Lier, Belgium

Lier
Lier
; Flag	; Coat of arms
Location of Lier in the province of Antwerp
	; Lier, Belgium Location in Belgium
Sovereign state	Belgium
Region	Flemish Region
Community	Flemish Community
Province	Antwerp
Arrondissement	Mechelen
Coordinates	51°07′0″N 04°35′0″E / 51.11667°N 4.58333°ECoordinates: 51°07′0″N 04°35′0″E / 51.11667°N 4.58333°E
Area	49.70 km²
Population; – Males; – Females; - Density	33,272 (1 January 2006); 48.52%; 51.48%; 669 inhab./km²
Unemployment rate	7.92% (1 January 2006)
Mean annual income	€14,419/pers. (2003)
Mayor	Marleen Vanderpoorten (VLD)
Governing parties	VLD, CD&V/N-VA, Lier Leeft, Lier&Ko
Postal codes	2500
Area codes	03, 015
Website	www.lier.be

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Lier (French: Lierre) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the city of Lier proper and the village of Koningshooikt. On January 1, 2006 Lier had a total population of 33,272. The total area is 49.70 km² which gives a population density of 669 inhabitants per km².

Lier is known for its beers 'Caves', 'St. Gummarus' and the pastry 'Lierse vlaaikes'. It is also home to Van Hool, one of the largest manufacturers of buses and coaches.

Football clubs Lierse S.K. (Belgian Second Division) and K. Lyra T.S.V. (promotion) are based in Lier. Actually, Lyra is the Latin name for Lier.

The patron saint of Lier is St. Gummarus

[edit] Places of interest

Lier on the Ferraris map (around 1775)

The St. Gummarus Church, gothic architecture, 14th century.
The Zimmer tower.
The Town hall, rococo architecture, 18th century.
The Beguinage (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and St. Margarite Church, 17th century.
The Museum Timmermans-Opsomerhuis.

Historical facts:

Lier was in 1496 the scene of a very important marriage in European history, when Philip the Handsome, son of Maximilian of Austria, got married to Joanna of Castile. The son born out of this marriage, Charles V (born in Ghent, 1500), would later rule over the combined Austrian & Spanish empires.

St. Gummarus Church

[edit] Nightlife in the city of Lier

Lier is a very famous nightlife centre in Flanders. The discotheques are well-known as far as The Netherlands. The most important ones are Illusion and La Rocca. Cafés in Lier are used as bases to start your night. The cafés are located inside the city, and most of all around the Zimmerplein, like Banana's, 't Swingcafé and De Fagoempel! Cafés such as De Fagoempel are known by all who live in Lier.