bike trip to Lier

It was brought to my attention by a street-art project called Lier UP, which scope is to bring some color to the city. After that I also saw an advertisement in Leuven station that you can reach Lier in 35 min, so I added this little city to my travel list ;) 

Belgium is a bike country, maybe not as much as The Netherlands, but cycling is a very common activity around so we decided to bike to Lier. It was a 45km long ride but totally worth it. As it was raining in the morning we only left around 3 PM and 3:30h later we were in Lier. 

What to see in Lier?

Sheep Heads monument

In the 15th century Duke John II wanted to thank the people of Lier for their services during his struggle against the people of Mechelen. They could choose their reward themselves: a cattle market or a university. They chose the cattle staple right, a choice that didn’t do Lier any harm as only one was permitted per region. Thus the cattle market moved from Wespelaar to Lier and the duke sighed, "Oh, the sheep heads!”​(Source)

BEGIJNHOF

The Lier beguinage was created in 1258. It is a typical 13th century street beguinage comprising 11 alleys and 162 houses. (source). By the way this is a UNESCO wold heritage site. 

ZIMMERMUSEUM

The former Cornelius Tower from the 14th century, part of the town ramparts at the time, was turned into a museum in 1930.

City Hall & Belfort

In 1369 Hendrik Mijs built a Gothic belfry next to the cloth makers' hall. It stands as a symbol of freedom and independence. In the Middle Ages the town's deeds and freedoms were kept in the belfries, as was the arsenal, and the town council's assembly room was also to be found there. Since 1971 the tower has housed a small automatic carillon with 23 bells. Together with 23 other belfries the Lier belfry was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1999. (Source)

Take a walk or a boat trip 

Streetart  <<Lier UP>> 

if you like street art, then take the time to check the Lier UP project. The addresses and completion dates of the murals can be found here.
I Only managed to get a shoot of the one done by #Bisser in collaboration with Joaquin