The best running trails in Grandvalbos En Kooigembos

Until 1955, people used to swim here, but now it's a fascinating spot on your walking tour. You'll see the old pool with the original changing rooms and The Fisherman: a 10-meter-high sculpture by Tom Herck, previously displayed on the Grand Canal during the Venice Biennale. There's also a permanent outdoor exhibition. Eight artists were inspired by the former swimming pool and display their work on panels between the changing rooms, along with nostalgic archive photos. In the summer, relax at the summer bar and linger a little longer. Fun fact: in 1935, a water purification testing factory stood here. King Leopold III even visited. The project was canceled, and the pool closed in 1955, but it did receive protected monument status. Source: www.toerisme-leiestreek.be

Between 1857 and 1860, the old Bossuit-Kortrijk canal was dug using spades and wheelbarrows, as well as horse and cart. After the construction of the new canal in the early 1970s, this old section of the canal remained in place. As a result, an ideal spawning ground was created here. Fish find few suitable opportunities to spawn and lay their eggs. They do this on aquatic and riparian plants, which are present in limited numbers in the canal. Species such as rudd and pike require plants to complete their reproduction. The creation of fish spawning grounds gives the fish population a "natural" boost. However, it is not only fish that benefit from this nature development zone. Dragonflies, amphibians, waterfowl, and breeding birds also find an ideal habitat there. Source: information board on site

The Kortrijk-Bossuit Canal was built between 1858 and 1860 to connect the Leie and Scheldt rivers, primarily to transport coal from the Borinage to Flanders.

The Garden of Breath and Food describes itself as "an ecological, social, and educational place with picking days, harvest festivals, and workshops. Everyone can participate and contribute! The food forest, full of fruit-bearing trees and edible crops, is a sanctuary for every living creature. Since 2020, several thousand trees and shrubs have been planted here, including in hedgerows and wooded edges as windbreaks. At the rhythm of nature, this spot is developing into an edible forest. The design took into account sunlight, contours, natural drainage, soil type, and the needs of local fauna. We work partly through natural succession, which means we won't eliminate all the natural pioneer plants we normally label as weeds. We allow nature to develop spontaneously and intervene as little as possible." I took my lunch break there on the filo-sofa. I was there alone, with no one to talk to about the suggestion questions (see photos). A shame... but not really. It was incredibly quiet.

As is the case with many chapels, pieces of cloth are tied to the bars of the door (see, for example, the Passjekapel on the Catsberg in Godewaerdsvelde in French Flanders). This refers to a devotion that is actually based on a Germanic tradition: believers come to the chapel hoping for (or in gratitude for) protection and healing from illnesses that cause fever. They leave behind a piece of cloth (bandage, sock, handkerchief, etc.), worn by the sick person.

The Tonte Chapel is a magnificent chapel, largely due to its location: at the highest point in Kooigem, with a number of nearly upright poplars as neighbors. It can therefore be seen from afar. The combination of white paint on the walls and blue woodwork gives the chapel an extra special character. The history of the chapel, which has been a protected monument since 2004, dates back to the first half of the 18th century. The first, smaller chapel was probably built in 1729 but destroyed in 1914, not by war, but by fire following a lightning strike. The current chapel dates from after the First World War. The small chapel was enlarged in 1929 by the residents of the nearby farm. The Tonte Chapel is a popular place of worship, especially in May. Source: Heritage Inventory

Tontestraat (and not 'Tontestraat' as this highlight was originally called) climbs towards Geitenberg, the highest point in Kooigem. There stands the 18th-century Tonte Chapel, which, together with its neighbor, the poplar, forms a landmark in this field-dominated area.

Once we ruled the world - Tom Herck