Oudenaarde

Oudenaarde is a city and municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders, Belgium. It includes the city of Oudenaarde and several smaller towns such as Bevere, Eine, Ename, Melden, and Welden.

During the 15th to 18th centuries, especially in the 16th century, Oudenaarde became well-known for making tapestries. The name Oudenaarde means "old field" and is connected to an old English word "outnal" for a type of brown linen thread.

History

The history of Oudenaarde begins in the year 974, when a leader named Otto II built a fort to protect his kingdom. Over time, the nearby town of Ename grew quickly and became very important. Later, Oudenaarde itself became a busy place, especially in the 11th century, when it became known for making beautiful tapestries and cloth. The city built many churches and important buildings and was a strong supporter of the leaders of Flanders.

Oudenaarde faced hard times during wars and changes in leadership. After facing attacks and losing many people, the city's busy days ended. It was attacked several times and had to build stronger walls for protection. In 1708, a big battle happened nearby during a war called the War of the Spanish Succession. The city saw more difficult times during World War I and World War II but was later liberated by British forces.

Beer

Oudenaarde is famous for making a special kind of beer called Oud bruin, especially from the Liefmans Brewery.

Oud Bruin, also called Flanders Brown, comes from the Flemish area of Belgium. This beer is aged for a long time, up to a year. It has a sour taste because of extra fermentation and bottle aging with yeast and bacteria.

Sights

Oudenaarde has many interesting places to see. The Town Hall and its Belfry were named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. Inside the Town Hall, you can see a special collection of Oudenaarde tapestries.

Two churches in Oudenaarde, the Church of Our Lady of Pamele and the Church of St Walburga, are also worth visiting. There is a museum called the Centrum Tour of Flanders that tells the story of the famous cycling race, the Tour of Flanders. In the village of Mater, you can find Belgium's smallest craft brewery, the Smisje Brewery.

Events

Oudenaarde has many fun events each year. In June, there is a beer fest, and in the summer, an open-air musical festival takes place. Every February, an agricultural fair is held.

Every ten years, a huge floral display is held on the market square, called Grote Markt. The last big floral display was in 2005.

Newspaper

Oudenaarde once had its own newspaper called the Gazette van Audenaerde.

Sports

Oudenaarde has an exciting football club called KSV Oudenaarde.

Every spring, the famous women's cycling race, the Tour of Flanders voor Vrouwen, begins in Oudenaarde. The men's Tour of Flanders also passes through the town and climbs the Koppenberg hill. The Koppenbergcross cyclo-cross race is held there too and is part of the BPost Bank Trophy.

There is also a rugby club in Oudenaarde named Rhinos Rugby Oudenaarde, which was chosen as the coolest club in Flanders in 2018.

Notable inhabitants

Oudenaarde has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Some well-known figures include Arnold of Soissons, a saint who lived from 1040 to 1087, and Margaret of Parma, daughter of Charles V and Regent of the Netherlands, who lived from 1522 to 1586.

The city also saw the birth of artists like painter Adriaen Brouwer (1605–1638) and writer Reimond Stijns (1850–1905), as well as many athletes, including cyclists such as Arthur Decabooter (1936–2012), Eric Van Lancker (born 1961), and Mario De Clercq, a three-time world cyclo-cross champion (born 1966).

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Belgium

Twin towns—sister cities

• Coburg, Germany (1972)
• Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands (1986)
• Castel Madama, Italy (1986)
• Arras, France (1990)
• Hastings, United Kingdom (1991)
• Buzău, Romania (2007)