Introduction

In the Durmemeersen, the non-profit organization Durme started a reserve project in 1993. Previously, various plant species grew here, which have disappeared from this landscape due to modern agriculture. The nature management aims to restore this diversity of plants. In mid-May, the cuckoo flower blooms, coloring nature pink alongside the yellow buttercup. The non-profit organization Durme also manages the reed beds where numerous bird species come to winter.

This walk is a mix of different walking paths:

°Moesdistelpad – known for its ornamental plants along the Durme and in the summer for the yellow-flowered milk thistle that is abundant here (it can grow up to 1.5m tall). In the vegetation on the mud plants, numerous reed birds breed: bluethroat, reed warbler, little crake, …

°Durmeboordenwandeling - offered by the province of East Flanders and pays tribute to the Zele artist André Bogaert (1920-1986).

°Regional-GR Waas- and Reynaertland - this renewed regional Great Route was elected as walking route of the year 2020 and also crosses the Durmemeersen.

Enjoy your walk!

Directions

Start at café 'De Hoeve' (Kil 28, 9240 Zele) - https://goo.gl/maps/B9R29y6AaTjy4YsQ9

Depart with your back to the café, turn right towards the glass ball. Follow the dead-end street straight ahead, past house number 78 on your right and follow 'Moesdistelpad'. At the viaduct E17, turn right onto Durmedijk and continue following 'Moesdistelpad'. Go over the bridge at the pump station Zelebeek and continue following 'Moesdistelpad'. At the cycling signposts, turn left and continue further on 'Moesdistelpad'. At the picnic table Zele-Hoek, turn left onto Durmedijk and follow the signs for 'Durmeboorden'. Keep going straight ahead along the dike at 2 rest benches. Leave the dike further on to the right at the lonely tree with the traffic sign 'jaagpad' •

Past the bench with the trash can, turn left, then take the first footpath on the right, along the small woods ‘De Kastelen’ (Hamme). At the sign 'Slow road – Penningdreef', go straight ahead, follow 'Durmeboorden' and 'regional-GR Reynaertland' until the end of the path. At the 3 poles, turn right and follow the yellow-red signs of the regional-GR. At the intersection Donkerputstraat, go straight ahead and continue following the yellow-red signs •

At the asphalt road, turn left (here we leave the yellow-red signs), just before the bench at the left curve, turn right onto the gravel path, cross the small bridge by the bench on the right, and follow the gravel path until you reach the building 'Studio 10'. There, before the picnic table, turn right, cross the end of the gravel path and follow the right bicycle path until past the traffic lights. At the sign for the end of the bike path, go straight over the grass until you reach the automotive trade's closure. A little further, you will reach the starting and finishing point at café 'De Hoeve'.

This walk is offered to you by Pasar Zele (www.pasar.be/zele)