Sint-Truiden, a Winery and our Annual General Meeting

Update April 20th

It seems that there is a meeting of the Sikh community in Sint-Truiden this Saturday afternoon.
This means that the Veemarkt car park must be traffic-free from 12 noon. Since we leave the cars at 9.30am and don’t pick them up until 2.45pm, we have to park our cars elsewhere and change our meeting point upon arrival.
Please, make sure you arrive well in time to find a parking space.

Alternative parking spots:

   – the parking before the Begijnhof (Speelhoflaan)
   – part of the Speelhoflaan
   – Schurhoven
   – near the church of Schurhoven
   – On crowded Saturdays people often park on the N722 behind the cemetery, which is a 10 minutes walk to the meeting point.

Meeting point:  Entrance gate of ‘t Speelhof, Speelhoflaan 5

‘t Speelhof is also the restaurant where we will have lunch and where our AGM will take place.
Those who arrive by train do not have to come to the meeting point as the House Nagels is near to the station, see note below.

Lunch and AGM:

Please note that we ordered the standard lunch for everyone. Vegetarians, please inform us as soon as possible!

Our AGM (Annual General Meeting) will take place there as well, before lunch, and will be chaired by our Vice Chair Carole Ducastel-Hazlewood. Our Chairman Jan had to unexpectedly cancel his attendance.

After lunch we will be able to see the end of the Sikh-gathering.
Click here for more information abouth the Sikhs of Sint-Truiden

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Sint-Truiden, located on the southern edge of the province of Limburg, is surrounded by hundreds of hectares of apple, pear and cherry orchards. In spring, the blossoms color the landscape white and pink making it a popular tourist attraction.

The city owes its name to Sint-Trudo, a Frankish nobleman who founded a community of monks here in 665, which would later develop into the abbey of Sint-Truiden.

We start our journey with a visit to “Huis Nagels“, a remarkable notary house from the end of the 19th century. The eclectic interior consists of a successful combination of styles, Gothic, Louis XV, Egyptian decor, … The owners, who lived in the UK for several years, will show us around in English and Dutch. At the end of the visit they offer us a light refreshment.

On the way to the restaurant, Peter Dufaux, NTAB member, resident of Sint-Truiden and former deputy mayor for monuments, takes us along the most important historical highlights, such as the market square, the town hall with belfry tower, the Church of Our Lady, the abbey tower, …

Our AGM (Annual General Meeting) takes place in the restaurant.

After lunch there is an opportunity to have a look at the nearby beguinage with its 13th-century Sint-Agnes church, famous for its 14th-16th C. murals. In 1998, UNESCO registered the site on the World Heritage List, along with several other Flemish beguinages.

A short drive takes us to the wine estate “Gloire de Duras” for a commented tour (EN – NL) and tasting of the local products.

We conclude our outing with a farewell drink in the nearby Wilderen distillery and brewery where you can also taste the regional craft ale.

How to get there:

By car: E40 exit 25 (Sint-Truiden) or E314 exit 25 (Halen)
By train: Railway station Sint-Truiden

Note:
if you plan to come by train, please notify Emile (0474 566 187).
Huis Nagels (Stationstraat 33) where our day starts, is only 200 meters from the railway station.
You don’t have to walk all the way from the station to the city centre.
Furthermore, you will be offered a lift for the visit to the wine estate and will be taken back to the station at the end of the day.