Discover Oombergen: Church, Landscape and Trails

Oombergen combines a historic church precinct with open fields, protected landscape and paths through the surrounding area. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment in Oombergen can therefore tailor their stay to different interests: culture around St Martin's Church, nature experiences in Speelbos drOOmbergen or walks through the landscape of Vallei van de Cotthembeek met omringende kouters.

Church, Presbytery and Living Local History

St Martin's Church and its church precinct are protected as a monument. Its west tower probably dates from the late 14th or early 15th century and gives the village a distinctive historic feature. The presbytery of the Sint-Martinus parish and the presbytery garden are also protected as monuments. The presbytery of Oombergen was built in 1731, extended in 1734 and raised by one storey in the 19th century.

The presbytery garden preserves an arbour and old trees from the 18th- and 19th-century garden layout. This creates an interesting combination of architectural history and garden culture for your walk. A special local tradition is the annual auction of blessed loaves on the feast of Saint Agatha, with proceeds benefiting the church. It dates back to the 18th century.

Landscape Between the Village Centre and Country Lanes

Oombergen is part of the protected landscape Vallei van de Cotthembeek met omringende kouters. Here, open fields border directly on the historic village centre. Several unpaved paths and a well-preserved cobbled road run through this landscape. Depending on your preferred itinerary, you can combine a visit to the village centre with a short time outdoors without losing sight of the area's defining contrasts.

The Oombergse Bossen, also known as Cotthembos, extend across the valleys of the Klokfonteinbeek and Cotthembeek. Kasteelhoeve Molenhof, east of the church, is a former semi-enclosed castle farm complex. Of the Nieuwpoortmolen, a stone grain windmill from the early 20th century, only the mill tower remains.

Experiences for Different Daily Itineraries

Speelbos drOOmbergen is a nature garden next to the presbytery of St Martin's Church. It was opened to the public in 2019. The overgrown garden was transformed into a natural play area with natural play features and native tree species. For families with children, this place can be a destination in its own right, while other travellers may enjoy combining it with the church precinct and presbytery garden.

If you would like to plan a walk through Oombergen, the Oombergenpad korte lus starts at Sint-Martinus Church. The Lourdes grotto of Cotthem is also located nearby. It was probably built in 1954 under the direction of rock builder Aloïs van Wijnendaele from Hillegem. The different destinations allow you to plan a trip that combines historic buildings, landscape and smaller discoveries.

The Right Accommodation for Your Stay

When choosing a holiday apartment in Oombergen, your preferred daily rhythm is a useful point of reference. Consider whether you would like to plan individual discoveries at a relaxed pace or combine several different activities.

For the overarching travel overview: Zottegem.