Along the Scheldt and Durme around Haasdonk

Appointment at the Pastoor Verwilghenplein in Haasdonk (V). With the old town hall on your left and café Brigand on your right, start towards Kruibeke and junction 9. You cycle past the church, don't care about side roads and after 1 km you arrive at junction 9. Continue cycling straight towards 67. At the intersection with the Beveren-Kruibeke road and brasserie De Hen, straight ahead, now on a narrower concrete road between fields and horticulture. Turn right into Veldstraat and cross the highway. In Kruibeke, turn right at junction 67, direction 73. You cycle through the Nieuwe Veldstraat, a narrow concrete road between fields and meadows, past riding school 't Wilgenhof and past the school Pius X. Cross the Molenstraat and continue cycling through Doorn, a street with spacious buildings and an old farm. In the end you come to a busier road. Turn right into Hazarddam. You meander along a narrow asphalt road, past an old walled farm and a bit on a gravel road to the Beverenstraat. Follow it to the left until you reach the motorway.

Along the wind farm:

The wind turbine on the right is called the Atlas. Now follow Wilgenstraat to the left, parallel to the highway. On the left is the Mercator and a little further on the Cosmos, together with the Atlas the Braemland 1 wind farm. At the Cosmos turn left, between the fields until you reach a priority road. Follow it to the right on the red cycle path, closed off from the roadway with 'pig backs', and take Molenberg a little further on diagonally left. You cycle along a square into the Pismolenstraat and pass a farm (with fresh farm ice cream). Ignore a side road on the right, cycle along a few orchards and wind further between two deep canals and past a grove with a picnic area. Cross the Barbierbeek and you will come to a crossroads. Cross the Beekstraat diagonally right, into the Groendam, a road for agricultural vehicles. Past a fish pond you come to a triangular square with junction 73. Further on, the Groendam becomes Oude Kerkstraat.. In this valley of the Three Streams (Barbierbeek, Groendambeek and Kleine Pismolenbeek) you cycle further towards 97. At a T-junction, follow a wider concrete road to the right. Before the E17 you turn left with the road, just next to the N485, which goes over the highway. Cross the busy road and continue cycling through the Haagdam. First along the N485, then next to the E17 to junction 97. Here turn left, direction 74, through the Landmolenstraat and past the Landmolenhoeve through an open landscape with fields and meadows. Back in civilization, you choose the square with the lonely wild chestnut tree on the left and you do the same at the next fork. Through the Schauselhoekstraat you cycle through a gently undulating landscape to the intersection with the Krijgsbaan. Cross and continue cycling over Oostberg. On the T turn right, still Oostberg. At the next fork turn left into Scouselestraat. Before junction 74 you have to turn right for the cycling network, straight through the Schousselbroek nature reserve to the Scheldt and junction 74. Turn right, direction 75.
Variant with a view:

However, it is worthwhile to cycle straight ahead here on the Scheldedijk and the brickyard of Steendorp. From there, follow the Scheldedijk to the right. You cycle past nature reserve Schousselbroek, some 'wheels', a beautiful picnic area with a chapel and also a beautiful view of hunting pavilion De Notelaer 2 on the other bank of the Scheldt. At junction 74 you continue cycling straight ahead, direction 75. In Temse, the Scheldedijk is closed with a gate. Follow a gravel path to the right. The path curves to the left and is paved. Via a tunnel for cyclists you reach junction 75 and the Wilfordkaai in Temse. There is no shortage of catering establishments here. Continue straight ahead, direction 76. At the end of the quay turn right, past the church and a little further up the dike. You cycle over the grounds of the former Boelscheepswerf, now residential and KMOzone, with a beautiful view of the Scheldt. You have to get off the dike again and cycle behind the SME part of the former Zaat, on a wide red cycle path.

With the ferry of Tielrode:

At the end turn right and then immediately left. You literally dive into the polder and choose at the fork below on the left, again to the Scheldedijk. Follow it to the right, around the Tielrodebroek to the ferry of Tielrode 3. The ferry sails every hour and every half hour, but between 12 and 1 everyone eats. If you have to wait a long time, you can have a drink in café 't Veer. At the ferry you are at junction 76. Take the transfer to node 77. Cycle via junction 78, along the mudflats and salt marshes next to the Durme, to junction 90 at the famous Mirabrug 4. Cross the Durme via this bridge and you are already at junction 79. On the left, next to a white house, choose direction 47. Again over the Durmedijk, to a T-junction with junction 47. Turn right, direction 41. You will pass the castle of Sombeke, which is hidden behind the impressive castle farm. Continue along the beautiful Sombekedries with some catering establishments, through the Veldstraat, past the Sint-Rochusschool, restaurant Il Carpaccio and a beautiful chapel from 1950. Then you go back into the open agricultural landscape. At a round square with a tree turn right, direction Sint-Niklaas for cyclists. Over a 'dotted line cycle path' to the traffic lights and then left into the Roskamstraat. Cycle across the highway to junction 41. You don't have to brake, you can let yourself bulge, towards 44. The road becomes narrower and you cycle between separate buildings to a busy N41 Temse-Sint-Niklaas. Cross it at the traffic lights.

The Waasland Shopping Center:

Now there is a less pleasant part along the outskirts of Sint-Niklaas. Turn right into the Smisstraat, between loose buildings and past a beautiful chapel. At the end of the Smisstraat turn right and at the white Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Halkapel is junction 44. Turn left into Kapelstraat. You cycle along a separate red cycle path along a busy road and past the Waasland Shopping Center. Pay very close attention to the signage and traffic here! At junction 45, choose direction 48. You dive into a tunnel against the one-way traffic and cycle along a separate cycle path under the busy Prins Alexanderlaan. On the other side cross a crossroads and into the De Meulenaerstraat. At the end of this street with impressive buildings and many speed bumps, turn left and then right into Damstraat, with fewer houses and more greenery. You cross the railway and continue cycling to the T with junction 48. Turn left, direction 96. You follow the Brandstraat towards the forest and cycle straight ahead at the intersection with the Dennenstraat. It continues over cobblestones, past the baroque Heikapel 5 from 1779, a riding school and restaurant La Horse to a busy road. Cross it and continue cycling through the forest, to junction 96 at the end of the road. Turn right towards 4 and take the first street on the left, now through a chic neighbourhood to junction 4. Take direction 95 and turn right into a forest road. It turns into a narrow field road, genre church path. The path ends at the Ropstraat. Keep cycling straight ahead, without paying attention to side roads. Turn right at the T into Zandstraat. This is how you reach node 95. And from there to the left, good 100 meters to the Pastoor Verwilghenplein, start and end point of your tour.