About Flanders

Turnhout

The city lies on the banks of the Dessel to Schoten canal and the river Aa. It is linked by rail to Herentals, and by motorway to Antwerp.  Turnhout has become a centre for trade and industry.  It is especially known for its print shops and its paper-producing and processing industries.  Regionally, it is important for its market, its famous cultural centre, and a number of museums, schools and hospitals.  It also has a sizable industrial estate.  Turnhout developed its town area on the crossroads of two important trade routes: one from Diest to ‘s Hertogenbosch (NL), the other from Antwerp to the Maasland.

During the 14th century it acquired the rights to a weekly market and two annual fairs.  The centre shows a number of buildings of historical importance: St Peter’s church, St Theobaldus’s chapel, Turnhout Castle (originally a hunting resort of the Dukes of Brabant, now the Law Courts) and the Beguinage (Begijnhof). 

Architecture of the 19th and 20th century have also left their mark: there is the Neo-Gothic Heilig Hart church, there are Flemish Neo-Renaissance and Art-Nouveau houses, there is the Neo-Byzantyne Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Middelares church.  Modern architecture can be seen in the church of the Resurrected Christ, the new City Hall and the St Elisabeth hospital.  There are also works of art: stained glass windows, murals and ceramics.  The Taxandria museum of archaeology and folklore and the renowned Playing Cards Museum are also worth a visit.  South of the city centre there is a nicely landscaped town park with an open-air swimming pool.

For further information visit the website www.turnhout.be or www.turnhout.be/toerisme.