2 Best Sights in Vlaamse Ardennen, Ghent and the Leie

Built on the banks of the river from blue Tournai stone, the 13th-century Church of Our Lady of Pamele is a fine example of the Scheldt Gothic style. It lies across the river from the center in what was a separate town until the 1950s. To the rear of the church, you can see the tombs of the Lords of Oudenaarde, though these have been badly damaged. Entrance is only on weekends, but even if you can't venture inside, it's worth visiting as part of a stroll along the historic riverfront. To the north lies the stately Huis de Lailing, a 15th-century mansion that used to hold the town's tapestry collection until it was moved to the MOU. Further south is the rose-colored Maagdendale Abbey, founded in 1233 and now a school for the arts. 

Much of the current church building was built in the 15th and 16th centuries. By the mid-1700s, though, it had received a Baroque makeover, with its impressive pulpit one of few surviving items from that era. Come the 19th century, the church acquired its current neo-Gothic interior and spectacular murals. Most prized of all are the relics of St. Bartholemew, which were moved here in 1515. Since then, a procession has taken place on the Sunday around his saint's day (August 24), where the relics are carried from the church and paraded around the city, followed by a folk festival on the main square.