Taxi Aarschot

The city of Aarschot

Aarschot (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈaːrsxɔt]) is a town and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium. The municipality includes the town of Aarschot proper and the towns of Gelrode, Langdorp, and Rillaar. As of January 1, 2019, Aarschot had a total population of 30,106 inhabitants. The total area is 62.52 km 2, which gives a population density of 446 inhabitants per km².
The city has a coat of arms which was granted to it on September 15, 1819, and again on July 30, 1841, and finally on March 5, 1985. The coat of arms of Aarschot is based on that of the Counts of Aarschot. Three black lilies were already used by the counts in the 12th century. The city later adopted a single fleur-de-lis as its coat of arms. This shield is placed in front of a golden eagle whose presence is probably due to a play on words on Aarschot and “arend”, which means “eagle” in Flemish. The city was never an Imperial City and therefore does not have the right to use the Imperial Eagle.
It is located in the part of Flemish Brabant called Hageland, located east of Leuven. Aarschot is a very typical town with a long history, dating back to the time of the Roman emperors, according to myths. The church, which dominates the aspect of the town, is built with the typical brownstone quarried from the surrounding hills. These same hills were home to some of the most famous vineyards in Europe in the Middle Ages. Today, the ranges of hills, which originate in Bolderberg, Heusden-Zolder, and continue to Calais in France, are mainly covered with woods and orchards.

Old beguinage
The beguinage of Aarschot, founded in the mid-thirteenth century, is a so-called “beguinage”: its structure is enclosed. It suffered extensive destruction in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century but was partially restored between 1950 and 1954 by architect Edward van Nieuwenburgh. The Beguine houses have been converted into lodgings, while the Municipal Museum of Folklore and Ethnography occupies the attic of the Seven Sorrows.

The Church of Our Lady of Aarschot
If the Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) definitely leaves its mark on the appearance of the city, nothing defines Aarschot better than the river which crosses it: the Demer. Aarschot is located in the valley of this brown-colored river.

Aarschot and the 1st World War
Aarschot was hit very hard during WWI. When German troops occupied the town on August 19, 1914, Colonel Stenger, commander of the German 8th Infantry Brigade, was shot dead on the balcony of the town hall. The German reprisals were extremely harsh. Many houses were set on fire and 156 people were executed, including Mayor Tielemans and his 15-year-old son. The next day, the entire population was ordered to evacuate the city.