Cross-border polder tour with magnificent views, over and along dikes, between fields and through the natural landscapes of Drijdijck and the Saleghem Creek area. You'll also catch a glimpse of the Antwerp harbour area.

Text and photo Stan Verelst

The route

Meeting at the church on the market in Kieldrecht (V). Departure via the Dorpsstraat towards Hulst and KP 12. Ignore the side streets, drive past a Carrefour market, and turn right at the fork with KP 12 towards KP 16, Prosperpolder, and Doel. After leaving Kieldrecht's agglomeration sign, you enter the open landscape, with the Nieuw-Arenbergpolder to your right. ● Where the main road veers right to Prosperpolder, continue straight ahead. You will ride parallel to the Belgian-Dutch border alongside the dike of the Nieuw-Arenbergpolder, where a deadly wire lay during World War I. More info on the info sign next to the road. ● At the end of the road, at the fork, follow Muggenhoek down the dike to the right. Just before a farm, cross the dike to the left and reach KP 16. Straight ahead, you see the cooling towers of the Doel nuclear power plant. Turn left towards Prosperpolder and KP 13. You ride over a wide concrete path through the impressively flat polder landscape. Diagonally to the right, you see the church tower of Prosperpolder. At KP 13, go straight towards KP 64. At the first small intersection, turn left.

Five Stars

You have crossed the Belgian-Dutch border unnoticed. You can tell by the signage of the junction points. They are slightly larger than in Belgium and here in Zeeland, they have a Belgian-Limburg flavor. They proudly call themselves a 5-star cycling province. ● Cross the small intersection with Zorgdijk straight ahead and continue through the open landscape with dikes and Canadian poplars to the T-junction. Turn right through Veerstraat to the first fork. Turn left along a dike. ● At the intersection, turn left through Louisastraat. A strange name for a street through the open polder landscape - 'Straat' means street, as you are riding through Louisapolder. At the intersection with KP 64 - in Zeeland, the junction points are actually indicated on the signs, unlike in North Brabant - continue straight through the polder landscape to KP 63. ● Turn left over the Beerweg towards KP 61. Turn right at the road, ignore a path to the left, and continue straight through the perfectly straight Hoogestraat and Nieuw-Kieldrechtpolder to the intersection with KP 61. Go straight towards KP 51. You will reach a priority road. Turn right and 100 m later turn left, through Bietenweg and Klein-Kieldrechtpolder, towards Hulst. In the distance, you see the church tower of Hulst.

The cooling towers of Doel

After a curve, you ride through a small wooded area and soon arrive at KP 51. Turn left towards KP 73 and Clinge over the bike path on the other side, next to the busier Clingeweg. You pass the town sign of Clinge and turn right at the roundabout and then left into Blomweg. ● Ignore the side streets and ride along a dike and the Groot-Kieldrechtpolder to Woestijnestraat. Turn right over the bike path behind the trees on the other side, next to the busier road. ● Then turn left into Opperstraat. At the intersection, turn left. You ride over an unpaved path along border post 274 back to Belgium and turn right opposite a campsite. At the T-junction, turn left, the road ends, but not for bikes. At a post, you reach the priority road with KP 73. Go straight ahead and soon after turn right, towards KP 53. ● You ride over the Red Moerdijk, flanked by magnificent Canadian poplars up to KP 53, with a picnic area. Turn left through Lange Nieuwstraat, towards KP 75. In the distance, you see the cooling towers of Doel again. You pass a public water extraction point where farmers can fill their sprayers. You cross the Kieldrechtse Watergang over the Parlabrug and turn right into Kijkverdrietstraat.

Free foxes

You ride through the Konings-Kieldrechtpolder and further over a dike flanked by a double row of Canadian poplars up to KP 75. To your left, you see the Free Foxes (1), an artwork by Caroline Coolen. ● Continue straight over Krekeldijk with poems, towards KP 70. To your right, you see the green fisher huts along the Great Saleghemgeul. You pass the nature house Panneweel (with two picnic tables) and continue winding over Krekeldijk through the Saleghem Creek area until you reach Zandloperstraat. Turn left over the bike path behind the little trees until the roundabout. Turn left and immediately after turn right into Donkstraat. At the intersection with KP 70, turn left towards KP 68. Ignore a side path to the right and turn right at the end of the street into Borringstraat. Follow this until the end. Turn left through Zwaantje. Ignore Hoge Wilde to the right and continue left on Bloempotstraat and turn right before the dike. Follow Bralstraat-West, cross the dike and continue on the other side. Turn left with the road and continue through Konings-Kieldrechtpolder until the intersection with KP 68. Go straight through an orchard, towards KP 67. Cross the Kieldrechtsebaan straight ahead and ride over Bralstraat until KP 67, with a nice ditch on the right. You are now in the nature reserve Drijdijck (2). Follow Drijdijk (without c) to the left towards KP 12. To your right, you have a view of the Waasland harbor, behind a puddle of grass. To the left, a large puddle, an extension of the ditch you saw at KP 67. Before an orchard, turn left with the road. At the small intersection, straight ahead, and diagonally to the right you see the cooling towers of the Doel nuclear power plant again. Continue to the intersection with the stop sign and the brick chapel. Turn left over a wide concrete path to the center of Kieldrecht and the starting point.