The Park Forest is a 1,200 ha large green space stretching across Ghent, St.-Martens-Latem, and De Pinte. The first gateway opened in 2014. The immense domain is a true paradise for walkers.

Text and photo Guido Elias

The Ghent city forest is easily accessible by public transport. Tram 1 takes you there smoothly from St. Peter's Station. Get off at the Maaltepark/Maria Middelares stop. This solid walk starts nearby at the Maaltepark/Don Bosco School for Science and Technology. The route leads over a new walking/cycling bridge over the motorway, past old railway embankments, slow and quiet rural roads, through forests, along stately avenues, past impressive castles, and over a (long) boardwalk (option: 2 km extension) that allows you to explore the Rosdambeek valley before returning via the still rural Sint-Denijs-Westrem to the starting point. With a bit of luck, you might encounter a flock of sheep and donkeys along the way!

The route

Depart from Maaltepark (V) on Kortrijksesteenweg in Ghent, walk towards St.-Denijs-Westrem and turn left onto Maaltemeers shortly after. Follow this until you reach the intersection with Leebeekstraat, here turn right, take the Zoë Borluut bridge over the motorway, and follow the Modderenmanpad for about 600 m. Then turn right onto Rijvisschestraat and immediately left onto Rijvisschepark. After 500 m continue straight for 1.2 km along Oudespoorweg. At riding school De Hoefslag, turn left onto Klossestraat and follow it for 700 m. At Heistraat, turn right onto Nazarethstraat (a path). After 400 m briefly follow Hemelrijkstraat to the left and continue right along Beukendreef until you reach a T-junction. There, turn right and continue past the castle Scheldevelde (left side)(1) while following Scheldeveldestraat for over 800 m. You will pass through a residential area, past a small square, and follow this road until you reach Baron Jean-Baptiste de Gieylaan. Here, turn right and cross the railway bridge immediately. Follow this avenue for 900 m (walking/cycling path). At Art Sport (on the left side), take the farthest path (of 2) diagonally to the right. After 350 m, you return to JB de Gieylaan. Cross it (zebra crossing) and now take the path directly in front of you that leads you further into the Park Forest. Follow this path, turning left at the bend, through the avenue until you reach an X (with an information board on the right). Here, turn left and after 300 m you reach Rosdamstraat (2). Here you can turn right and after 300 m you reach Kortrijksesteenweg in St.-Denijs-Westrem. (Variant: do not turn right but continue straight ahead and follow the long boardwalk through the Rosdambeek valley. At the end of the boardwalk, take the first path to the right to Kortrijksesteenweg in Latem. Now turn right along Kortrijksesteenweg to Rosdamstraat – length of the variant: 2 km). Cross Kortrijksesteenweg here and now follow Witbakkerstraat which after 550 m becomes Kleine Gentstraat. You will walk (left) past the beautiful Borluut castle (2) and after another 700 m you reach the beautiful Town Square of Sint-Denijs-Westrem. Continue straight on Oudeheerweg and then take the second right onto Octaaf Soudanstraat. At the end turn right and take the pedestrian tunnel under the railway, then turn right and a little further turn right again to follow P.P. Rubenslaan and at the end turn right (Pieter Van Reysschootlaan) and then left onto Putstraat. This merges into Rijvisschestraat, shortly after turn left via Modderenmanpad (as on the outbound route) and cross Borluutbrug back (via Leebeekstraat and Maaltemeers) to the starting point.