2 Best Sights in Vlaamse Ardennen, Ghent and the Leie

A popular local joke goes that there are only three famous walls: Berlin's, China's, and Geraardsbergen's. The Muur (or "Wall") is a cobbled street that runs up Vesten, Oudenbergstraat, and Kapelmuur, culminating at a pretty neo-Baroque chapel on the summit of Oudenberg Hill. It is here where the annual Karakelingen and Tonnekensbrand processions center each year in spring. The actual hill is only 360 feet high, but the steep cobbles are infamous among cyclists, and it is a regular section in the Tour of Flanders. The walk up is less than a mile, but it isn't too punishing. It takes around 25 minutes from the river and is worth it for the views.  

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.