Reningelst

Infobox Belgische deelgemeente
kaart1=
naam=Reningelst
provincie=WVLA
gemeente=Poperinge
latitudeGraden=
latitudeMinuten=
latitudeSeconden=
longitudeGraden=
longitudeMinuten=
longitudeSeconden=
opp=15,20
inw=1.405
datum=03/08/2008
dichtheid=92,4
postcode=8970
netn=|

Reningelst is a rural village in the Belgian province of West-Flanders, and a "deelgemeente" of the municipality Poperinge. The village has about 1405 inhabitants.

The deelgemeente of De Klijte used to be a part of Reningelst (then independent, now part of Poperinge). De Klijtel split from Reningelst in 1976 and is now part of the Heuvelland municipality.

Culture and Sports

Reningelst is host to several major cycling races each year. Reningelst is the bicycle capitol of the state -- it's a wielerdorp. Every year during the kermisweek a number of major cycling races happen here. The Eight of Reningelst owes its name to an 8K trail in the village.

Sightseeing

. However, it was again destroyed during the First World War (1914-1918) and again rebuilt. Although it was the town center during these perilous times, was never occupied by the German army.

Reningelst was a stopover for many soldiers on their way to or from the front. The village used to have a castle that was built around 1100. Through the ages this castle endured until on September 6, 1793 the castle was completely burnt down, on the orders of General Van Damme. A double railway was constructed where the castle stood (now a meadow) during the First World War. After the war, several military cemeteries were built for gesneuvelde across the Westhoek, as well as in Reningelst. The Reninghelst New Military Cemetery includes those from the Chinese Labour Corps, and Gedenkzuil for the military and civilian victims of World War I and World War II from Reningelst.

In the former town hall, the history of Reningelst appears on a stained-glass window.

The village currently has a primary school, spread over two locations: one in the Pastoorstraat, and one in the rue du Bailli.

Until the sixties (20th century) it was in the village have a beer brewed: The Roökop. Reningelst also has a forward Firefighter station. This item is part of firefighters Great Poperinge. The Firefighter station is composed of 19 officers and troops.

Notable people from Reningelst

*Piet Chielens was born in Reningelst in 1956. He is coordinator of the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres (Ieper) in Belgium.