Grote Markt, Grand place in Aalst, Belgium

Grote Markt is the largest market square in Aalst, broken up by the projecting Schepenhuis and the Herberg Graaf van Egmont, which divide it into several parts. A bronze statue of printer Dirk Martens, in cap and long coat and holding a tablet to his chest, stands before the tower with its gold-numeral clock face. The paving runs unbroken to the stepped and pointed gables around the edges.

The square has been Aalst's center since medieval times and witnessed the execution of Clara 't Roen in 1524, marking her as the region's first female Protestant martyr. The buildings visible today were constructed over several centuries, reflecting the city's growth and changing architectural priorities.

Every year the Grote Markt is the main gathering place of the Aalst Carnival. Since 2022 the winner of Prince Carnival is announced here, and the traditional doll burning and onion throwing take place on the square. Concerts are held here, often on the Day of the Flemish Community, and in 2019 the Catharinisten theatre troupe celebrated its 600th birthday on the square.

The square is easy to reach on foot and connects to several surrounding streets like Kattestraat, Hopmarkt, and Nieuwstraat, making navigation straightforward. From here, you can comfortably explore the nearby shopping and historic districts at your own pace.

The Schepenhuis on the square is the oldest stone aldermen's house in Flanders and gives the Grote Markt its UNESCO buffer-zone status. The bronze figure below the clock is Dirk Martens, the Aalst printer who published Thomas More's Utopia in 1516; he holds a tablet, not a book.