Pearls of Hageland

On a splendid sunny day, we were lucky to have a very pleasant and interesting outing in the Two Pearls of Hageland, Horst Castle and the city of Aarschot. So far as Horst Castle was concerned, we had already been introduced to this massive restoration project, through a film by the HERITA team on the occasion of the NTAB annual reception, in their HQ in Antwerp.

But nothing could have prepared us for the ambition and impressive scale of the reality of the work involved in the Horst Castle restoration. Thanks to our excellent guide who combined knowledge and passion for the project, we learnt about the history of the castle and also the practical realities of the constant flux of structural changes carried out between the 15th and 17th centuries. The tour was accompanied by the sights (and sounds) of actual ongoing work on the site which showed very clearly the high level of preparation and care involved in each “next move”. This is a vast project and we warmly wish all involved very well in attaining their 2026 deadline !!

Following a lovely lunch (thanks André) in the adjacent brasserie “Wagenhuys”, we embarked on a visit to Aarschot , aka “sculpture city of the Hageland” and indeed we visited many illuminating  sculptures scattered throughout the city. The guide provided us with an insightful tour on the history of Aarschot, starting with a mighty sculpture of the Grenadier Guard, in honour of British troop liberation of the city in 1944. The tour illustrated the devastation WW2 visited on Aarschot. But It was also a delight to visit a more peaceful sample of Aarschot history such as the” beguinage “ as well as a glimpse of an intriguing  “art nouveau” façade !

Joana Betson