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Natural Monuments

Sterreborne Chapel

Natural Monuments

Sterreborne Chapel

Highlight • Religious Site

Sterreborne Chapel

Recommended by 31 hikers out of 32

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Location: Boutersem, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Sterreborne Chapel

5.0

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1. Butsel Forest Trail – Kapel Sterreborne loop from Boutersem

5.22km

01:22

40m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

5.0

(2)

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2. Sterreborne Chapel loop from Boutersem

8.38km

02:10

40m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

3.7

(3)

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3. Bench With View of Kerkom – Hof van Kerkom loop from Boutersem

12.1km

03:09

80m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

June 14, 2024

Place of pilgrimage with a large chapel, rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1893, surrounded by a park, approximately 30 ares; surrounding area redesigned with a ring path and flower beds; border planting (largely preserved) with candelabraed summer lime trees.

The Sterreborne, only mentioned for the first time in 1632, is one of the numerous 'miraculous' sources that occur in the sandy loam and (especially) the loam region and on which some form of saint worship has been grafted on, which may go back to a pre-Christian source worship. Legend has it that, long ago, two ladies got lost in the then wooded area between Lovenjoel and Boutersem. Tormented by thirst and praying for solace to the Mother of God, they followed a star that stood still above a source, about 800 meters north of the hamlet of Hoogbutsel. The occurrence of a source at that location is not surprising, because according to the soil map, a strip of heavy Diestian clay emerges there that functions as an aquifer for the loamy sand massif of Butselbos. The Sterreborne, as the source was subsequently aptly called, became the scene of miraculous healings. In 1965, the therapeutic value and the customs during pilgrimages were described as follows: "The water from the spring is used against eczema or fire. On an iron table at the back of the chapel, the pilgrims offer strands of hair or hang a red ribbon on the wall. Our Lady of Sterreborne is also invoked against eye, nervous and stomach diseases."

The current chapel, a neo-Gothic building designed by Edward Francken, was built in 1893-1894. It replaced a building that is clearly recognizable on old photographs as a typical one-aisled 'forest chapel' somewhere from the mid-17th century, as we find in various other places in Brabant (for example Our Lady of Steenbergen aan het Zoet Water in Oud-Heverlee), a rustic product of the Counter-Reformation.

Immovable Heritage Inventory: Chapel of Our Lady of Sterreborne with public garden, id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/300793

Translated by Google •

Els Q

May 26, 2022

Legend has it that, long ago, two ladies got lost in the then wooded area between Lovenjoel and Boutersem. Tormented by thirst and praying for solace to the Mother of God, they followed a star that stood still over a well, some 800 meters north of the hamlet of Hoogbutsel. The Sterreborne, as the well was later aptly called, became the scene of miraculous healings.
The current chapel in neo-Gothic style dates from 1893.

Translated by Google •

June 14, 2024

About twenty meters from the large chapel you will find a small one. If the chapel is closed you can enter the candle room. Finally, there is also a walk from the chapel, the Butselbos walk.

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Elevation 120 m

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Monday 10 November

12°C

9°C

70 %

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Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

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Location: Boutersem, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

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Sterreborne Chapel

1. Butsel Forest Trail – Kapel Sterreborne loop from Boutersem

2. Sterreborne Chapel loop from Boutersem

3. Bench With View of Kerkom – Hof van Kerkom loop from Boutersem

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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