The best MTB trails around Ninove

Nowadays they are hardly in operation in their original function, but are only technical-historical monuments of a long craft tradition: solely through the power of the wind as driving energy, the heavy millstones were moved inside and thus, for example, grain kernels were ground into flour (so-called grain mills) or oil was pressed from (e.g. olive) fruits (so-called oil mills). Occasionally – rather on the Dutch coast, but also here with this “polder mill” in the former peat extraction area – the function of the windmill was also completely different: it pumped water to a higher level and thus served for drainage. Thus, these old windmills are the best proof that people were clever enough centuries ago – long before the discovery of electric current and the inventions that followed – to harness the power of the elements for their purposes.

It is assumed that a windmill already stood here in the 13th century. A reconstruction took place in the 15th century. The mill belonged for a long time to the Norbertine Abbey in Ninove. The oldest mention of a miller, namely Cornelius de Ranc, dates from 1427. During the French occupation, a certain De Geest from Aalst, via a straw man Odeyn from Ghent, bought the mill and the adjacent lands. In 1839, the Buyse family became the owner. Karel Buyse, at 94 years old, was the oldest miller in our country in 1934. (Molens Herzele)

The Dikken van Pamel is a beacon in Pamel along the Dender river, a mammoth of a landmark.

It's said that a man once passed through Pamel who was so tall and heavy that he defied the boundaries of the ordinary. Victor De Klerck, almost two meters tall and weighing, according to some, up to three hundred kilos, early on became a figure whispered about rather than spoken. On hot summer days, he would slide into the Dender River, and anyone who saw him swore he floated as if the river itself carried him. Passing boatmen carried the story along, and with every bend in the towpath, it became a little more fantastical. On Sundays, he appeared in church, where he needed three chairs—a figure that, generations later, still whispers through the village. And yet, despite his mythical stature, he stubbornly refused every circus director who wanted to exhibit him. As if he knew that some riddles are not meant for the public. Today, his statue stands by the Dender, not as certainty but as a question mark. A quiet reminder that sometimes, only one river flows between fact and fiction.

I'd qualify "fairly wide" somewhat. Definitely narrower than many other towpaths. And used by many different recreational users during the WE.

Very stable. Protected by a wire mesh fence, so be careful with your pets' paws 🐾 Several benches are available

« Dikken van Pamel » VICTOR DE KLERCQ

Ninove, which acquired city rights in the 14th century, was defended by a castle, a tower, and an earthen rampart, interrupted by four city gates. The gates provided access to the city via the four main approaches: the Brabantse Poort on the road from Brussels, the Geraardsbergse Poort on the road from the city of the same name, and the Kloosterpoort on the road from Aalst. The Koepoort provided access to the Nederwijk (hence also called Nederwijkpoort), the Kouter, and the Dendermeersen. In peacetime, all gates served as housing for the poor, a storehouse for powder and weapons, and a prison. By the end of the 18th century, three of Ninove's four city gates had been demolished. Where they once stood, you now find reminders: a fountain with two turrets (Brabantse Poort), a work of art (Geraardsbergse Poort), and two memorial stones (Kloosterpoort). The Koepoort's survival from demolition likely stems from the fact that it stood least in the way of the city's systematic expansion. The Koepoort, first mentioned in 1397 under the name "Warmoespoort," was completely rebuilt around 1600. It was constructed of sandstone from the quarries of Geraardsbergen and, after its restoration, officially served as the city prison. Because, unlike the other gates, it lacked a drawbridge, an earthen rampart was built around it in times of war. After its function as a city prison, the Koepoort successively housed the city's volunteer fire department and the library. It was then used as a venue for socio-cultural organizations. However, the ravages of time took their toll, and the building required a complete and thorough restoration, both interior and exterior.