Lier is a compact Flemish town with an extraordinary concentration of curiosities relative to its size. The Zimmer Tower alone is worth a detour — a 14th-century fortified keep transformed into an astronomical marvel. The UNESCO Beguinage, one of the finest in Flanders, is a few minutes' walk away, and the Sint-Gummarus church contains stained glass that rivals anything in the region.
For a town of 35,000, Lier has a surprisingly rich museum scene. The Timmermans-Opsomer House celebrates the writer Felix Timmermans, Lier's most famous son, with a beautifully preserved bourgeois interior. The Wuyts-Van Campen en Baron Caroly Museum holds Flemish paintings from the 16th to 18th centuries in a period setting. Most sights are within comfortable walking distance of the Grote Markt.