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Aalst
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Aalst, Belgium combines its UNESCO-listed belfry, Dender riverside walks, Dirk Martens heritage, famous Carnival and East Flemish food culture.

A Historic Dender City

Aalst lies on the River Dender in East Flanders, between Brussels and Ghent, with a compact centre shaped by medieval commerce, religious foundations and the textile trade. Its most recognisable landmark is the belfry rising above Grote Markt, where the Gothic town hall complex and an historic bell tower express the civic confidence of a prosperous Flemish city. The surrounding streets combine old brick façades, cafés and independent shops with the practical energy of a regional market town.
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Printing, Faith and Civic Life

Aalst has an important place in European cultural history as the home of Dirk Martens, the pioneering printer who established one of the Low Countries' earliest printing workshops in the late fifteenth century. St Martin's Church, with its long construction history and important artistic heritage, provides another measure of the city's former wealth. Museums and civic collections explore local life, craftsmanship and the traditions that developed along the Dender.

Carnival and Contemporary Aalst

For three days before Lent, Aalst Carnival transforms the city with elaborate floats, satire, music and the distinctive figure of the Voil Jeanetten, or 'Dirty Jennies'. The celebration is famously irreverent and has also generated serious controversy, particularly over antisemitic imagery; its UNESCO intangible-heritage inscription was withdrawn in 2019. Outside Carnival season, Aalst is well suited to unhurried walking, with riverside paths, market squares and a lively cultural programme centred on venues such as De Werf.

When is the best time to visit Aalst?

Best: June–August · 21–22°C
Average daytime high and rainfall by month
MonthHigh (°C)Rainfall (mm)
January848
February940
March1134
April1428
May1830
June (best)2142
July (best)2248
August (best)2248
September1942
October1534
November1140
December846

Getting to and around Aalst

How to get there

Aalst is readily reached by train from Brussels and Ghent, with Aalst railway station serving the city centre and Erembodegem station serving the southern side of the municipality. Belgian rail connections make the city practical as a short stop between the capital and East Flanders. Brussels Airport is the principal international gateway for overseas visitors, with onward rail travel available towards Brussels and then Aalst; Brussels South Charleroi Airport is farther away and generally requires a longer surface journey. The E40 motorway provides road access from Brussels and Ghent, while regional buses connect Aalst with neighbouring towns and villages.

Transportation

Aalst's historic centre is compact and most central sights, including Grote Markt, the belfry and St Martin's Church, can be reached comfortably on foot. De Lijn operates regional buses serving the city and surrounding communities, while trains are useful for longer journeys rather than ordinary sightseeing within the centre. Cycling is practical on many local routes, although visitors should take care around busy roads and during major Carnival events. Taxis and private cars are available, but central streets may have pedestrian restrictions, limited parking or temporary closures, particularly during festivals and public events.

Best attractions in Aalst

Aalst's principal sightseeing begins at Grote Markt, where the belfry and historic town hall complex create a powerful civic centre and offer an introduction to the city's medieval trading past. St Martin's Church rewards attention for its scale, long building history and artistic heritage, while the Dender quays provide a calmer route through the urban landscape. The former hospital complex of 't Gasthuys houses collections connected with local history and culture, and Dirk Martens-related monuments recall Aalst's role in the early history of printing. De Werf adds a contemporary cultural dimension through theatre, music and exhibitions. Visitors exploring during Carnival encounter decorated streets, parade traditions and satirical displays, although the festival's imagery and controversies require thoughtful interpretation. Beyond the central squares, ordinary residential streets, bridges and riverside paths show Aalst as a lived-in East Flemish city rather than a collection of isolated monuments.

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Best landmarks in Aalst

The Belfry of Aalst, part of the UNESCO-inscribed Belfries of Belgium and France, is the city's defining civic monument, with its medieval tower and carillon expressing the authority of urban government. Beside it, the Gothic Aldermen's House contributes to the architectural ensemble on Grote Markt and reflects the town's long administrative tradition. St Martin's Church is another major landmark, its imposing brick and stone presence revealing Aalst's former prosperity and the scale of its religious institutions; its construction extended over centuries rather than belonging to one simple building campaign. The Dender bridges and quays are less monumental but explain the city's geography and commercial development. Dirk Martens is commemorated in the urban landscape as a pioneer of printing, connecting Aalst's civic identity with the spread of books and humanist learning in the late fifteenth century.

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Best restaurants in Aalst

Aalst's food culture belongs to East Flanders, with everyday Belgian cooking, bakery traditions and seasonal produce shaping the local dining scene. Menus commonly draw on familiar regional ingredients such as beef, pork, poultry, chicory, potatoes and locally brewed beer, while cafés and brasseries provide relaxed settings around Grote Markt and the surrounding centre. The city's nickname, the ajuinen or onions, reflects a long local association with onion growing and appears in culinary and Carnival references. Visitors will find Belgian staples alongside contemporary bistros, international food and informal lunch cafés, with bakeries particularly useful for experiencing the country's pastry and bread culture. Market days and specialist food shops offer a more direct view of local shopping habits than formal dining alone. As elsewhere in Belgium, restaurant opening patterns can vary, so meal times may require more planning than in larger tourist cities.

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Best bars in Aalst

Aalst's evening life is concentrated around the historic centre, especially the streets and squares near Grote Markt, where traditional cafés, beer-led bars and casual meeting places serve a local rather than strongly international nightlife. Belgian beer culture is central, with regional bottles and draught selections often given more attention than elaborate cocktail scenes. De Werf and other cultural venues bring theatre, concerts and performances that broaden the city's evening options beyond drinking. Carnival is the exceptional period: music, costumes, street gatherings and late-night celebrations reshape the centre for several days, accompanied by crowds and temporary arrangements. Outside the festival, Aalst is better suited to an unhurried café evening, a performance or a sociable drink than to a large-club circuit, and visitors should respect residential streets when leaving venues at night.

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Best nightclubs in Aalst

Aalst's evening life is concentrated around the historic centre, especially the streets and squares near Grote Markt, where traditional cafés, beer-led bars and casual meeting places serve a local rather than strongly international nightlife. Belgian beer culture is central, with regional bottles and draught selections often given more attention than elaborate cocktail scenes. De Werf and other cultural venues bring theatre, concerts and performances that broaden the city's evening options beyond drinking. Carnival is the exceptional period: music, costumes, street gatherings and late-night celebrations reshape the centre for several days, accompanied by crowds and temporary arrangements. Outside the festival, Aalst is better suited to an unhurried café evening, a performance or a sociable drink than to a large-club circuit, and visitors should respect residential streets when leaving venues at night.

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Best shops in Aalst

Shopping in Aalst is centred on the pedestrian-friendly streets around Grote Markt, Nieuwstraat and the Hopmarkt, where everyday retail, cafés and independent businesses occupy the historic core. The city offers practical regional shopping rather than a vast luxury circuit, with Belgian fashion, homeware, gifts and specialist food shops mixed among familiar high-street names. Market trading adds colour and provides opportunities to browse fresh produce, flowers, clothing and household goods while observing local routines. For distinctive souvenirs, look for products connected with Aalst's Carnival, Dirk Martens and the city's onion symbol, alongside Belgian chocolate, beer and bakery goods. Smaller boutiques and delicatessens are generally more revealing of local character than standard shopping centres, while the architecture of the surrounding streets makes moving between shops part of the experience.

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Aalst essentials

Currency and Payment
Belgium uses the euro (€), and the international currency code is EUR. Debit and credit cards, including contactless payment, are widely accepted in hotels, shops, museums and many cafés and restaurants, though small businesses and market traders may still prefer cash or impose a minimum card transaction. ATMs are available in the city centre and around transport hubs. International visitors should inform their bank of travel plans where necessary and check foreign-exchange or overseas card charges. Keeping a modest amount of euros is useful for markets, smaller cafés and occasional public conveniences.
Safety
Aalst is generally navigable for visitors using ordinary urban precautions. Keep wallets, phones and bags secure in crowded areas, on trains and during Carnival, when dense crowds make opportunistic theft easier. At night, use well-lit streets and take additional care around the station and quieter riverside areas, as in any town. Follow local instructions during parades, remain behind barriers and avoid interfering with floats or emergency routes. Cyclists and pedestrians should watch for one another on shared paths, while drivers should expect one-way systems, pedestrian zones and temporary road changes in the historic centre.
Emergency Situations
In Belgium, call 112 for urgent medical, fire or general emergency assistance; the police emergency number is 101. Give the operator the exact location, explain the nature of the incident and state whether an interpreter is needed. For non-urgent police matters, visitors can contact the local police service rather than using the emergency line. European Health Insurance Card holders should carry the card when travelling, while visitors from elsewhere should have suitable travel insurance and retain information about their provider. Pharmacies display an on-duty rota outside normal hours, and hospitals in the wider Aalst area provide emergency healthcare.
Do's and Don'ts
Greet shopkeepers and hosts politely, queue patiently and keep noise low on public transport. In churches such as St Martin's, dress and behave respectfully, especially during services, and do not photograph restricted areas. Tipping is not obligatory in Belgium because service is included, although rounding up or leaving a small amount for particularly good service is appreciated. During Carnival, remember that satire is a major tradition but not a licence to harass individuals; do not touch performers, floats or costumes without permission. Follow official barriers, respect residents and avoid treating controversial imagery as harmless simply because it appears in a festival setting.
Local Tips
A useful orientation begins at Grote Markt, continues past the belfry and St Martin's Church, and then reaches the Dender for a change of pace. Allow time for the streets around the centre rather than treating Aalst as only a railway stop, since independent shops, cafés and civic buildings are concentrated within easy walking distance. Visit beyond Carnival if you prefer to examine the architecture and museums quietly, but expect the city to feel markedly different during the festival. Local references to onions, or ajuinen, appear in Aalst's identity and make a good starting point for understanding its proud, self-mocking civic character.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloHallo[hah-loh]
GoodbyeTot ziens[toht zeens]
YesJa[yah]
NoNee[nay]
Please/You're welcomeAlsjeblieft[ahls-yuh-bleeft]
Thank youDank je wel[dahnk yuh vehl]
Excuse me/SorrySorry[soh-ree]
How are you?Hoe gaat het?[hoo gaat het]
Fine. And you?Goed. En met jou?[khoot. en met yow]
Do you speak English?Spreek je Engels?[spreyk yuh eng-uhls]
I don't understandIk begrijp het niet[ik buh-khreypt het neet]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseIk zou graag de menukaart zien, alstublieft[ik zou khrahg duh meh-noo-kahrt seen, ahl-stew-bleeft]
I don't eat meatIk eet geen vlees[ik ayt khayn vleys]
Cheers!Proost![prohst]
I would like to pay, pleaseIk zou graag willen betalen, alstublieft[ik zou khrahg vil-luhn buh-tah-luhn, ahl-stew-bleeft]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Help![help]
Go away!Ga weg![gah wekh]
Call the Police!Bel de politie![bel duh poh-lee-see]
Call a doctor!Bel een dokter![bel ayn dohk-tuhr]
I'm lostIk ben verdwaald[ik ben vuhr-dwahlt]
I'm illIk ben ziek[ik ben zik]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Ik zou graag ... kopen[ik zou khrahg ... koh-puhn]
I'm just lookingIk kijk alleen maar[ik kayk ahl-ayn mahr]
How much is it?Hoeveel kost het?[hoo-vayl kost het]
That's too expensiveDat is te duur[daht is tuh dyur]
Can you lower the price?Kan u de prijs verlagen?[kahn uu duh prays vuh-rah-ghuhn]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Hoe laat is het?[hoo laht is het]
It's one o'clockHet is een uur[het is ayn uhr]
Half past (10)Half elf[hahlf elf]
MorningOchtend[ohk-tuhnt]
AfternoonNamiddag[nah-mee-dahkh]
EveningAvond[ah-vohnt]
YesterdayGisteren[khihs-tuh-ruhn]
TodayVandaag[vahn-dahkh]
TomorrowMorgen[mohr-khuhn]
1Eén[ayn]
2Twee[tvay]
3Drie[dree]
4Vier[veer]
5Vijf[vayf]
6Zes[zehs]
7Zeven[zeh-vuhn]
8Acht[ahkht]
9Negen[nay-khuhn]
10Tien[teen]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Waar is de...[vahr is duh]
What's the address?Wat is het adres?[vaht is het ah-drehs]
Can you show me (on the map)?Kan je me dat tonen (op de kaart)?[kahn yuh muh daht toh-nuhn (op duh kahrt)]
When's the next (bus)?Wanneer is de volgende (bus)?[vahn-ayr is duh vohl-uhn-duh (bus)]
A ticket (to ....)Een ticket (naar ....)[ayn ticket (nahr)]

History of Aalst

Origins beside the Dender

Aalst developed beside the River Dender at a crossing point valuable for movement, trade and communication through the region that is now East Flanders. Medieval settlement grew around the river, religious institutions and a fortified centre, while the surrounding county formed part of the shifting political landscape between the County of Flanders and the Holy Roman Empire. The Dender was not merely a geographical feature: it supported transport, supplied water and connected Aalst with other commercial communities. Although the earliest phases are documented unevenly, the town's position helped it become an important regional centre before the high Middle Ages.

Medieval Charters and Cloth Wealth

Aalst gained urban privileges during the twelfth century, conventionally associated with a charter granted in 1174 under Philip of Alsace. Its economy grew through cloth production, trade and the activities of guilds, linking the town to the wider commercial world of medieval Flanders. The market square and civic buildings reflected the authority of merchants and municipal government, while churches and charitable institutions expressed the wealth of the population. The belfry represents this urban development: it housed civic records and bells that regulated public life, warned of danger and announced the independence of the town's administration.

Dirk Martens and Early Printing

Aalst is closely associated with Dirk Martens, who established a printing workshop there in 1473 and became one of the leading printers of the Low Countries. His work helped spread humanist scholarship and religious texts at a time when movable-type printing was transforming European intellectual life. Martens later worked in Antwerp and Leuven, but Aalst retains his memory through monuments, streets and cultural references. His association gives the city a significance extending beyond local history: Aalst formed part of the early European network through which books, ideas and political and religious debate circulated more rapidly.

War, Dynasties and Changing Rule

Like much of Flanders, Aalst experienced the consequences of dynastic rivalry, religious conflict and changing political authority from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. The town successively existed within larger Habsburg and later Austrian structures, while commerce and local administration continued to shape daily life. Religious institutions were altered by the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, and periods of war placed pressure on trade and the urban population. These transformations left a layered architectural and civic inheritance rather than a single, uninterrupted style. Aalst's churches, civic buildings and street plan preserve traces of the town's changing fortunes.

Industry and the Modern Town

During the nineteenth century, Aalst became increasingly associated with mechanised textile production and other industries connected to its regional economy. The Dender and the railway improved the movement of raw materials and finished goods, while industrial employment encouraged urban expansion beyond the medieval core. This growth brought new social divisions and labour concerns as well as prosperity, contributing to the development of modern civic politics and organised working life. The historic centre therefore sits within a broader industrial landscape, where later streets, factories and transport infrastructure reveal how Aalst changed from a medieval market town into a regional industrial city.

Carnival and Civic Identity

Aalst Carnival developed from older pre-Lenten customs into a major modern civic festival, with organised parades, satirical floats, music and distinctive local characters. Its humour often targets politicians, institutions and current affairs, making social commentary central to the event rather than incidental. The festival was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, but UNESCO removed it in 2019 after controversy over antisemitic representations. The episode illustrates both the importance of Carnival to Aalst's identity and the tensions surrounding satire, historical memory and public representation.

Aalst in Photos

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Evendo - Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Aalst, Belgium

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Planning a trip to Aalst, Belgium? Make the most of your adventure with Evendo, the ultimate app-based travel guide that is 100% free. Aalst is a city rich in history and culture, and with Evendo, you're just a tap away from exploring its best attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. The app provides you with detailed descriptions, images, local tips, maps, and contact details for every location, making it incredibly easy to plan and organize your trip.

Discover the magnificent Aalst Town Hall, a stunning Gothic building that dates back to the 13th century, or take a walk through the beautiful St. Martin's Church. For a taste of local culture, don't miss the famous Aalst Carnival, a UNESCO-recognized event that brings the city to life with vibrant parades and festivities. When it's time to eat, Evendo guides you to the best local restaurants like 't Overhamme, known for its Belgian cuisine, and Hopdog, a must-visit for gourmet hotdogs.

Evendo also allows you to book hotels, tours, tickets, and experiences directly through the app, eliminating the need to search multiple sites to plan your itinerary. With features like a 'Near Me' function to see what's around you at any time, curated local tips to help you experience Aalst like a local, and travel essentials to ensure you have all the information you need, Evendo is your go-to travel companion.

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