# Aalter > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Aalter > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Aalter.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aalter > Source revision: 1311805725 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Municipality in Flemish Community, Belgium Aalter Municipality Flag Coat of arms Location of Aalter in East Flanders Interactive map of Aalter Aalter Location in Belgium Coordinates: 51°05′N 03°27′E / 51.083°N 3.450°E / 51.083; 3.450 Country Belgium Community Flemish Community Region Flemish Region Province East Flanders Arrondissement Ghent Government • Mayor Pieter De Crem (CD&V) • Governing party CD&V/N-VA Area • Total 119.85 km2 (46.27 sq mi) Population (2022-01-01)[1] • Total 29,340 • Density 244.8/km2 (634.0/sq mi) Postal codes 9880, 9881, 9910 NIS code 44084 Area codes 09 Website www.aalter.be **Aalter** (Dutch pronunciation: [\[ˈaːltər\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Dutch) [ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nl-Aalter.ogg)) is a [municipality](/source/Municipalities_of_Belgium) located between [Bruges](/source/Bruges) and [Ghent](/source/Ghent) in the [Belgian](/source/Belgium) province of [East Flanders](/source/East_Flanders). The municipality comprises the towns of Aalter, [Bellem](/source/Bellem), [Lotenhulle](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lotenhulle&action=edit&redlink=1) [[nl](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotenhulle)], [Poeke](/source/Poeke), [Knesselare](/source/Knesselare) and [Ursel](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ursel,_Belgium&action=edit&redlink=1) [[nl](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursel)]. It is bordered on the north by [Maldegem](/source/Maldegem), on the east by [Zomergem](/source/Zomergem) and [Nevele](/source/Nevele), on the south by [Deinze](/source/Deinze), and on the west by the province of [West Flanders](/source/West_Flanders). The mayor is [Pieter De Crem](/source/Pieter_De_Crem).[2] Effective 1 January 2019, the municipality of [Knesselare](/source/Knesselare) was merged into Aalter.[3] Aalter was home to 29,242 people in 2021.[4] ## History Aalter is located on the border of the [Meetjesland](/source/Meetjesland) with the forest of Flanders. The area was inhabited since prehistory. Artefacts have been recovered from 3,000 to 2,000 [BC](/source/Before_Christ). The village was first mentioned in 974 as "Villa Haleftra". The etymology is unclear. The current name started to emerge around 1700. Aalter was home to several small *[heerlijkheden](/source/Heerlijkheid)* (landed estates), some of which had [motte-and-bailey castles](/source/Motte-and-bailey_castle).[5][6] Between 1613 and 1623, the [Ghent-Bruges Canal](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ghent-Bruges_Canal&action=edit&redlink=1) [[nl](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanaal_Gent-Brugge)] was dug, and several fortifications were built by Spanish against the Dutch. In 1838, a railway station opened and Aalter started to develop into a town which nowadays has many commuters.[5][6] ## Gallery - [Poeke Castle](/source/Poeke_Castle) - [Pigeon-tower](/source/Dovecote) in [Bellem](/source/Bellem) - Mariahove castle in Bellem - Bandstand in the square ## See also - [Pieter De Crem](/source/Pieter_De_Crem) - [Flor Grammens](/source/Flor_Grammens) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-wikidata-354c41bf74d0f15c07c40ab0a8c1dd9bfadc1f49-v20_1-0)** ["Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2022"](https://statbel.fgov.be/sites/default/files/files/documents/bevolking/5.1%20Structuur%20van%20de%20bevolking/Bevolking_per_gemeente.xlsx). Statbel. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Pieter De Crem grijpt alle macht"](https://www.hln.be/aalter/pieter-de-crem-grijpt-alle-macht~a1d045aa/). *Het Laatste Nieuws* (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 May 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Knesselare én Aalter bundelen hun krachten in de nieuwe fusiegemeente Aalter"](https://www.communicatiehuis.be/nl/cases/knesselare-en-aalter-bundelen-hun-krachten-de-nieuwe-fusiegemeente-aalter). *Communicatiehuis* (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 May 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-stat_4-0)** ["Bevolking per statistische sector - Sector 44084"](https://statbel.fgov.be/sites/default/files/files/opendata/bevolking/sectoren/OPENDATA_SECTOREN_2021.xlsx). *Statistics Belgium*. Retrieved 7 May 2022. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hist_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hist_5-1) ["Aalter"](https://mijnplatteland.com/meetjesland/aalter/nl/). *Mijnplatteland* (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 May 2022. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-invent_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-invent_6-1) ["Aalter"](https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/themas/14191). *Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed* (in Dutch). July 1981. Retrieved 7 May 2022. ## External links - Media related to [Aalter](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Aalter) at Wikimedia Commons - [Official website](http://www.aalter.be) - Only available in [Dutch](/source/Dutch_language) Places adjacent to Aalter Beernem (VWV) Knesselare Zomergem Ruiselede (VWV) Aalter Nevele Tielt (VWV) Deinze v t e Belgian municipality Aalter Deelgemeentes Aalter Bellem Knesselare Lotenhulle Poeke Ursel [nl] Other settlements Aaltebei Aalter-Brug [nl] Bellembrug Buntelare De Plaats Eentveld Karmenhoek Lange Dronk Loveld [nl] Maria-Aalter [nl] Onderdale Overleie Stationsstraat [nl] Stuivenberg Vinken Vrekkem [nl] Westvoorde List of municipalities of the Flemish Region v t e Municipalities in the Province of East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium Aalst Aalst Denderleeuw Erpe-Mere Geraardsbergen Haaltert Herzele Lede Ninove Sint-Lievens-Houtem Zottegem Dendermonde Berlare Buggenhout Dendermonde Hamme Laarne Lebbeke Waasmunster Wetteren Wichelen Zele Eeklo Assenede Eeklo Kaprijke Maldegem Sint-Laureins Zelzate Ghent Aalter Deinze Destelbergen Evergem Gavere Ghent Lievegem Lochristi Merelbeke-Melle Nazareth-De Pinte Oosterzele Sint-Martens-Latem Zulte Oudenaarde Brakel Horebeke Kluisbergen Kruisem Lierde Maarkedal Oudenaarde Ronse Wortegem-Petegem Zwalm Sint-Niklaas Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht Lokeren Sint-Gillis-Waas Sint-Niklaas Stekene Temse Bold indicates cities Italic indicates municipality with language facilities Authority control databases International VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States Israel Geographic MusicBrainz area Other Yale LUX This East Flanders location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:EastFlanders-geo-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AEastFlanders-geo-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:EastFlanders-geo-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Aalter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aalter) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aalter?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.