The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Sint-Niklaas

Experienced the same thing 😧

The Stropersbos is located right on the Belgian-Dutch border and forms a whole with the Clingse Bossen, as the forest on the Dutch side of the border is called. The history of the forest dates back to the 13th century. This means that the forest has experienced wars, and from one of those wars, the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713), very clear traces can still be seen: there are still a number of remnants of the Line that served here in 1701. A little further north, there are also remains of Fort Sint-Jan (from which the Dutch municipality Sint-Jan-Steen derives its name). But even if you are not interested in that history, the Stropersbos is a special place, both for the tree and plant lover, the birdwatcher, the playing child, the boot-wearing walker who likes to trudge through mud, the bivouacker, ... and everyone who simply enjoys a walk. There is a good chance you will encounter wild horses, pass grazing sheep, or that - who knows, maybe you'll be as lucky as I was - roe deer or a fox will cross your path. In short: a very beautiful hiking area ...

Part of Groot Saeftinghe Smaekt, Grenspark Groot Saeftinghe, Bike Tour: Cycle and Enjoy on June 28, 2026 https://saeftinghesmaekt.eu

I was a little too late for the tulip bloom. In mid-May, only a few flowers were still open. So, the tip for this highlight: if you want to see the field at its best, walk past this point sometime in mid-April.

Access gate to the Sint-Jacobsgat, a pond that got its name from the saint on whose feast day the dikes once broke here. The nature reserve is freely accessible. The gates connect to the wheelchair path. As nature associations and authorities often do, horses and cattle were also used here. These are usually 'tough' breeds. However, here use is made of cattle and horses from local farmers. This restores a situation from earlier times, when large grazers maintained a varied semi-open landscape through their grazing behaviour. Extensive grazing creates all sorts of variations in plant growth, which is beneficial for the diversity of fauna and flora. source: information board on site

Het Natuur.huis Panneweel is located on an old farmyard. It is a starting point for hikes or bike tours in the area and a centre for nature and environmental education and nature management. In front of Het Natuur.huis Panneweel, there are two picnic tables. We make these permanently available to any passer-by who wishes to enjoy the quiet atmosphere for a moment. Behind the nature house, Natuurpunt Waasland-Noord in collaboration with VELT vzw has planted a high-stemmed orchard with about 60 old and new fruit varieties (apple, pear, plum, cherry, quince). A beekeeper has beehives in the bee hall. A small-scale water purification system with reeds and marsh plants behind the barn cleans the wastewater from the nature house and the dwelling again. Salamanders live in the pool with purified water, a beautiful proof of good water quality. source: natuurpunt.be

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.

Near the west end of the Saeleghemkreek you will find IJshoeve De Boey, which is open from April (until ...? 'end of the season') from Tuesday to Sunday, daily from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The ice cream is made with fresh Jersey milk from the polders of Sint-Gillis-Waas. Good to know: you can also buy pots of De Boey ice cream at the Sint-Niklaas station (in a vending machine in the corridor to the left before the doors to the platform hall).