The best city hikes and walks in Bellebroek En Dendermeersen Tussen Oudegem En Wieze

Barely 100m from the bronze Ros Beiaard by Jan Desmarets (on the Leopoldlaan - Sint-Gillislaan roundabout), you will find the William Bruynincxpark, a much older (1959) stone statue of that same most important symbol of Dendermonde.

The artist who made this Ros Beiaard statue, Jan Desmarets (°Ieper, 1961), was commissioned in 2003 by the then Prime Minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, to create the wedding gift for Prince Laurent and Princess Claire. For many hikers, well-known works by the same artist include "Den Dikken van Sesjans" (a stud horse) in Hemelveerdegem and "Waregem Koerse" (horse(s?)) in Waregem. Animals play an important role in Desmarets' work. You can also see this confirmed in the sculpture garden at Rohoek in Zomergem (Lievegem), East Flanders, full of the man's work: https://www.komoot.com/nl-nl/highlight/3231470

along the Dender

This neoclassical triumphal arch was built in 1822 as part of the Wellington Barrier, a defensive line against France under Dutch rule. Designed by Captain-Engineer Cornelis Alewijn, it served as the entrance to the fortified town of Dendermonde.

At the Brussels Forts in Dendermonde stands Cubes, a tilted cube sculpture by artist Luc De Man. The work consists of geometric shapes, partially sunken into the earth and clad in transparent materials. The cube—a rare form in nature—symbolizes human order within an organic environment. With Cubes, De Man explores the tension between culture and nature. The sculpture merges with the landscape and changes shape depending on your viewing angle. This creates a subtle dialogue between humanity and its environment, in which art and nature reinforce each other.

A double-headed eagle, installed in 1548, adorns the tower as a symbol of power and vigilance. Inside is a complete carillon of 49 bells, cast by bell founder Sergeys from Leuven. This carillon plays automatically every fifteen minutes and is also played manually during concerts.

🏛️ The Vleeshuis in Dendermonde, located on the Grote Markt, is a beautiful Gothic building with a rich history and a multifaceted function throughout the centuries. Built between 1460 and 1462, on the site of an older structure from 1293, it was originally the hall where local butchers were allowed to sell their meats. Over time, the Vleeshuis served as: a meat and cloth hall; a town hall and courthouse; a prison; a guild chamber; a theater; a guardroom; a covered vegetable market (from 1862); a music school (until 1914); and an archaeological museum (since 1899).

Excerpt from "Walking in Scheldt Country – Centenary of the Great War." Dendermonde – a ruin on the Scheldt and Dender rivers. The brutal entry at the Brussels Gate The restored city gate is one of the most striking features of the old fortified town of Dendermonde. It provides access to the city park. German troops entered the city for the first time through the passage next to the Brussels Gate. From the early morning of September 4, 1914, they advanced from Aalst and Lebbeke. Civilians were taken hostage, tortured, and murdered. At the earthen ramparts of the Brussels Gate, they encountered the Belgian soldiers tasked with defending their city. To their horror, they saw the German troops chase civilians before them like human shields. The hostages were even forced to lie down on the ground so the Germans could hide behind them while they fired. The Belgian soldiers tried to spare the hostages, but the Germans shot right through them with their cannons.