Poperinge

Geschiedenis

Poperinge is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, Flemish Region, and has a history going back to medieval times. The municipality comprises the city of Poperinge proper and surrounding villages. The area is famous for its hops and lace.The townPoperinge is situated about 8 miles to the west of Ieper/Ypres. The region is famous for growing hops and furnishes 80% of Belgian production. The town is home to the national hops museum and is called the "hops city" - hoppe stad in Dutch, a play on hoofd stad, the word for capital. A triennial hop festival and parade is held in the month of September. The local brew is known as Hommel (which means hops in the West Flanders dialect).The carillon in the tower of the town's oldest church, Sint-Bertinuskerk, was noted as one of the most beautiful in Flanders in mediaeval times. It was destroyed during warfare in 1677 and restored in 1781.Poperinge is twinned with Zatec in the Czech Republic, since 1964Wolnzach in Germany (center of the Bavarian hops production), since 1965, in recognition of which the town was presented with a traditional German maypole in 1976Hythe, Kent in EnglandBerck in Nord-Pas de Calais, since 1980Rixensart in Walloon Brabant, Belgium, since 1990 Poperinge is the birthplace of Dirk Frimout, Belgium's first astronaut, after whom the town park is named.