The 12th century was one of the darkest, most violent periods in the history of the Low Countries. The constant wars and invasions took a huge toll on the male population who fought in them and led directly to a dramatic decrease in the availability of marriageable men. The resulting surplus of women led to the founding of the Béguines, a Christian sect devoted to rescuing single women from a life of penury and immorality. The women were housed in Béguinages, rows of small houses built around a church and courtyard and protected from the outside world by a high brick wall. The women did not take religious orders, but they were expected to perform community services. These good deeds made the Béguinages very popular until the 17th century, when a drift into mysticism put them on a collision course with the Pope. The last Beguine of Belgium, one Sister Marcella, died in 2008, at age 88. But the Béguinages, even though still occupied, had long ceased to perform their function. in 1998, UNESCO added the Flemish Béguinages as a group to its list of World Heritage Sites. By far the largest Béguinage was built in Ghent, but at one time nearly every sizeable Belgian town had a community. The Béguinage in Lier is one of the better preserved. Most of the homes remain occupied, so there is a limit to how much you can see. But if you arrive here around sunset, when the church bells toll for evening prayers, you wll see the gorgeous houses empty their aging occupants (male and female) onto the street. read more

Flemish Béguinages - Hotels & Travel Near Me - Lier, VAN

I love a Begiunage and this is the best one in the country, even better than the one in Bruges. Lier is an amazing little Flemish town - it's like Bruges without the tourists - and wandering around this one was awesome. There was a local artist who had an exhibition in one of the houses, he explained how the place works: the town owns all of the buildings inside; they rent them out to tenants, and you can make approved renovations, and deduct the costs of them from your rent. There are two small churches inside that are open irregularly. The doors close 10pm-7am. read more