{{Infobox Belgium municipality |name = Heist-op-den-Berg |picture = BE Heist-op-den-Berg IMG 2846.JPG |picture-legend = |map = Heist-op-den-Berg Antwerp Belgium Map.svg |map-legend = Location of Heist-op-den-Berg in the province of Antwerp |arms = Wapen van Heist-op-den-Berg.svg |flag = Flag of Heist-op-den-Berg.svg |province = Antwerp |arrondissement = Mechelen |nis = 12014 |mayor = Dirk Van Noten (CD&V) |majority = CD&V, N-VA, PRO Heist, Open Vld, Groen |postal-codes = 2220-2223 |telephone-area = 015, 014, 016, 03 |web = {{URL|http://www.heist-op-den-berg.be/}} |coordinates = {{coord|51|05|N|04|43|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}} }} '''Heist-op-den-Berg''' ({{IPA|nl|ˌɦɛist ɔb də(m) ˈbɛr(ə)x}}) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises Heist-op-den-Berg proper (including the hamlets: Heist-Goor,<ref>Goor is an old Dutch word for swamp. In the old days there was a marsh here.</ref> Heist-Station, Zonderschot, Heist-Centrum<ref>Centrum means center (of the village).</ref> and Bruggeneinde<ref>Bruggeneinde is 'the end of the bridge' in English.</ref>), the villages of {{ill|Booischot|nl}} (including the hamlet Pijpelheide), {{ill|Hallaar|nl}}, {{ill|Itegem|nl}}, {{ill|Schriek|nl|Schriek (Heist-op-den-Berg)}} and {{ill|Wiekevorst|nl}}.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.heist-op-den-berg.be/deelgemeenten | title=Deelgemeenten }}</ref>
==History== The 48-meter-high hill on which Heist would later be built (hence the adjunct name ''op-den-Berg'' meaning "on the hill") was formed during the early part of the Ice age. As can be appreciated from the artifacts shown at the regional museum on the town's main square, this area was already populated in prehistoric times. Soon after the Romans yielded this land to the invading Germanic peoples in the 3rd and 4th century, Christianization followed. The village of Itegem, located right on the Nete River, was most likely the first hamlet to be founded, as suggested by a document dating from 976. Chapels in Hallaar and Itegem were built in the 12th century. This century also marked the beginnings of the Duchy of Brabant, of which this whole area was a part.
Around the year 1200, a military fort was built at the current location of the ''Ter Laken'' castle, on Booischot's territory. Schriek, which was founded in 1125, got its own chapel in 1260 while the main church at Heist was built in 1340. These two religious buildings were heavily damaged during the wars of religion around 1600. During most of the Middle Ages, agriculture was driving the economy and several huge farming domains were built, some of which still subsist today (e.g., ''Wimpelhoeve'' in Wiekevorst, traces of which date from the 12th century, and ''Pandoerenhoeve'' in Schriek, dating from 1624). During the 17th and 18th century, the miraculous wooden statue of the Virgin and Child in the Hallaar church became an object of pilgrimage.
The current town hall was built in 1844, fourteen years after the foundation of Belgium as an independent country. Today, the town is mostly a residential centre, which offers services to the surrounding communities.
==Events== *Heistse Pijl, cycling race *Heist-op-den-Berg is well known for its Sunday morning flea market. * Hestival, every last saturday of August
==Sights== thumb|right|200px|Heist-op-den-Berg town hall *The historical heart of the town is the church square (''Kerkplein''), where one of the town's many old water pumps can be seen, and where a train museum (''Treinmuseum'') and a regional farming museum (''Heemmuseum'') can be visited. *An old windmill, the last one in the Mechelen area, churches and chapels, and farms, many with their original water pumps, dot the landscape around the town. *Heist-op-den-Berg (especially Itegem) also houses several castles, most of which are privately owned and therefore not open to the public.
==Notable residents== *Ivo van Hove, theatre director *Rik Torfs, Rector of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven *Silvy De Bie, singer (b. 1981) *Leo Laurens (born 1952), former professional darts player *Paul Michiels, singer and songwriter (b. 1948) *Filip Verlinden (born 1982), kickboxer *Anak Verhoeven, (born 1996), rock climber
==Climate== {{Weather box|width=auto |location = Heist-op-den-Berg (1991−2020 normals<!--, extremes 1901−present -->) |single line = Y |metric first = Y |collapsed = Y |Jan record high C = |Feb record high C = |Mar record high C = |Apr record high C = |May record high C = |Jun record high C = |Jul record high C = |Aug record high C = |Sep record high C = |Oct record high C = |Nov record high C = |Dec record high C = |Jan record low C = |Feb record low C = |Mar record low C = |Apr record low C = |May record low C = |Jun record low C = |Jul record low C = |Aug record low C = |Sep record low C = |Oct record low C = |Nov record low C = |Dec record low C = |Jan high C = 6.7 |Feb high C = 7.7 |Mar high C = 11.5 |Apr high C = 15.8 |May high C = 19.4 |Jun high C = 22.1 |Jul high C = 24.1 |Aug high C = 23.9 |Sep high C = 20.4 |Oct high C = 15.6 |Nov high C = 10.5 |Dec high C = 7.1 |year high C = 15.4 |Jan mean C = 4.0 |Feb mean C = 4.4 |Mar mean C = 7.2 |Apr mean C = 10.4 |May mean C = 14.2 |Jun mean C = 17.1 |Jul mean C = 19.1 |Aug mean C = 18.7 |Sep mean C = 15.4 |Oct mean C = 11.5 |Nov mean C = 7.4 |Dec mean C = 4.5 |year mean C = 11.2 |Jan low C = 1.2 |Feb low C = 1.0 |Mar low C = 2.8 |Apr low C = 5.0 |May low C = 8.9 |Jun low C = 12.0 |Jul low C = 14.1 |Aug low C = 13.4 |Sep low C = 10.5 |Oct low C = 7.4 |Nov low C = 4.2 |Dec low C = 1.9 |year low C = 6.9 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 71.8 |Feb precipitation mm = 64.1 |Mar precipitation mm = 57.2 |Apr precipitation mm = 44.2 |May precipitation mm = 58.2 |Jun precipitation mm = 74.2 |Jul precipitation mm = 78.7 |Aug precipitation mm = 81.4 |Sep precipitation mm = 68.5 |Oct precipitation mm = 66.3 |Nov precipitation mm = 76.0 |Dec precipitation mm = 88.4 |year precipitation mm = 828.9 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 12.9 |Feb precipitation days = 11.6 |Mar precipitation days = 11.0 |Apr precipitation days = 9.0 |May precipitation days = 9.7 |Jun precipitation days = 10.1 |Jul precipitation days = 10.7 |Aug precipitation days = 10.6 |Sep precipitation days = 9.9 |Oct precipitation days = 11.0 |Nov precipitation days = 12.6 |Dec precipitation days = 14.1 |year precipitation days = 133.2 |Jan sun = 61 |Feb sun = 76 |Mar sun = 133 |Apr sun = 185 |May sun = 215 |Jun sun = 215 |Jul sun = 221 |Aug sun = 207 |Sep sun = 161 |Oct sun = 117 |Nov sun = 67 |Dec sun = 50 |year sun = 1708 |source 1 = Royal Meteorological Institute<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.meteo.be/resources/climatology/climateCity/pdf/climate_INS12014_9120_nl.pdf | title = Luchttemperatuur en neerslag Referentieperiode: 1991-2020 | language = nl | publisher = Royal Meteorological Institute | access-date = September 4, 2025}}</ref>}}
==See also== *Heist-Goor *K.S.K. Heist
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} *[http://www.heist-op-den-berg.be Official website] {{in lang|nl}}
{{Geographic location |Centre = Heist-op-den-Berg |North = Herenthout |Northeast = Herentals |East = Westerlo<br>Hulshout |Southeast = Begijnendijk (VBR) |South = Tremelo (VBR) |Southwest = Keerbergen (VBR) |West = Berlaar<br>Putte |Northwest = Nijlen }} {{Municipalities in Antwerp}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heist-Op-Den-Berg}} Category:Heist-op-den-Berg Category:Lordship of Mechelen Category:Municipalities of Antwerp Province Category:Populated places in Antwerp Province