The best city hikes and walks in Demervallei Tussen Aarschot En Diest

Let the stream serve as your Ariane thread to Aarschot. The path follows the bank to drop you at the gates of the station. The end of the path, however, takes on rougher, more industrial tones, notably sliding under the dark arch of a bridge. A striking urban transition, but one that calls for vigilance: this last segment is shared with the livelier pace of cyclists.

The stairs to the Citadel of Diest connect the city center with the historic and renovated citadel domain on the Allerheiligenberg. These stairs are part of the site's redevelopment and offer hikers a smooth and direct climb to the top. At the top of the stairs, you have this beautiful view over the city.

The Church of Our Lady of Diest is located on the corner of Bruidstraat and Begijnestraat in the center of Diest. The sober church is mainly made of iron sandstone in a Gothic style typical of the region. It is therefore an important example of early Demer Gothic. In 1211, a chapel stood on this site, serving as the castle chapel for the Lords of Diest. They resided in a castle on the Warande. The Church of Our Lady was built between 1253 and 1288, in an early Gothic style. Beggars destroyed the church and stole all the metal when the church wardens did not comply with their financial demands. The church lost the storeys of its tower when it collapsed in 1612. In 1777, it received a new bluestone portal in Baroque style. The bluestone rose window in the west facade is striking. During the night of July 2-3, 1830, the vaults of the choir collapsed. It was considered not to repair the church anymore due to the high repair costs. At the end of the 19th century, the church was renovated, and the addition of a 65 m high tower was considered. This did not happen. Source: https://www.diest-online.be/onze-lieve-vrouwekerk/

The Schaffense Poort (or Schaffensepoort) is one of the oldest city gates of Diest. The gate was already part of the medieval city walls. During the construction of the 19th-century fortifications of Diest (defensive belt around Diest), the Schaffense Poort was rebuilt between 1837 and 1844. The gate was built around 1840 by Louis Beeckman. In 1951, there were plans to demolish this gate after German troops had seriously damaged it during the war. This did not happen due to opposition from the Royal Commission for Monuments and Landscapes. Since 1996, the gate (as part of the fortifications) has been protected as a monument.

Diest originated on the banks of the Demer. It was the Celts who built a first settlement here. The river name Demer would therefore also originate from the Celtic language and would mean as much as “Dark River”. The name Diest would in turn mean “Settlement along the Divine river”. The medieval city center of Diest developed along the Demer banks, which offered the city many advantages in terms of trade over the centuries. After the demolition of the city walls in the 20th century, the Demer had been reduced to a stinking open sewer over the years and it was decided to bury the Demer. Decades later, it turns out that the city's liveability is suffering enormously from traffic congestion, and fortunately it was decided to reopen the Demer. In September 2012, the first phase of the major project to reopen the Demer in Diest began. The works were completed in 2016.

The Saspoort, also called the Demerpoort, is a historic water gate in the city of Diest. The gate was built in the 19th century as part of the military defense belt around the city. It served as a water regulator and passage for the Demer river at the fortifications.

Follow the flow of the water...

Little chapel