Editing Herentals

{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Herentals
|picture          = P1020635 copyGrote Markt Herentals.jpg
|picture-legend   = 
|map              = Herentals Antwerp Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Herentals in the province of Antwerp
|arms             = Blason ville be Herentals.svg
|flag             = Herentals vlag.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community        = {{BE-NL}}
|province         = {{BE-PROV-AN}}
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Turnhout|Turnhout]]
|nis              = 13011
|pyramid-date     =
|0-19=
|20-64=
|65=
|foreigners= 
|foreigners-date  = 
|mayor            = Jan Michielsen (CD&V) (acting)
|majority         = [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]], [[Christian Democratic and Flemish|CD&V]]
|postal-codes     = 2200
|telephone-area   = 014
|web              = {{website|http://www.herentals.be}}
|coordinates      = {{coord|51|11|N|04|50|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''Herentals''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈɦeːrə(n)tɑls}}) is a city in the province of [[Antwerp (province)|Antwerp]]. The municipality comprises the city of Herentals proper and the towns of [[Morkhoven]] and [[Noorderwijk]]. In 2022, Herentals had a total population of 28,455.<ref name="stat">{{cite web|url=https://statbel.fgov.be/sites/default/files/files/documents/bevolking/5.1%20Structuur%20van%20de%20bevolking/Bevolking_per_gemeente.xlsx |title=Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2022|website=Statistics Belgium |access-date=11 Jan 2023 }}</ref> The total area is {{cvt|48.56|km2|}}. [[Saint Waltrude]] is the patron saint of the city.

==Highlights==
Herentals has some outstanding historical buildings, including the church and town hall; the town hall and its [[Belfry (architecture)|belfry]] is listed as one of the [[Belfries of Belgium and France]], a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].<ref>{{cite web |title=World Heritage List {{!}} Belfries of Belgium and France |work=[[UNESCO]] |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/943 |access-date=2021-03-16}}</ref> The old city gates, the ''Bovenpoort'' (Northern gate) and ''Zandpoort'' (Western gate) are still standing, while the ''Nederpoort'' and ''Koepoort'' were torn down a long time ago.

The [[Hidrodoe]] science museum is located in Herentals.  There is also a large [[chocolate]] factory located in Herentals, which is the only production facility in the world for Milka's Leo chocolate wafer bar.

Herentals is a centre of commerce in the region, although the cities of [[Geel]] and [[Mol, Belgium|Mol]] are quite popular as well.

Herentals is twinned with [[IJsselstein]], [[Netherlands]]. The inhabitants of the [[Campine]] region have common [[sobriquet]]s that are particular to their towns; people from Herentals are referred to by the colloquialisms ''"Klokkenververs"'' (meaning "bell painters") and ''"Peestekers"'', which comes from the old story about the farmers of the town using carrots ({{lang|nl|italic=no|pekes, "pee"-stekers}}) as a lock on the "Zandpoort", one of the great city gates in that time.

== Notable people ==
* [[Francken family#Nicolaes Francken|Nicolaes Francken]], painter, founder of the [[Francken family|Francken painting dynasty]] (1520–1596)
* [[Hendrik de Moy]], father of [[Isabella Brant]] (1534–1610)
* [[Hieronymus Francken I]], painter (c. 1540–1610)
* [[Frans Francken the Elder]], painter (1542–1616)
* [[Ambrosius Francken I]], painter (1544–1618)
* [[Charles-Auguste Fraikin]], sculptor (1817–1893)
* [[Stefaan Vaes]], mathematician (born 1976)
* [[Rik Van Looy]], professional cyclist (1933–2024)
* [[Wout van Aert]], professional cyclist (born 1994)
* [[Wim Eyckmans]], racing driver (born 1973)

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Herentals belfort.jpg|Belfry of old town hall
File:Postgebouw.JPG|Former Post office in the Market square
File:P1020632 copyStadspoort Herentals.jpg|City gate
File:Kanaal Bocholt-Herentals 2.jpg|Bocholt-Herentals Canal
File:Herentals_Lakenhalle_&_Boerenkrijgmonument_02.JPG|The old town hall and the Monument for the 'Farmers Rising'
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{Official website|http://www.herentals.be}} {{in lang|nl|en|fr}} 
*[http://www.thalsfm.be Local radio station with local news] - Only available in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]
*[http://www.herentals.start.be Start Page] - Only available in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]
*[https://www.solitarywanderer.com/the-tourist-tower-of-herentals-belgium/ Toeristentoren Herentals] - The tourist tower of Herentals

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Herentals
|North     = [[Lille, Belgium|Lille]]
|Northeast = [[Kasterlee]]
|East      = [[Olen, Belgium|Olen]]
|Southeast = [[Westerlo]]
|Southwest = [[Heist-op-den-Berg]]
|West      = [[Grobbendonk]]<br>[[Herenthout]]
|Northwest = [[Vorselaar]]
}}
{{Municipalities in Antwerp}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Municipalities of Antwerp Province]]
[[Category:Populated places in Antwerp Province]]
[[Category:Herentals| ]]