Not many people have ever heard of Zoutleeuw. But it has one of the finest churches in the country. While almost every other church was ransacked by religious fanatics in 1566, Sint-Leonardus in Zoutleeuw was miraculously spared.
The mediaeval church is a fascinating place filled with ancient woodworm-ridden oak chests, elaborate wooden retables and painted Gothic sculptures.
The humour of the Middle Ages is reflected in works with titles like ‘The Virgin with Pointed Shoes and an Apple.’ There is also a statue of St Leonard with large ears, and a portrait of Adam and Eve showing Adam as a bald old man.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
