Nowadays the river Scheldt cuts through the town, but until the 16th century there was a town on each bank: Oudenaarde and Pamele, which later merged.

In the centre the town hall catches the eye: it stands as a proud shrine on the Grote Markt (Great Market). The town hall of Oudenaarde is, just like the town halls of Brussels and Leuven, a perfect example of the Brabant late Gothic style.

But Oudenaarde also offers a rich variety of smaller monuments, each telling its own rich and eventful history. The town has more than 100 classified monuments. Don’t miss the Sint Walburga church, the Kleine Markt (Small Market), where the town’s origins lay, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwehospitaal (Hospital of Our Lady) and the beguinage.

A town walk takes you to small hidden corners and monuments. You can get a map for free at the tourist office and there will be signs from June 2007. But we do not only focus on stone monuments, we also take time for a stroll along the Scheldt and a little rest in the town park.