Sint-Truiden's Grote Markt is one of the largest market squares in Belgium, and at its centre stands the town hall with its belfry, a tower that has watched over the town since the Middle Ages and been rebuilt and remodelled several times. The belfry, with its carillon, is part of the UNESCO listing of the Belfries of Belgium and France, inscribed in 1999 to honour these civic towers that symbolised the freedom and wealth of the medieval towns. Climb it if you can, and you will see the whole of the Haspengouw region spread out around you, a gently rolling landscape of orchards and fields.
Sint-Truiden grew up around a Benedictine abbey founded in the seventh century by Saint Trudo, and the abbey's towers still dominate the skyline near the market. The town has a beautiful beguinage, a quiet enclave of small houses around a green, with a church whose walls are covered in medieval murals. Haspengouw is Belgium's fruit basket, famous for its apples, pears and cherries, and in April, when the orchards are in bloom, the countryside turns white and pink.
The riding around Sint-Truiden is gentle and relaxing. The roads wind through the orchards and fields of Haspengouw, with small villages, châteaux and farms, and gentle hills that are enough to make the routes interesting without being challenging. Surfaces are generally good, but cobbles appear in some villages and town centres, and farm traffic is common, especially during the fruit harvest in late summer. The light is lovely in the evenings, and spring blossom season is magical. Wind can be strong on the open plateaus, and rain is never far away in Belgium.
Sint-Truiden is a town of nearly forty thousand people with petrol, coffee and proper meals around the market square. Try a local fruit tart or a glass of cider, or a Belgian beer if you have stopped riding for the day; there are also excellent waffles and chips. Sit on a terrace on the square, listen to the carillon, and watch the town go about its business. It is a pleasant, unpretentious place, and the fruit country around it is a joy to ride through.