The best gravel rides in Barbierbeekvallei En Bolakkergebied

The creek area of Saleghem is more than the sum of its parts. The nature reserve consists of the Grote Saleghemgeul on one side, and the Sint-Jakobsgat and the Kieldrechtse Watergang on the other. This triumvirate of water creeks then flows into the Grote Geule in Kieldrecht. Each separately is beautiful, yes. But together they are magical. The succession of gently sloping banks, grassland and hay, rare birds and colourful flowers, rustling reeds and melancholic willows: it silences a person. It inspires awe for the magic of nature. And everyone can enjoy it – even wheelchair users, because there is a special wheelchair walk around the creek lakes. This is what waasland.be writes... and there is nothing to contradict it.

The Molenbeek forms part of the northern border of the municipality of Sint-Niklaas with the municipalities of Sint-Gillis-Waas and Stekene. Hydrographically, the Molenbeek belongs to the basin of the Gentse Kanalen. Previously, the Molenbeek originated in the center of Sint-Niklaas, at the site where the Romain De Vidtspark is now located. Nowadays, the stream flows through the entire Sint-Niklaas center from south to north in culverts, to re-emerge on the surface at the edge of Belsele and then flow through Sinaai until it flows into the Stekense Vaart. From that confluence, a path follows the banks of the stream for a considerable distance.

The wooden arch bridge over the Stekense Vaart, named after Frans Coppens, was receiver-clerk in the municipality of Sinaai for almost a quarter of a century. He played an important role in "de Groote Watering van Sinay", the name given to the project launched by the Boerenbond in 1926. This project was initiated after repeated floods and aimed to make the polders 'dry'. The construction of the pumping station near Hondsnest was one of the first achievements within this project. During the Second World War, the unemployed were employed to clean or widen ditches. Under the impetus of dike reeve Jozef "meester" Maes and... receiver-clerk Frans Coppens (!), major reclamation works were carried out in the 60s, continuing into the following decades. Thus, Hondsnest got a new pumping station in 1975. In the meantime, the watering area had been converted into a polder, pursuant to the polder law of June 3, 1957. source: info file "Polder Daknam-Sinaai"

History: formerly Buitenland was marshland. Over the centuries, dikes were built and land was reclaimed. The name "Buitenland" (also "Buytenland" or "Buijten landt") presumably refers to land reclaimed from the marshes outside the dikes. Until 1845, the area was almost uninhabited. After further land reclamation, the hamlet grew into a residential nucleus, stimulated by the family business. The hamlet has no church or school. It remains to this day a biologically valuable area.

On Friday, April 5, 1867, the Spletterenbrug was officially opened. Between Moerbeke and Lokeren, trains stopped in Daknam and Eksaarde. In Moerbeke, travelers could transfer to railway line 77 towards Zelzate or towards Sint-Gillis-Waas. That the intention was to one day double the 9-kilometer railway line to two tracks is still visible on the Spletterenbrug. Both bridge abutments are indeed twice as wide as the bridge deck itself. It never came to that. On the contrary. The railway line suffered during both world wars, causing traffic to be suspended for months. For example, retreating German soldiers blew up the bridge at the end of World War I. Less than a year after the armistice, in September 1919, the line was already restored and trains could run on the route again. In 1940, the Belgian army, in turn, tried to slow down the German advance by destroying the bridge. The bridge was repaired again. In 1971, the last train chugged along the route. After more than a century of train traffic, the tracks were dismantled and the route was redeveloped as a cycling and walking path from Lokeren to Moerbeke. The Spletterenbrug itself was preserved and restored in 2017. The seven layers of paint were removed, and the bridge regained its original, dark gray color. Source: industriecultuur.be

A beautiful trail with a view of the 16th-century castle of Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde. At hiking junction 27, there's a bench where you can relax.

The castle was built by the Spanish nobleman Don Pedro Coloma and still exudes its former grandeur. Philippe de Marnix, Lord of Sainte Aldegonde, was the right-hand man of Prince William of Orange. He played a key role during the siege and fall of Antwerp in 1585 while mayor of the city. He is also mentioned as a possible author of the Wilhelmus, the Dutch national anthem.

Please note, Café den Etranger was not open when we passed by, even though it was a Saturday 😎