Lembeek

Lembeek is a village on the River Senne, just south of Brussels, now part of the city of Halle in Flemish Brabant. Its history reaches back into the Middle Ages, when its position between Brabant and Hainaut gave it an unusual degree of independence. After conflict between the two territories, Lembeek was recognised in 1194 as a neutral “free town”, enjoying privileges including exemption from certain taxes.

The village developed alongside the Senne and later the Brussels–Charleroi Canal. Its surrounding landscape remains closely associated with woodland, agriculture and brewing.

Lembeek is particularly important in the history of lambic beer. The similarity between the names "Lembeek" and "lambic has long encouraged the idea that one gave rise to the other, although the true origin of the word lambic remains uncertain. Another theory links it to the French word "alambic", meaning a still. What is certain is that Lembeek lies firmly within the traditional lambic-producing region of the Senne Valley, where spontaneous fermentation has been practised for generations.