Kluisberg

Kluisberg is a hill situated right on the border between two Belgian regions — Flanders and Wallonia — close to the village of Amougies. The hill forms part of the range known as the Flemish Ardennes (Vlaamse Ardennen), a modest but distinctive chain of elevations running through the southern part of East Flanders along the valley of the Scheldt river. Its summit lies at approximately 50.7686°N, 3.5011°E.

Where exactly is Kluisberg located?

The hill sits at the meeting point of two municipalities. On the Flemish side, it borders the municipality of Kluisbergen, located in the province of East Flanders, along the Scheldt river. Kluisbergen was formed in 1971 through the merger of the towns of Berchem, Kwaremont, Ruien and Zulzeke. Ruien is the largest of the four and offers outdoor recreational facilities for visitors to the area. As of 2021, Kluisbergen had a total population of 6,682 across an area of 30.38 km².

On the Walloon side, directly adjacent to Amougies, lies the municipality of Mont-de-l'Enclus, part of the Walloon Region, in the province of Hainaut, within the Tournai-Mouscron district. As of 1 January 2024, this municipality had a population of 3,879. This closeness of two linguistically and administratively distinct regions gives the area around Kluisberg a distinctly borderland character — part Flemish, part Walloon.

What else is notable in the surrounding area?

Directly adjoining Kluisberg is the Kluisbos forest, home to two ancient standing stones dating back to Roman times. This makes Kluisbos one of the few places in this part of Flanders where such distant history is still physically visible, adding a layer of historical interest to what is otherwise primarily a scenic, wooded landscape. The hill itself and its surrounding forests are typical of the Flemish Ardennes: a gently rolling terrain with shallow valleys and dense tree cover, standing in contrast to the flat topography found across most of Flanders.

Why is this region well known?

The Flemish Ardennes, of which Kluisberg forms a part, are known for their hilly relief — a rarity in a country as generally flat as Belgium. The proximity of the Scheldt river adds further variety to the landscape, and the regional border running almost literally across these hills means that, within a very short distance, travellers pass between places of markedly different linguistic and administrative character — Dutch-speaking Kluisbergen on one side, French-speaking Mont-de-l'Enclus and Amougies on the other.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kluisberg in Flanders or Wallonia? The hill lies exactly on the boundary between the two regions, bordering both the Flemish municipality of Kluisbergen and the Walloon municipality of Mont-de-l'Enclus, which includes Amougies.

How large is the municipality of Kluisbergen? Kluisbergen covers an area of 30.38 km² and had a population of 6,682 in 2021. It comprises the towns of Berchem, Kwaremont, Ruien and Zulzeke, administratively merged in 1971.

What can be found in the Kluisbos forest? The Kluisbos forest, adjoining the hill, contains two ancient standing stones dating from Roman times — a rare physical trace of that period in this part of Belgium.

Which river runs near Kluisberg? The Scheldt river, one of the major rivers of Belgium and northern France, flows close by, along the territory of the Kluisbergen municipality.

What is the population of the neighbouring Mont-de-l'Enclus municipality? As of 1 January 2024, Mont-de-l'Enclus, which includes Amougies, had a population of 3,879.