Baudouin Garden since May 1995.
Here you can get ideas for decorating your garden, finding special plant species or enjoying
just nature. Jardin d'aubaines, exotic garden, rose garden, perennial border and beer garden.
You will find all this here and much more! In spring, the earliest of thousands of flower bulbs already set the tone for the season with their ever-recurring color splendour. Let yourself be inspired all year round!

Source: www.gemeentehoegaarden.be and www.detuinenvanhoegaarden.be

Accessibility

Car
E40 Brussels-Liège exit 25 - N29 direction Hoegaarden.
Parking: Gemeentepein

OV
SNCB: Tienen station.
Line Tienen-Hoegaarden - Jodoigne, nr 360, stop corner Doelstraat.
Line Wijgmaal - Leuven - Neervelp - Hoegaarden, nr 6, stop Gemeentehuis.
Line dial-a-bus Tienen-Tirlemont-Hoegaarden - Boutersem, nr 713, stop corner Doelstraat