A monument adopted
The town of Oud Rekem		 Magazines survey

 

Heritage of the Counts of d’Aspremont Lynden, it is an invitation for strolling as its streets have retained a taste of history. Museum and old village offer a variety of antiques, popular traditions, modern art, archeology. This town, with its cultural and historic past, forms a beautiful counterpart to the recreational side of Rekem. In the distant past, from being a Carolingian fortification, Rekem grew out around the d’Aspremont-Lynden moated castle into a town centre with walls and gates. In 1992 the castle was taken over by the N.V. Domein Reckheim which subjected the domain to complete restoration. A section of the castle is already accessible.

The nearby museum church is also very much worth a visit or you can take a stroll through the adjacent streets and alleys with their beautifully restored historic buildings.

Oud-Rekem is also known for its culinary specialities such as the confectionary called the miserabel. Just ask for it in the Reckheim Café where you can enjoy an aperitif on the attractive patio, from which you can see the Pétanque grounds, while the children enjoy themselves in the play area

Museum
church

Museumkerk

The parish of Rekem is very old. There was a chapel on the castle yard in 989. This building was destroyed because it had to give space to a hippodrome. This happened by order of count Ferdinand.

In 1407, this count started with the construction of a new church, dedicated to saint Peter, and this on his own expense.   The count was hoping that he could decide which priest should be appointed, by building a new church.

At the end of 1407, when the choir and a part of the church was finished, he noticed that the abbot wouldn=t give up his old privileges. That=s why he stopped the works.

18 years later the countess Antonia, a very religious woman, financed the church, so that they could finish the works.

Unfortunately in 1750 a fire destroyed the church. Several years later the renovation of the church started, and it was used as the village parish church.

The church is renovated and used for concerts.   By the end of the 1950's the church was abandoned as a parish church.

In 1996 it was completely renovated and it is now used as an art gallery and a concert hall.

Groenplaats

The bleach is the old market square.

It used to be a big lawn surrounded by four big trees and water was provided by a public pump.

On this market square the laundry was bleached by housewives who paid for its space. You could not explane when birds left something or dogs or cats made your laundry dirty.

Where the big hole is, used to be a rectory, a convent with school and a brewery.

Perron

This perron is a statue of liberty with the Rekem Lion holding the coat of arms of the family d'Aspremont-Lynden.

It used to be the pillory. The criminals were tied up to be mocked by all the citizens.