Flirting with the Iron and the Border

The municipality of Roesbrugge is located on the Yser, right on the French border. In the first half of the last century, Roesbrugge had a flourishing industry with a brickyard, a vinegar distillery and six breweries. Our walk follows the indications of the Yser Valley network. Departure at the parking on the Roesbruggeplein opposite house number 5. Leave the car park to the right towards IJzerbrug. Once over the bridge, follow the IJzer to the right towards KP 4. A blue arch bridge leads you a little further over the Dead Yser, an old Iron Arm. Over the bridge you get to FP 4. Here used to be the abbey O.L.V. ter Nieuwe Plant. The contours of the abbey are marked with stone baskets. Leave the Yser to the left towards FP 5. Turn with the path through the meadows and a little past a chapel you will arrive at KP 5 on the street road in the village bowl. Here, turn left towards FP 3. You will pass the former brewery-malthouse Feys. Before the bridge over the Yser you come to KP 3, where you turn right towards KP 2. Cross the Dead Iron past the remarkable info hut. 300 meters further you leave the bank to the right and follow the path through meadows and fields until you reach a T at KP 2 (point A). Possible shortening Here you can shorten the walk by 4.5 km. In that case, take the Sint-Omaarsstraat to the left and follow it until KP 1, where you take the grass path to the left (point B) for a hedge through a meadow gate and continue the normal route For the full route, turn right at KP 2 towards KP 5. Attention: in a bend of the road you take a narrow road on the right that turns into a path. You will arrive at the Bergenstraat, which you follow to the left. At FP 5 it goes straight ahead towards FP 6. You've been walking on asphalt for quite some time now. Where the main road turns to the right, follow the Hoge Seine street diagonally to the left. At a T with chapel (KP 6) turn left into the Grensstraat and follow direction KP 74. Through a flat agricultural area you walk astride and over the French border. In Oost-Cappel there is still a customs officer's house with a barrier and customs officer chiseled in stone. This was a region of smugglers.

Cross the street diagonally and follow the signs to KP 74. You pass the church. You are now flirting with the French-Belgian border again, with the Casselstraat to your left and rue Mitoyenne to your right. Please note: on French territory, the junction posts are slightly lower and more discreet. Where the buildings stop on the left, you have a beautiful view, including the contours of the Catsberg. At a red house (no. 14) you come to KP 74 (French pole) and take the Sint-Omaarsstraat on the left towards KP 1.

Unnoticed you are back on Belgian territory. Follow the winding street until you reach KP 1 a hundred meters past a white house (no. 6) (point B). Here you go right through a meadow fence (also GR).
* If you have taken the shortening, follow the normal route from here.
Continue on a grassy path towards KP 96. After 500 meters you cross the Yser via an arch bridge. Follow the winding banks of the river until it bends to the right past a fence with a meadow fence. Continue walking straight along a stream. After a few meadow fences you arrive at KP 96. Follow the indications to FP 54 on the left. You enter the Heybrug street with café D'Heybeke. Follow the street until a T-junction, where you turn right. After a few meters, take a path to the left between the fields. At KP 54 you will arrive at the Haringeplein.

Continue towards 53. Before the church annex cemetery you turn left and follow a narrow tiled path, which turns into a grass path through the fields past the buildings. You will come back to the Heybrugstraat, which you follow to the right. About fifty meters past a chapel, just past a hedge, you come to KP 53. Turn left through a folding gate on a grass path towards KP 3. Cross a bridge to the right and follow the field road. For a chapel annex house you come on asphalt. At a T, turn left into Haringestraat. 300 meters further to the left again, to the Roesbruggeplein, where you started.