Gistel () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
and
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
located in the
Belgian province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
West Flanders
West Flanders is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the North Sea to the northwest. It has land borders with the Dutch province of Zeeland to the northeast, the Flemis ...
.
Following local government boundary reforms in 1971 and 1977, the municipality has comprised not only Gistel, but also the towns of
Moere,
Snaaskerke and
Zevekote.
On January 1, 2006 the Gistel municipality had a total registered population of 11,125, of whom more than 8,000 were in Gistel itself. The total area is 42.25 km² which gives a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
of 263 inhabitants per km². The
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
town of
Büdingen
Büdingen () is a town in the Wetteraukreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is mainly known for its well-preserved, heavily fortified medieval town wall and half-timbered houses.
Geography
Location
Büdingen is in the south of the Wetterau below the Vog ...
is its
twin town.
Celebrity connections
The most famous inhabitant of Gistel was
Sylvère Maes, winner of the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
in 1936 and 1939.
Another former resident of Gistel is
Johan Museeuw
Johan Museeuw (born 13 October 1965) is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer, road racing cyclist who was a professional from 1988 until 2004. Nicknamed ''The Lion of Flanders'', he was particularly successful in the cobbled classic ...
, also famous cyclist, but now retired. He won
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
three times.
In 2011, a museum opened in Gistel, in honor of Maes and Museeuw.
A former mayor, Bart Halewyck, was the first hacker ever convicted in Belgium after the '
Bistel Trial' in 1990. He was already alderman and had to resign after his conviction.
[ Joëlle Meskens,]
Les pirates du Bistel s'en tirent bien: la farce n'était pas très méchante...
, ''Le Soir
''Le Soir'' (, ) is a French-language Belgian daily newspaper. Founded in 1887 by Émile Rossel, it was intended as a politically independent source of news. Together with '' La Libre Belgique'', it is one of the most popular Francophone newsp ...
'', 9 November 1990
Images
File:Gistel Administration Center.jpg, Administration Centre
File:Church of Gistel.jpg, Church of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouw)
File:Strangulation of Godelieve.jpg, Gistel is the origin of the veneration of Saint Godelieve
File:Gistel - Oostmolen met vier volle zeilen.jpg, Oostmolen windmill in full sail
References
External links
*
Official website - Available only in
Dutch
Municipalities of West Flanders
{{WestFlanders-geo-stub