Editing Zottegem

{{use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Zottegem
|type             = city
|picture          = Markt_met_stadhuis_en_Egmontstandbeeld,_Zottegem,_Vlaanderen,_België_02.jpg
|picture-legend   = the market square, the town hall, House of "The Catholic Circle" and Lamoral Count of Egmont's statue
|map              = Zottegem East-Flanders Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Zottegem in East Flanders
|arms             = Blason ville be Zottegem.svg
|flag             = Flag of Zottegem.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community        = {{BE-NL}}
|province         = {{BE-PROV-OV}}
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Aalst|Aalst]]
|nis              = 41081
|pyramid-date=
|0-19=
|20-64=
|65=
|foreigners=
|foreigners-date  =
|mayor            = Evelien De Both [[N-VA]]
|majority         = [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]], [[N-VA]], [[Open VLD|Positief]]
|postal-codes     = 9620
|telephone-area   = 09
|web              = [http://www.zottegem.be/ www.zottegem.be]
|coordinates      = {{coord|50|52|N|03|48|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''Zottegem''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈzɔtəɣɛm}}, '''Sotteghem''' and '''Sottegem''' in older English and French language sources) is a [[City status in Belgium|city]] and [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] located in Belgium and more particularly in [[Flanders]], in the province of [[East Flanders]]. The municipality comprises the town of Zottegem proper and the villages of Elene, [[Erwetegem]], [[Godveerdegem]], [[Grotenberge]], [[Leeuwergem]], [[Oombergen]], [[Sint-Goriks-Oudenhove]], [[Sint-Maria-Oudenhove]], [[Strijpen]] and [[Velzeke-Ruddershove]]. On 1 January 2018, Zottegem had a total population of 26,373. The total area is 56.66&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> which gives a [[population density]] of 470 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Heemskerk |first=Josée |title=Uitspraakwoordenboek |last2=Zonneveld |first2=Wim |date=2000 |publisher=Het Spectrum |isbn=978-90-274-4482-0 |edition=1. druk |series=Auch gezählt als: NUGI |location=Utrecht}}</ref>

Zottegem is part of the hilly geographical area of the [[Flemish Ardennes]] (''Vlaamse Ardennen''); the hills and cobblestone streets ([[Paddestraat]]) are regular locations in the springtime [[classic cycle races|cycle classics]] of Flanders.

The city is known for its ties with [[Lamoral, Count of Egmont]]. Lamoral has an [[Egmont Castle]] (''Egmontkasteel''), an [[Egmont museum]] (''Egmontkamer'') and two [[Statue of Egmont|statues of Egmont]] in the centre of Zottegem. He is buried in [[Egmont's crypt]] (''Egmontcrypte'') under the church.

[[Leeuwergem Castle]] in Elene is an 18th-century stately home. There also the ruins of an [[Windmill of Elene|18th-century windmill]] can be found.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Stenen windmolen |url=https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/9709 |access-date=19 July 2023}}</ref> [[Breivelde Castle]] in Grotenberge is surrounded by an English landscape garden. The [[archaeological museum of Velzeke]] exhibits findings from [[Gallo-Roman culture]].

==Places of interest==
<gallery>
File:Markt met Egmontstandbeeld en Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Hemelvaartkerk, Zottegem.jpg|{{center|{{ill|Church of the Assumption of Our Lady (Zottegem)|lt=Church of the Assumption of Our Lady|nl|Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Hemelvaartkerk (Zottegem)}}, [[Egmont's crypt]]}}
File:Egmontstandbeeld,_Markt,_Zottegem,_Vlaanderen,_België_02.jpg|{{center|[[Statue of Egmont]]}}
File:Kasteel_van_Egmont_Zottegem_09.jpg|{{center|[[Egmont Castle]]}}
File:Egmontkamer,_stadhuis_Zottegem_06.jpg|{{center|[[Egmont museum]]}}
File:Domein_Breivelde_Zottegem_05.jpg|{{center|[[Breivelde Castle]]}}
File:Kasteel_van_Leeuwergem,_Zottegem_03.jpg|{{center|[[Leeuwergem Castle]]}}
File:Paddestraat,_Velzeke,_Zottegem_01.jpg|{{center|[[Paddestraat]]}}
File:Provinciaal_Archeocentrum_AVE_Velzeke_Zottegem_29.jpg|[[Archaeological museum of Velzeke]]
</gallery>

==Famous inhabitants==<!-- Please respect alphabetical order -->
*[[Urbain Braems]], football player and manager, lived in Zottegem
*[[Bart De Clercq]], cyclist
*[[Patricia de Martelaere]] (b. in Zottegem), writer
*{{ill|Anne De Paepe|nl}}, former rector of Ghent University
*[[Jessy De Smet]], singer
*[[Lamoral, Count of Egmont]], general and statesman, is buried in Zottegem
*[[Tim Matthys]], football player, lives in Zottegem
*[[Laurent Merchiers]], politician
*[[Lyne Renée]] (b. in Zottegem), actress
*[[Paul Van Cauwenberge]], former rector of Ghent University
*{{ill|Magali Uytterhaegen|nl}} (b. in Zottegem), actress ([[The Curiosity of Chance|The curiosity of Chance]])

==See also==
* [[Oomberg Airport]]
* [[Zwalm (River)]]

==References==
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.zottegem.be Official website ] - Information available in Dutch and limited information available in English, French and German

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Zottegem
|North     = [[Oosterzele]]
|Northeast = [[Sint-Lievens-Houtem]]
|East      = [[Herzele]]
|South     = [[Lierde]]
|Southwest = [[Brakel, Belgium|Brakel]]
|West      = [[Zwalm]]
|Northwest = [[Gavere]]
}}
{{Belgian municipality Zottegem}}
{{Municipalities in East Flanders}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Zottegem| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of East Flanders]]
[[Category:Populated places in East Flanders]]


{{EastFlanders-geo-stub}}