It is located in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders, Belgium.

During excavations in the 1950s and 1960s, a Merovingian graveyard was discovered containing 225 graves, and a unique wooden burial vault from the 11th or 12th century.

The village was first mentioned as Berlengien in 1177, and used to belong to the Lands of Aalst.

The castle used to be the residence of the Marquess of Rode, but is nowadays the private property of the Count d'Ursel.

Jan de Lichte, the outlaw and gang leader, used the forest as a hiding place.