From Damme to Oostkerke

When you drive from Bruges along the Damse Vaart to Damme, just before you enter Damme is the spacious Parking Zuid (V) on the right. You can also reach this starting point by public transport via bus line 43 from Bruges station. Leave the car park to the right along the Damse Vaart. On the other side of the water is the beautiful Schellemolen, a stone mountain mill from 1867, milled and protected since 1946. Soon cross the water and walk into the Dammesteenweg. The beautiful white complex on the left is the St.-Cristoffelhoeve. The farm and its surroundings with several 16th- and 17th-century houses are also protected. After 300 m, walk right into the Romboutswervedijk. Ignore a side street on the right and walk straight for more than 1.5 km. You walk here in a typical polder landscape with numerous creek remnants, impressive rows of poplars and pollard willows and especially many geese. Much of the surrounding low-lying grassland is therefore protected as a nature reserve. At the end, do not climb on the dike of the Schipdonkvaart, but go to the left along the stream and after 750 m to the right on a paved gravel road. You will arrive at the Schipdonkvaart again. Walk to the left on the cycle path on the dike or on the narrow path at the bottom of the dike. After 600 m at the Brouckesbruggen, cross the Schipdonkvaart and the Leopoldvaart and walk to the right on the cycle path on the dike. The Schipdonkvaart is a diversion canal of the Leie. The Leopold Canal was originally intended as a connection between the North Sea and the Ghent-Terneuzen canal, but was never fully completed. Both are still only drainage channels and are popularly called the Blinker and the Stinker. After 500 m, get off the dike and turn left into Zuidbroekstraat. After a few hundred meters you can still see the hull of the Oude Molen on the right and on the left, in a picturesque setting, the Dorpsmolen 4. Both are ground sailers and the latter is still grinding. Ignore the Spegelsweg on the right and also leave the Eienbroekstraat on the left and walk a little further right into the St.-Kwintensstraat. Oostkerke, with the flattened tower of the St. Kwintens church and the low white houses, was voted the most beautiful village in West Flanders in 1974. Walk straight across the church into the Spegelsweg and turn left at the Tjunction. On the right you see the former walled Castle of Oostkerke. The oldest parts date from the 14th century. After a kilometer you will arrive at the Damse Vaart. Go to the right on the dike, cross the canal 100 m further and go to the right and again to the right over the Leopold Canal and Schipdonk Canal. Both canals originally ran here via a siphon under the Damse Vaart. This siphon was blown up by the French army in 1940 and never repaired. (If a 10 km walk is enough, go to the right here over the Damse Vaart and then to the left along the canal back to Damme.) Walk to the left into Schipdonkvaart-Zuid. Cross the stone road at the Platheulebrug and continue walking along the canal. Here too you can choose between the cycle path on the dike or a path (a little further earth road) on the right next to it. In both cases, you will arrive at cycle junction 59 after one kilometer. Walk to the right (sign towards 60 Brugse Ommeland) along the Zuid-over-de-Lieve and after 700 m at the T-junction turn right again. Ignore all side roads, turn right (sign Riante Polderroute), cross the stone road after about 2 km and walk straight ahead in the Rabattestraat. A few more bends to the right and to the left and then via the Slekstraat to the center of Damme. Take plenty of time to visit the picturesque medieval town with its rich history and numerous historic buildings and perhaps even more numerous food and beverage outlets before walking along the Damse Vaart back to the parking lot.