Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Vlaanderenkapel

Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Vlaanderenkapel is a small roadside chapel standing in Baarle-Hertog, more precisely in the hamlet of Gel within Zondereigen — one of the many enclaves that make up the peculiar, border-criss-crossed Belgian-Dutch town of Baarle. It belongs to a wider family of modest field chapels found across this region, structures that have accompanied local roads and crossings for generations as places for a brief prayer or a pause on a journey.

What is the history behind this chapel?

According to available records, some chapel is thought to have already stood on this spot around 1850, but it did not survive — it disappeared completely, leaving no trace or documentation of its appearance. The current building, the one visitors can see today, dates from 1939 and was erected between two linden trees, which still flank the structure and give the place its characteristic secluded, contemplative atmosphere typical of this kind of wayside shrine.

What architectural style does it represent?

Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Vlaanderenkapel is a so-called pillar chapel (pijlerkapel) executed in an Art Deco style — a direction that in the 1930s was popular in both Belgium and the Netherlands, including in small-scale religious architecture. The building is notable for its use of coloured bricks and for its slender pillar that tapers to a point at the top, giving the whole structure a soaring, almost tower-like profile despite its modest size. This form — a single vertical pillar with a niche — is typical of Flemish wayside chapels and makes them easy to spot in the rural landscape even from a distance.

What can be found inside the chapel?

The niche houses a statue depicting Our Lady of Flanders crushing a dragon underfoot, an iconographic motif that echoes the traditional image of the Immaculate triumphing over evil, here rendered in its local Flemish variant. Beside the figure of Mary stands the Flemish Lion, the heraldic animal from the coat of arms of Flanders, which directly ties the chapel's religious meaning to the regional identity of the area. This pairing — a Marian scene of triumph combined with the region's heraldic emblem — makes the chapel an interesting example of local piety rooted in the specific cultural context of the Flemish-Brabant border area.

Why is this place worth noticing?

The chapel is not a major tourist attraction in the conventional sense, but it makes for an interesting stop for visitors exploring Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau who, beyond the famous mosaic of national borders, also want to see small yet authentic traces of local history and the faith of the residents. Its position along the road in Zondereigen means it can be visited during a walk or a drive through this part of the municipality without needing a dedicated detour.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the chapel located? In the hamlet of Gel, in Zondereigen, part of the municipality of Baarle-Hertog.

When was the current building constructed? In 1939; an earlier chapel from around 1850 did not survive.

What architectural style does the chapel represent? Art Deco, in the form of a pillar chapel built of coloured brick.

What does the statue in the niche depict? Our Lady of Flanders crushing a dragon, accompanied by the Flemish Lion, the heraldic symbol of the region.