What is "affligem"

Affligem (anciently written Afflighem) is a municipality located some west-north-west of Brussels in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, not far from the town of Aalst and the important railway junction of Denderleeuw.

The municipality comprises the villages of Essene, Hekelgem and Teralfene (note that there is no village called Affligem proper). On 1 January 2006 it had 11,956 inhabitants. The total area is , giving a population density of 676 inhabitants per km².

Historically, the village is best known for the Benedictine Affligem Abbey, founded in 1062.