Scheldt Region

In the Scheldt Region (Scheldeland) you will enjoy the still waters. Stroll along the Scheldt, Dender and Rupel, on towpaths and embankment roads, get some fresh air during one of the boat trips, or take advantage of the free ferries for pedestrians and cyclists. You’ll find asparagus, eel in green sauce and Duvel on the menus. In the daytime you can try traditional pub games on the national sport route and in the evening you can get under the sheets in a traditional farmhouse room.

Floral Region - Wetteren, Melle, Laarne, Wichelen and Destelbergen

Rhododendrons, roses, conifers and trees: these are just some examples of what grows in Scheldeland's fields. More than 200 specialized floriculture businesses grow between them no less than 2,000 different nursery products. From April to early October there is always something in bloom. The ideal starting point is Provincial Estate Den Blakken, developed as a promotional garden for flowers grown in the Floral Region.

Still water villages - Mariekerke and Sint-Amands

In the Land of Klein Brabant the Scheldt winds its way between green banks, mudflats and marshes and the picturesque villages of Sint-Amands and Mariekerke. The towns formed the backdrop for the fictional Flemish TV series Still Waters. Sint-Amands has an extremely charming quay and ditto ferryman. The view over the Scheldt from the quay is breathtaking. Mariekerke is famous for its eel gastronomy.

Brickworks in the Rupel region - Boom, Hemiksem, Schelle, Niel, Terhagen, Rumst

The Rupel region is synonymous with clay extraction and brick manufacture. For centuries brickyards and a typical landscape of clay pits have dominated the region. The clay pits, furnaces and chimneys are contemporary relics of the back-breaking work of those times. Impressive sites that are worth visiting: Noeveren-Hellegat with the Booms brickworks museum, the Nautical Visitors Centre and the New Belgica Shipyard.

Fort Breendonk - Willebroek

In Fort Breendonk the Nazis detained political opponents and resistance fighters before they were deported to concentration camps. In 1947 the fort was declared a National Memorial. The trail gives visitors an impressive and poignant impression of the horror of the Nazi regime.

Buggenhout Forest - Buggenhout

Buggenhout Forest consists of more than 200 hectares of mixed deciduous woodland, home to a motley variety of breeding birds, mushrooms and a huge number of sessile oaks. It lies almost at the point where the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant and East Flanders meet. A visit to the 1.5 hectare arboretum is a must, as is a visit to the Boskapel chapel.

Dender towns - Dendermonde, Aalst, Ninove

Where the Dender flows into the Scheldt lies Dendermonde, home of folkloristic giant horse Ros Beiaard. Known for centuries as a fortified town, it is now also known for Ros Beiaard, the folklore of the Guild Giants, a rich jazz tradition and Dendermonde head meat. The medieval Town Hall and the former Meat House are the highlights on the marketplace.

Say Aalst and the locals will think of satirical carnival parades and tasty flans. But the second town of East Flanders has a lot more to offer. It is also the hometown of the priest Pieter Daens and of Louis Paul Boon, whose life and work is highlighted in town museum 't Gasthuys. The Big Market with its numerous monuments will appeal to many culture lovers! The Oud Schepenhuis, the oldest surviving aldermen's house in the Low Countries, is an imposing building with a belfry from 1225!

With a rich textile tradition and split in two by the Dender, Ninove is a pleasant country town which is suitably proud of its reputation of being the 'oldest, boldest and wisest' of all towns. The leaning tower of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption is the eye-catcher. The church was once part of the building complex of the Norbertine Abbey of which you can still see the foundations in the archaeological garden.

photos ©visitflanders ©milo-profi