City history, nature and trails

Discover Zoutleeuw through its many highlights: the city’s architecture, religious traditions, walks and nature. Het Vinne is also one of the region’s distinctive features.

Het Vinne and walks

Het Vinne is home to Flanders’ only natural inland lake. In July 2025, the province announced its designation as a Type 4 nature reserve, combining nature conservation with education and gentle recreation. Het Vinne is open daily from sunrise to sunset. As local conditions may change, check the latest visitor information before your visit.

For an archaeological walk, the app takes you along the remains of the old city walls and the Spanish citadel on the Vestengordel route. The full walk is 5 kilometres long and takes about two hours. Another route option is the Vestenwandeling: popular for many years, this approximately 4-kilometre trail passes through the centre, along the Kleine Gete and around the green outskirts of Zoutleeuw. The two descriptions emphasise different measures: an approximate duration is given for the Vestengordel, while an approximate length is given for the Vestenwandeling.

Other options differ in how they present the experience. The 4-kilometre Monnikenwandeling is not signposted. The 1-kilometre “Zoutleeuws erfgoed, vroeger en nu” photo quest uses the ErfgoedApp to explore the protected historic centre interactively, using old photographs of notable buildings. ZEN in Zoutleeuw presents local history from the perspective of Korneel, a boy from Zoutleeuw who lived in 1780. Zonneleeuw is a cycling and art route in Vincent Van Gogh’s footsteps; Lewa is a 2.5-kilometre digital walking route through medieval Zoutleeuw. Check whether these two routes are available before travelling.

Town hall, Cloth Hall and historic setting

The Historic Town Hall was built between 1530 and 1538 to a design by Rombout II Keldermans. It is considered a rather rare architectural monument from the transition between Gothic and Renaissance. The Cloth Hall offers a different perspective on the city’s architectural history: it is a late Gothic building with an upper floor, built against the wall of the first line of fortifications. This wall still forms its rear façade today. On 1 January 1316, Zoutleeuw received permission from John III, Duke of Brabant, to build the Cloth Hall. The Grote Markt also contributes to the historic setting and recalls the city’s medieval wealth.

Churches and religious traditions

The Sint-Leonarduskerk in Zoutleeuw is one of Flanders’ richest town churches. The Sint-Leonardusprocessie has taken place here on Whit Monday since 1274, expressing local popular devotion to the city’s patron saint. Details of the programme may vary from year to year.

Another landmark in the history of religion is the Kapel van de Ossenweg. The late Gothic chapel was built in 1538 and soon became a place of pilgrimage. Inside is an apostle bench dating from 1613. A rosary procession takes place around the chapel every year: on Sunday, 8 September, or the following Sunday. The two processions follow different scheduling rules: Whit Monday for the Sint-Leonardusprocessie and the September rule for the rosary procession.

Tailor your stay to your interests

The trails vary in length and character; comparing them can help you choose experiences that suit your stay, without trying to fit every stop into a single itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Kampenhout, Orp-Jauche, Ottignies-Louvain-La-Neuve, Sint-Kwintens-Lennik, La Hulpe, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Braine-L'alleud, Bekkevoort

For the broader travel guide: Brabant.