What to See in Lier, Belgium: Free Audio Guide

Lier is a picturesque destination in Flanders, Belgium, where medieval heritage, quiet waterways, and architectural landmarks shape an unhurried travel experience. Located away from the busiest tourist routes, the town offers cobbled streets, historic fortifications, and a compact cultural setting that invites exploration at a relaxed pace. Exploring the city is easy with Neywo, which offers a free audio guide for Lier featuring 34 narrated places.

What to See in Lier: Key Landmarks and Historic Sights

Zimmertoren

The Zimmertoren, or Zimmer Tower, is a fortified clock tower with a medieval past and a famous astronomical clock. Originally known as the Cornelius Tower, it formed part of the first fortifications around Lier. In 1930, astronomer and clockmaker Louis Zimmer created the Jubilee Clock for the tower, featuring twelve clocks surrounding a central clock with 57 dials in total.

Gevangenenpoort

The Gevangenenpoort is the only surviving city gate of the five inner gates that once formed part of Lier’s first defensive walls. Built in 1375, the Gothic structure was altered with Classical features around 1728 and served as the city’s prison from the sixteenth century until 1930.

Saint Gummarus Church

Dedicated to Saint Gummarus of Lier, Saint Gummarus Church is the city’s highest structure and widest church, serving as a striking example of flamboyant Gothic architecture. Its construction began in 1378, and its tower, known locally as the Peperbus, is described as the oldest Brabantine tower.

Sint-Pieterskapel

Located opposite Saint Gummarus Church, Sint-Pieterskapel is the oldest building in Lier and the town’s only Romanesque building. Dating from around 1225, it replaced a wooden prayer site founded in the eighth century.

Stedelijk Museum Wuyts-Van Campen en baron Caroly

Now operating as Stadsmuseum Lier, this museum brings together art and the city’s heritage from a fine arts collection assembled during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The collection features Flemish, Belgian, and Dutch paintings from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, including works by Frans Floris, Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Peter Paul Rubens, Raymond de la Haye, and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.

Sint-Jacobskapel

Situated on Lier’s Grote Markt, the Sint-Jacobskapel, or Spanish Chapel, is a Gothic landmark built by the city government in 1383 and dedicated to Saint James the Greater.

Hoogbrug

The Hoogbrug is an arched masonry bridge crossing the Binnenete as part of the N10 route connecting Mortsel and Diest. It features three spans, including two side spans and a central span.

Stuwbrug

The Stuwbrug is a bridge crossing the Afleidingsvaart van de Nete above a weir that regulates water flow returning to the Nete. Today, the bridge is used exclusively by cyclists and pedestrians.

Jezuïetenkerk

Dating from 1749 to 1752, the Jezuïetenkerk is a former late Baroque church that now serves as a setting for concerts and cultural events following its deconsecration in 1972.

Heilig Hartkerk

Built between 1937 and 1939 and designed by architect Flor van Reeth, the Heilig Hartkerk is a protected modern church featuring stained-glass windows by Jan Huet and an immense bas-relief by Karel Aubroeck.

Sint-Margaritakerk

Also known as the Begijnhofkerk, the Sint-Margaritakerk forms an integral part of Lier’s historic beguinage setting.

Kluizekerk

The Kluizekerk, or Kloosterkerk der dominikanen, is one of the oldest sites in Lier, dedicated to Saint Gummarus of Lier.

Heilige familiekerk

Located at the edge of the city at the crossroads of the Berlaarsesteenweg and the Lierse Ring, this Neo-Gothic parish church forms part of Lier’s outer surroundings.

Explore Lier with Neywo

If you are planning a Lier self-guided walking tour, Neywo lets you explore the city entirely at your own pace with no group and no schedule. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, in any of 11 available languages.

The app includes 2 walking tours, 1 bus route, and 1 bike route to help you discover the area:

• Lier’s Silver Knot: Gates, Clocks and Gothic Spires: A 1.74 km walk taking about 116 minutes across 12 stops, including the beguinage, Zimmer Tower, Gevangenenpoort, town hall, and Saint Gummarus Church.
• Water, Sluices and Quiet Churches: A 4.2 km walk lasting approximately 104 minutes with 7 stops along the waterways and churches.
• Line 57: From Koningshooikt to the Heart of Lier: A 7.7 km bus route taking about 33 minutes across 6 stops.
• Cycling Lier’s Green Ramparts: A 2.3 km bike route lasting around 12 minutes with 6 stops along the green ramparts and water infrastructure.

After exploring Lier, you can continue your travels to nearby destinations across the region, including Mechelen, Leuven, Ghent, [Antwerp], Bruges, Ostend, Nieuwpoort, and Tienen.