4 walking routes along the water

The brick factories in the Rupel region have an illustrious and formidable past which is certainly worth exploring. This 8-kilometre walking trail guides you past Hellegat and Noeveren, two largely authentic brickwork hamlets. Imagine brick factories with characteristic chimneys, kilometres of dry warehouses and the workers' homes pressed together on the bank of the Rupel. 

Together they form a unique picture, immersing you in the living and working conditions of this lost industry. Furthermore: they form the beating heart of the region – even today. After all, nowadays industrial heritage holds much appeal for tourists and history lovers. As such, the past activities have become a source of excitement and interest for the tourist industry in the region.

Not had enough with your village walk? Then do the 3.5 kilometre nature walk through the nature area Walenhoek. Once a complex of clay pits, this is now home to a varied landscape with marshland, hay meadows, brushwood and idyllic ponds.  

This route takes you through the characteristic Scheldt village Sint-Amands. There is a basic route of 5 kilometres and an additional, optional loop of 12 kilometres, allowing you to discover Mariekerke as well. 

Sint-Amands is often referred to as the most beautiful bend in the river Scheldt. After all, from the quay there is a breathtaking vista of the river. So it's no surprise that various poets found inspiration here for their poetry. Emile Verhaeren is one of them. This French-Belgian writer and poet did daily excursions along the Scheldt. 

In this particularly beautiful region he walked along the picturesque tracks and tow paths and captured his experiences in his poems. The route guides you, as a privileged spectator, past places which played a special role in the life of this famous poet. 

Although we stick to the flat during most of this walk, we certainly hit the heights at the end. For a while, you lose yourself in the Warandeduinen in Wetteren, a remarkable area of dunes that you might expect to see at the coast, but not beside the Scheldt.

The walk along a meander in the Oude Schelde (old river Scheldt) is also an experience for water lovers. You touch briefly upon the nature area known as the Kalkense Meersen, where a dragon head of a Viking ship, a home altar from Roman times and 31 urns were once discovered during dredging work.

The ferry at Schellebelle is the highlight of this route: you ‘ring’ the ferry man or woman by pulling the bell.