The Pajottenland (; in English occasionally Payottenland) is a distinct region within the

Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant ( ; ) is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also ...

province and the south-western part of the Brussels Region of

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. The region is located west-southwest of

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

. The Pajottenland is predominantly farmland, with occasional gently rolling hills, and lies mostly between the rivers

Dender The Dender () or Dendre () is a long river in Belgium, the right tributary of the river Scheldt. The confluence of the two rivers is in the Belgian town of Dendermonde. The Western or Little Dender is long and begins in Barry near Leuze-en-Hain ...

and Zenne / Senne. The area has historically provided food and drink for the citizens of Brussels, especially

Lambic Lambic ( , ; ) is a type of beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium southwest of Brussels since the 13th century. Types of lambic beer include gueuze, kriek lambic, and framboise. Lambic differs from most other beers in that it is Bre ...

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

s, which are only produced here and in the

Zenne The ( French, ) or ( Dutch, ) is a small river that flows through Brussels, Belgium. Its source is in the village of Naast near the municipality of Soignies. It is an indirect tributary of the Scheldt, through the Dyle and the Rupel. It jo ...

valley where

is.

Geography

The Pajottenland is generally understood to cover the following municipalities and submunicipalities: * Affligem: Essene, Hekelgem and Teralfene *

Asse Asse () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. It comprises the towns of Asse proper, Bekkerzeel, Kobbegem, Mollem, Relegem and Zellik. Asse is also situated in the Pajottenland. ...

: Asse, Bekkerzeel, Kobbegem, Mollem, Relegem and Zellik * Bever *

Dilbeek Dilbeek () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Dilbeek proper, Groot-Bijgaarden, Itterbeek (with Sint-A ...

: Dilbeek,

Itterbeek Itterbeek is a historical village in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, and since 1977 a submunicipality of Dilbeek. Toponymy The village derives its name from the Indo-European words 'eud-' (water) en 'baki' (stream). One of the firs ...

(with

Sint-Anna-Pede Sint-Anna-Pede is a village in Itterbeek, Belgium, which is a deelgemeente of Dilbeek. It gets its name from the Pedebeek, the stream that flows through the village.Text on the Sint-Anna Church and the village, in Dutch Sint-Anna-Pede was already ...

Schepdaal Schepdaal is a village and deelgemeente of Dilbeek in Flanders, Belgium. History The oldest mention dates back to 1260, when the area was called Scepdale. Before 1827 Schepdaal was a part of Zierbeek, named after the stream with the same name ...

(with

Sint-Gertrudis-Pede Sint-Gertrudis-Pede is a village in Dilbeek Dilbeek () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Dilbeek p ...

Sint-Martens-Bodegem Sint-Martens-Bodegem (locally known as: ''Beugem'') is a historic village that is now part of Dilbeek. It has 2638 inhabitants. Toponymy For a long time it was assumed that the mention 'Bodenghem' in the founding charter of the abbey of Affligem ...

Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle is a village and deelgemeente of Dilbeek, Belgium. History Historically, Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle was a part of the Land of Asse. Together with Dilbeek, Groot-Bijgaarden, Itterbeek, Schepdaal and Sint-Martens-Bodegem, it ha ...

Groot-Bijgaarden Groot-Bijgaarden () is a village and deelgemeente in the municipality of Dilbeek, a suburb of Brussels, in Flanders, Belgium. Toponymy The name Bijgaarden is derived from the Germanic word for enclosure. The appellation "Great" (Groot) was attac ...

* Galmaarden: Galmaarden, Tollembeek, Vollezele * Gooik: Gooik (with Strijland), Kester, Leerbeek, Oetingen * Herne: Herne (with Kokejane), Herfelingen, Sint-Pieters-Kapelle * Lennik: Gaasbeek, Sint-Kwintens-Lennik (with Eizeringen), Sint-Martens-Lennik * Liedekerke *

Pepingen Pepingen () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the villages of Beert, Bellingen, Belgium, Bellingen, Bogaarden, Elingen, Heikruis and Pepingen proper. ...

: Pepingen, Beert, Bellingen, Bogaarden, Elingen, Heikruis * Roosdaal: Pamel (with Ledeberg), Borchtlombeek, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek, Strijtem, Kattem * Sint-Pieters-Leeuw: Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Oudenaken, Ruisbroek, Sint-Laureins-Berchem, Vlezenbeek * Ternat: Ternat, Sint-Katherina-Lombeek, Wambeek According to a lawyer named De Gronckel who first described it, the Pajottenland also includes Liedekerke and the Ninove

deelgemeente A (, literally ''sub-municipality''), or section (), is a subdivision of a municipality in Belgium and, until March 2014, in the Netherlands as well. Belgium Each municipality in Belgium that existed as a separate entity on 1 January 1961 bu ...

n Neigem and Lieferinge. The rural part of

Anderlecht Anderlecht (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, B ...

, particularly in earlier times before it became a municipality of the Brussels region, may also be included. The tourist area marketed under the name ''Pajottenland en Zennevallei'' (Pajottenland and Zenne Valley) also includes the municipalities Beersel, Drogenbos, Halle, Linkebeek, Sint-Genesius-Rode, which are clustered around the

Valley to the south-west of the main Pajottenland region. File:Gooik - Kester.jpg, Landscape in Gooik File:Decam 01.jpg, Lambic, Kriek and Gueuze De Cam, Gooik File:Galmaarden_-_Congobergstraat_-_Brabantse_Trekpaarden.jpg, Brabant draft horses. File:Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1568) The Blind Leading the Blind.jpg, ''

The Blind Leading the Blind ''The Blind Leading the Blind'', ''Blind'', or ''The Parable of the Blind'' () is a painting by the Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, Netherlandish Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder, completed in 1568. Executed in Glue-size, d ...

'' (Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1568) File:Sint-Anna-Pede - Sint-Annakerk - 01.JPG, Little church in Sint-Anna-Pede (Dilbeek). File:Pieter Bruegel.ste Anne.jpg, ''The Blind Leading the Blind'' in Sint-Anna-Pede.

References

* Tim Webb, Chris Pollard, Joris Pattyn, Lambicland,

External links

*
The Pajottenland
official ''Pajottenland & Zennevallei'' tourist site

Geography of Flemish Brabant Regions of Flanders Areas of Belgium {{FlemishBrabant-geo-stub

Geography

See also

References

External links