Ellezelles looks like an ordinary Belgian village. Nothing to see here, you might think. But Ellezelles turns out to have some mysterious traditions.
It is the scene of a gathering of witches every year and offers visitors a walking route known as the Strange Trail. But strangest of all is its claim to be the birthplace of Hercule Poirot, the fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie.
A statue attached to a house wall seems to confirm the story. There is even a birth certificate in the town hall. And of course a local beer called Hercule Stout. The story is obviously a cheeky lie. Or maybe not.
Perhaps Poirot should be called on to solve the mystery with the help of his little grey cells.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
