In fact, I’d recommend arriving by train as the station is located close to the centre of town. Be sure to bring your bicycle or to rent one at the station, because exploring the surrounding countryside is an absolute must.
So how should you plan a day in and around this mediaeval town in Limburg province? A good place to start is the Grote Markt, Belgium’s second-largest central market square (after Sint-Niklaas), where on Saturday mornings you find a weekly market. Its trading history stretches back to around 1060 AD, when the open space in front of the Benedictine abbey was allowed to develop into a commercial marketplace. It is home to impressive 18th and 19th-century mansions and the even older town hall. Don’t forget the tourist information office where you can stock up on maps with walking and cycling routes and buy tickets to go up the nearby abbey tower.
Climbing the 196 steps of the 38-metre high tower is well worth the effort, as from the top you have a panorama view over the Grote Markt, out across the town’s many churches to the orchards and fields beyond. Information boards around the viewing platform indicate all sorts of sights ranging from monasteries and the football stadium to the more curious Ziekeren psychiatric centre. The boards also show you the direction to other Belgian towns and where to find the highest point in Sint-Truiden - De Heide, a glowing hill, which, at just 82 metres, is a barely perceptible rise on the skyline.
The tower is among the oldest parts of the former abbey complex, dating back to the 11th century. Over time, other sections have been built, destroyed and restored. You can also visit an underground crypt, an 18th-century Abbot’s wing and a 19th-century octagonal auditorium known as Academy Hall, which is used for chamber music, choral music and chamber opera performances.
In total, Sint-Truiden boasts some 250 listed monuments. If you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll notice on the pavements round brass markers that guide you in the direction of the most noteworthy ones such as the Franciscan friary or Sint- Gangulfusk, the oldest church in town built by abbot Adelard II (1055-1082).
Another impressive monument is the church of the begijnhof on the northern edge of town. Begijnhoven were enclosed communities founded in the 13th century by women who dedicated their lives to God, without retiring from everyday city life. Many of them, including the one in Sint-Truiden, have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List of cultural and natural heritage, but this one is special. Halfway through the 19th century, a series of 38 murals and pillar paintings dating back to the 13th century were discovered behind a thick layer of whitewash. Scenes depicted include the crowning of the Virgin Mary and rats running up the cloak of Sint-Gertrudis of Nijvel (she is to be invoked against rats and mice). There are no signs to explain who is who or what is what, but the volunteer at the front desk is more than happy to show you a recently hand-written notebook, which, after some deciphering, sheds a bit of light on the meaning of the murals.
Across the road from the begijnhof church you will find the Festraets studio, named after Kamiel Festraets, a watchmaker from Sint-Truiden who is most renowned for his astronomical clock. Every hour, the figures and bells of the six-metre high mechanism come to life, and can be admired during a 40-minute show.
Just a few hundred metres further up is Speelhof castle, built in the 16th century as a countryside second home of the town’s abbey. Covering an area of 36 hectares, the castle and its grounds are worth a visit for their peaceful atmosphere. A wander through the woods, along the stream or in the rose garden are all relaxing ways to spend an hour or two. Cutting through the estate is a cycle path (number 189), lined with Boskoop apple and Conference pear trees. If you’re feeling tired and want a sit-down, the Afspanning 't Speelhof café in the middle of the grounds is the place to go. Surrounded by little but greenery and nature, its terrace is arguably the best in town. There’s also a playground to keep the little ones happy.
While you’re out and about on the outskirts of town, you may want to visit one of the many fruit orchards. After all, Sint-Truiden is located in Flanders’ fruit-producing region of Haspengouw. The fruit growers offer a range of activities for visitors, including guided tours, workshops for children, auctions, romantic picnics and evening walks. The offer varies depending on the day or the month, so it’s worth checking online in advance.
There are all sorts of places to enjoy the local food and drink, but one that’s particularly worth noting is Kerkom Brewery, about six kilometres south of Sint-Truiden, on the Naamsesteenweg. You can go on a tour of the brewery, which was founded more than a century ago, or simply take a seat in the inner courtyard and taste the local Bink beers. Blond and brown beers are available all year round, and there are various others such as the Bink Adelardus Dubbel and Tripel, named after Adelardus, one of the city’s first abbots. Given the strength of the beer, you may want to take heed of a poster hanging on the wall inside: it is a notice from King Leopold II to all those present and all those visiting in the future, spelling out the law against public drunkenness.
As you head back to the centre of Sint-Truiden, look out for the temporary art installation “Het Dorp”, a life-size replica by local artist Gert Robjins of the church and presbytery in the village where he grew up. It will remain on view until 30 October.
My first impressions of Sint-Truiden were a little different than I had expected (I came by car along the Luikersteenweg), but they were quickly replaced by impressions of a town rich in cultural heritage, surrounded by beautiful spots for bike rides and picnics. The moral of the story: don’t be too quick to judge.
Flanders Today is a 
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