Zottegem's modest centre is built around the legacy of Lamoral, Count of Egmont — the Flemish nobleman executed by the Duke of Alba in Brussels in 1568, whose name appears on a castle, a museum, and a statue here. Beyond the Egmont sights, the town is a useful base for cycling in the Flemish Ardennes, and a couple of the surrounding villages — Velzeke and Elene — have their own small museums and castles worth a half-day.