Across the border from Damme

Appointment at parking Oost (V) at the Oude Sluissedijk in Damme. Cycle from the car park towards the centre of Damme. At junction 28, turn left at the fork. You cycle since Sijsele and after 100m you reach junction 42. Continue straight ahead, direction 61, on a cycle path behind hedges and further on trees. After the nameplate of Vivenkapelle you come to junction 61. Turn left into the Lege weg, leave the center on the right and continue cycling towards 21, through the open polder landscape and past the Leegbrechtshoeve, which is somewhat in the back. At junction 21 continue straight ahead, direction 15. Leave the street Wonderjaar on the right, cross the Hoge Watering and continue cycling to Moerkerke. Keep a close eye on the signage, then you will easily reach junction 15 on the Diversion Canal of the Lys. Follow the channel to the left until you reach junction 82. Choose node 58 here. Cross the Diversion Canal of the Lys and the Leopold Canal via the Molentjesbruggen and continue to follow the Molentje to the left at the junction, towards Lapscheure. Ignore side roads, cross the Rietgeule and turn right at the end of the road. Via junction 68 past the Hof ter Vrede and a beautiful chapel next to a row of pollard willows you come to the N49. Cross with the traffic lights and turn right at the intersection with café Sint-Cornelius at the church. At the next fork turn left into Kwabettestraat, a narrow road with pollard willows along a creek back to the church. You don't have to go that far, because at the end of the road you cycle right, out of Lapscheure again. Follow direction junction 40. At the end of the road turn right into Pannepolderstraat, direction Zeedijk. A sign of a dead end does not apply to cyclists. Continue cycling through the open countryside and enjoy the beautiful view of Lapscheure on the right. Turn left into Zeedijk, past some picturesque white houses and over an inner dike, lined with trees. The road will be unpaved and only accessible to agricultural vehicles, riders, walkers and cyclists. Scroll between the wells until you come to the bend of another inner dike. Turn right there, almost straight ahead. You cycle past a white farm, next to an inner dike, ignore Kaleshoek on the left and enjoy a beautiful view.
Transfer with ferry Kobus
At junction 40 turn right and next to the Donaashoeve through the Moordenaarstraatje to the self-service ferry Kobus 1 with picnic area. If the ferry is on the other side of the Damse Vaart, you bring it to you with a turning wheel. Operate the ferry with the wheel, to the other bank and junction 54. With the speed on your right you cycle towards junction 94 in Sluis. The Damse Vaart replaced the natural waterway between Bruges and Sluis in several phases. You dive under the N376 and leave the picturesque Parma bridge on the right at junction 94. Continue cycling towards 98. Past the name sign of Sluis you come to the edge of the cozy Sluis and to junction 98. Turn left here, past the Casino van Sluis and Horeca Totaal direction 93 and then to 53. At the nameplate of Sint Anna ter Muiden turn right into Singel, a cobblestone road with picturesque houses and lanterns. At the fork, keep right and continue cycling over the Graaf Jansdijk, direction Cadzand and Retranchement to the border with border marker 361 and junction 53. Turn right here, direction 50. Immediately past the nameplate of Westkapelle and further through the Burkelpolder and past the remains of the former fort Isabella 2 and some beautiful creeks. You cross the Geul van Reigaartsvliet and come to a wider road, which you follow to the right until junction 50. Continue straight on a separate cycle path behind a hedge, direction 30, Cadzand and Retranchement.
Crossing the border to Retranchement
Cross the border and the Uitwateringskanaal to the Wielingen and cycle into Retranchement. At the Markt, at junction 30, turn left into Noorderstraat, direction 29. At the end go straight ahead and turn right before the Oranjehoeve. Via a bridge you cross the Watergeul around Retranchement and follow it to the left. On the right is the nature reserve of the Zeeland Landscape and on the other side of the Uitwateringskanaal restaurant de Witte Koksmuts. Continue cycling to a bridge. Cross over, to junction 29. Turn left, direction 86. At the Witte Koksmuts you cycle on the right parallel to the International Dike and further along a groundwater meter and the sign 'Welcome to Knokke-Heist'. On the right, behind the dike, is Nature Park Het Zwin 3. After 1.5 km you have to descend the dike on foot. On the right is the parking lot of Het Zwin. You are now at junction 86. You cycle left on the cycle path of the Lippenslaan, which is separated by hedges. On the right is nature reserve De Zwinduinen en Polders with a viewing platform to observe birds. When you reach civilization, turn left into the Bronstraat and cycle past hotel Saint-Pol to junction 64, at Zoute Cycles. Continue straight on, to 4 (200 m further). Continue straight ahead, direction 45, past a dead end street on the right and then right into the Eikenlaan, winding further through the Koningsbos. At a roundabout with a rest bench, follow the Boslaan to the left and continue past the forest along spacious buildings until junction 45. Always straight ahead, direction 49, past the white Tolpaardhoeve on a somewhat higher cycle path. You will pass the Grote Keuvelhoeve and cross the Isabellavaart. In a bend of the road, take a path for cyclists on the left and reach junction 49 zigzagging between fields and meadows. Now follow the N376 to the right, direction 73, along the edge of Westkapelle on a wide cycle path, lined with trees. Cross the N49 with the traffic lights and cycle past an SME zone to junction 73. Continue straight for another 400 m until junction 33 and turn left into Spelemanstraat, direction 62, winding through the flat polder landscape to Ramskapelle. At the church turn right onto the busy N300, which you have to cross without traffic lights.
Two channels
Continue to junction 39 and at junction 70 cross the track to junction 38 on the Leopold Canal, with restaurant De Palingpot. Follow the channel to the left, direction 9. Cross the Leopold Canal and the Diversion Canal of the Lys via the Zelzate bridge and cycle along the busy N376. You have to turn left into the first way. But you first have to pass it to junction 46 and only then cross it. Then cycle back towards the bridge and turn right into the Zeekanaalweg. You cycle parallel to the canal dike to junction 85, at a polder pumping station. Turn right, past a buffer basin and then more than 3.5 km next to the Ronsaardbeek through the open polder landscape to junction 35. Continue straight on until junction 90, 300 m further. Also there straight ahead, direction 97, and then left into the Arendstraat, until the church of Koolkerke. Turn left, direction Knokke-Heist, and then right into Fortstraat and then left into Damse wegel. Past the last houses you take a narrow asphalted path, which takes you through a folding gate past the former Fort of Bavaria 4 . Via a bridge you leave the nature reserve and cycle to the Damse Vaart and junction 10. Follow the canal below the dike to the left, direction 34. Along the Schellemolen 5 van Damme - a stone mountain mill from 1867 that has been milled again after restoration - and to junction 34. Cross the canal and cycle over junction 6 through the center of Damme, direction 28 and departure point.