4 Best Sights in Lier, Antwerp and the Northeast

Lier's Begijnhof differs from most other beguinages in that its small houses line narrow streets rather than being grouped around a common. A Renaissance portico stands at the entrance, and on it is a statue of St. Begge, who gave his name to this congregation and who probably derived his own from the fact that he was un begue (a stammerer). Beguines were members of ascetic or philanthropic communities of women, not under vows, founded in the Netherlands in the 13th century.

Dominating the Grote Markt square, the 140-foot gothic bell tower (belfort) was built in 1369 adjoining what was then the Cloth Hall. The rest of the original building is long gone, as it was replaced in 1740 by what would become today's town hall, now also home to the tourist office. The carillon atop the tower has 23 bells and it strikes up a tune every 15 minutes—along with 23 other Belgian carillons it was jointly awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999.

The church where Philip and Joanna were wed is a product of the De Waghemakere–Keldermans architectural partnership that worked so well in building the cathedral in Antwerp. The interior is notable for its stained-glass windows from the 15th and 16th centuries—those in the choir were the gift of Maximilian of Austria (father of Philip the Handsome), who visited in 1516 and is depicted in one of the windows, along with his wife, Mary of Burgundy.

This 14th-century tower was renamed for Louis Zimmer, who designed its astronomical clock with 11 faces in 1930. His studio, where 57 dials show the movements of the moon, the tides, the zodiac, and other cosmic phenomena, is inside the tower. A small museum beside the tower contains an exhibition on time and space.