Lier, Belgium Lier, Belgium Lier () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. It is composed of the city of Lier proper and the village of Koningshooikt. The city center is surrounded by the river "Nete", which also cuts through it. Per January 1, 2010 Lier had a total population of 33,930. The total area is 49.70 km² which amounts to a population density of 669 inhabitants per km². Lier is known for its beers (which include Caves), its patron saint St. Gummarus and "Lierse vlaaikes" cake. It is also home to the world head quarters of Van Hool,
Economy of Belgium million day tourists visit the city and in 2007 there were about 1.4 million overnight stays. The port of Ghent, in the north of the city, is the third largest port of Belgium. It is accessed by the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal, which ends near the Dutch port of Terneuzen on the Western Scheldt. The port houses, among others, big companies like ArcelorMittal, Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Volvo Parts, Honda, and Stora Enso. The Ghent University, the second largest university of Belgium by number of students, and a number of research oriented companies are situated in the central and southern part of