The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Roeselare

Art Deco doctor's residence from 1924, designed by René Doom (Roeselare). A detached villa, situated in the middle of a garden with a low brick wall and hedge on the street side. The stones supporting the door arch (the so-called "imposts") are carved with Aesculapius (a serpent symbol associated with medicine). On the far left is another sculpture. I suspect it's a gargoyle (?).

This sculpture by the artist Tjok Dessauvage (born Izegem, 1948), who lives and works in Sint-Eloois-Winkel, is called "'t Ryspoepke" (The Ryspoepke), referring to a local folk legend: In the last century, when the flax industry was still in full bloom, there was a man from Winkelnaar who earned his living from a flax merchant in Gullegem. He worked there in the winter in the "zwingelkot" (a kind of shed). One morning, the roads were icy, and the man went to work with a jar of rice for lunch. Near the church in Gullegem, however, he slipped, and his jar of rice landed on the paving stones. The man gathered his lunch as best he could and wiped his hands clean on his trousers. During the morning, the employer was looking for our man. Another employee pointed out our man, saying, "There, the one with rice on his bottom." Because Gullegem residents were already known as "oorpoepen" (ear droppings) and Moorselen residents as "stekselpoepen" (stekless droppings), the Winkel residents were also given their nickname and have been known as "ryspoepen" ever since! However, several versions of this story are possible. Source: tryspoepke.be

To mark Youth Week, ceramic artist Tjok Dessauvage, who lives and works in Sint-Eloois-Winkel, collaborated with village children and young people to create a bench/meeting place on Sint-Hubertuspleintje, near the church.

The information board on site explains: The first mention of the parish of St. Eloois-Winkel, dating from 1382, can be found in Gullegem history. It mentions "Capelle ten Wynckel," located in the north of Gullinghem. Wynckel derives from the Germanic "Wynka," meaning corner. There is also mention of a chapel or place of worship. This was located next to the St. Hubert Inn. People would go to the chapel for Mass; they would go to (the) chapel. This is also why Winkel is also called Kapelle. It was a sparsely populated, wooded, and marshy area. At the urging of Jean-Baptist Mulle to the Bishop of Tournai, Wynckele-Capelle was assigned an assistant priest with a permanent residence. It was again Jean-Baptist Mulle who used all his influence to make Wynckele-Capelle an independent parish. Despite strong protests from the pastor of Gullegem, the Bishop of Tournai issued a decree on January 10, 1747, establishing Wynckele Capelle as a separate parish. This only concerned the spiritual authority. For administrative authority, the Winkel residents remained subject to the rulers of Gullegem. It was during the French occupation, on June 12, 1795, that St. Eloois-Winkel also became administratively independent. The foundation stone was laid in 1755, and the very first church was consecrated in 1758. During the night of June 8–9, 1953, the church burned down completely. On July 20, 1959, Bishop Mgr. Emilius Josephus De Smedt consecrated the new church amidst a large audience. But... this was without the controversial Way of the Cross by Marcel Notebaert.

The St. Eligius Church is relatively recent: after the old one, dating from the mid-18th century, was destroyed by fire in 1953, it was decided to rebuild it with its original appearance, but with a modern interior. The first section of the tower, dating from 1755, was preserved. The second section was built using materials from the original church. The choir was redesigned. Upon entering, you'll encounter a very different view than you might expect based on the exterior: a mix of neoclassical (arches, tympanums, etc.) and modern elements (such as the Stations of the Cross by Marcel Notebaert, which initially drew considerable criticism from locals).

Sente is a parish of Kuurne. "Sente" in the local dialect means "sint," which refers to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the parish's patron saint. The process of Sente becoming an independent parish was quite a challenge, as the local information sign explains: In 1876, the municipalities of Kuurne, Heule, and Lendelede promised to build a church, establish a cemetery, and fill in the pond in the village center. The following year, none of this had materialized. In response, the West Flanders Provincial Council declared it would issue a favorable recommendation for the separation of St. Catherine if the surrounding municipalities did not begin carrying out the promised work. Even under this "threat," the surrounding municipalities protested seriously. Ultimately, a new cemetery was built, and plans for a church also took shape. Mr. De Quinnemaere from Heule designed the Neo-Romanesque church. On September 7, 1879, it was inaugurated by Ferdinand Vandeputte, then dean of Kortrijk. Since then, the first Sunday of September has been celebrated as Fair Sunday.

Delicious ice cream, nice stop

With a drinking fountain, super fun!