Ronse, City and municipality in East Flanders, Belgium
Ronse is a city in southeast East Flanders surrounded by rolling green hills and set within the Oudenaarde district. It has a central square with a town hall, a nineteenth-century obelisk, and cafes, while around this core stand residential neighborhoods, churches, a historic railway station, and parks.
Ronse developed as a religious hub centered on the veneration of Saint Hermes, whose medieval crypt became a pilgrimage destination. The city experienced its greatest prosperity between the two world wars, when textile manufacturing brought wealth and shaped the current Art Deco urban landscape.
Ronse takes its name from its past as a religious center devoted to Saint Hermes, whose crypt still draws visitors today. The city's architecture, dominated by Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles, reflects how locals shaped their surroundings during the early twentieth century.
The nineteenth-century railway station offers good train connections, and the flat to rolling terrain makes the city easy to explore on foot or by bicycle. Planning for weather, wearing comfortable clothes, and bringing sturdy shoes will make it most enjoyable to visit the sights and parks.
The obelisk in the central square was originally the city's first public fountain from the early nineteenth century. Its top displays a double-headed eagle, a symbol from when Ronse held greater political power.
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