Ingelmunster: Castle History, Churches and Routes

Ingelmunster combines cultural and historical themes with opportunities for walking and cycling. When planning a hotel stay, you can first consider whether to focus on castle and church history or on routes and green spaces for recreation. The buildings, landscapes and routes offer different highlights to consider when planning your trip.

Castle, Landscape and Local History

Kasteeldomein van Ingelmunster is designated as a protected cultural and historical landscape area. The grounds include a moated castle protected as a monument. Surrounded by a park, the walled castle lies between the Mandel, which supplies the moat, and the church. The history of the municipality of Ingelmunster is also closely connected with that of the castle and its inhabitants.

Another topographical landmark is the site of the Doornmolen in the hamlet of Hogen Doorn. At 36–38 metres above sea level, Hogen Doorn is the highest point in Ingelmunster. This named hamlet and its elevation add to the historical and landscape themes surrounding the castle.

Churches and Chapels

The parish church of Sint-Amandus is a Classical pseudo-basilica built in two phases. To the north stands the Neo-Gothic Kapel Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Smarten, dating from 1886. The parish church grounds also include seven chapels dating from 1919–1920, depicting the Seven Sorrows of Mary. A 1919 war memorial to the military casualties of both world wars also stands there.

The Kapel Maria-Francisca-kapel has its own architectural description: the relatively large votive chapel has a semicircular apse beneath a hipped roof covered with slate. It is built of brick and faced with white, grey and blue granite render.

The Gravenkapel is an exact copy of the Romanesque funerary chapel of Sainte-Croix near Montmajour Abbey, in the area around the southern French city of Arles. A ministerial decree dated 13 November 2002 protects it, together with 23 graves in the cemetery, as a monument. The cemetery in Ingelmunster also contains cultural and historical monuments, including the funerary chapel of the de Montblanc family.

Green Spaces and Tours

Speelbos includes areas of both old and young woodland, as well as hills where activities can take place. It is a large, continuous play area; no additional play equipment has been installed. KanaalPark is a green recreational area with several walking and cycling paths. Woodland and hilly areas are therefore complemented by a park with a network of paths designed for walking and cycling.

The Zandbergroute is an 8 km walk along quiet roads on the north side of Ingelmunster. It can be extended with two additional loops. You can therefore include either the basic route or an extended version in your plans. Route details may change; check them before setting out.

There are different options for cycling trips: the Mandeldalfietsroute starts in Ingelmunster. A West Flanders cycling network map can be used from Ingelmunster to choose a cycling trip in the surrounding region. The BLOB treasure hunt starts at the market square in Ingelmunster and ends in the nearby allotment gardens.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Bruges, Koksijde, Tielt, Harelbeke, Doomkerke, Ichtegem, Spiere-Helkijn, Oostrozebeke

For the overview of the wider region: West Flanders.