Pajottenland

The Pajottenland (in English occasionally Payottenland) is a part of the Flemish Brabant province west of the Brussels Capital Region. The Pajottenland is predominantly farmland, with occasional gently rolling hills, and is mostly found between the rivers Dender and Zenne / Senne. The area has historically provided food and drink for the citizens of Brussels, especially Lambic beers, which are only produced here and in the Zenne valley where Brussels is located.

Geography

Map of the communes of Flemish Brabant showing those making up the Pajottenland highlighted in red, those which some definitions include in pink, and the additional municipalities which also form the Pajottenland & Zenne Valley tourist area in yellow

The Pajottenland is generally understood to cover the following municipalities and deelgemeente:

• Affligem
• Asse
• Bever
• Dilbeek: Dilbeek, Itterbeek (with Sint-Anna-Pede), Schepdaal (with Sint-Gertrudis-Pede), Sint-Martens-Bodegem, Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle, Groot-Bijgaarden
• Galmaarden: Galmaarden, Tollembeek, Vollezele
• Gooik: Gooik (met 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, 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 the lawyer De Gronckel who first described it, the Pajottenland also includes Liedekerke and the Ninove deelgemeenten Neigem and Lieferinge. The rural part of Anderlecht, particularly in earlier times before it became a municipality of the Brussels region, may also be counted.

The tourist area marketed under the name Pajottenland & Zennevallei (Pajottenland and Zenne Valley) also includes the municipalities Beersel, Drogenbos, Halle, Linkebeek, Sint-Genesius-Rode, which are clustered around the Zenne Valley to the south-west of the main Pajottenland region.

See also

• Communities, regions and provinces of Belgium

References

• Tim Webb, Chris Pollard, Joris Pattyn, Lambicland, ISBN 0-9547789-0-1

External links

• The Pajottenland, official Pajottenland & Zennevallei tourist site
• The Pajottenland