Diest has one of the largest béguinages in Flanders, a walled town within the town, with its own streets, gates, church and some ninety houses. The béguines were laywomen who lived a religious life without taking permanent vows, earning their own living and sharing a community, and their béguinages flourished in the Low Countries from the thirteenth century onward. The Flemish béguinages are listed together by UNESCO. In Diest, the béguinage has been restored with care, and its cobbled streets, whitewashed houses and quiet gardens feel worlds away from the traffic outside.
The town itself is a pleasant place on the river Demer, at the edge of the Hageland, a region of gentle hills, orchards and vineyards, where Belgian wine is made in increasing quantities. Diest was a barony of the House of Orange-Nassau, and William of Orange, the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain, was its lord; the Dutch royal family still carries the title Baron of Diest. The large Gothic church of St Sulpitius dominates the main square, and the town's fortifications from the nineteenth century, with a citadel and ramparts, have become a green belt.
The riding around Diest is gentle and enjoyable. The Hageland roads climb over low hills with curves, through orchards and vineyards, with views over the countryside, and traffic is generally light. Cobbles appear in villages and old town centres. Scherpenheuvel, a few kilometres west, has a large baroque basilica that is the most important Marian pilgrimage site in Belgium, and the roads around it are busy on pilgrimage days. The weather is changeable, with frequent rain and wind, but the light on a clear day is soft and lovely.
Diest has fuel, shops, restaurants and cafés. Flemish food here includes stews, fries, waffles and local beer; Diest has its own brewing tradition, and the Hageland produces fruit, especially cherries and apples. Visit the béguinage in the late afternoon, when the light falls on the white walls and the streets are quiet; the only sounds are footsteps on the cobbles, birds in the gardens and perhaps a bell from the little church.