RED BEECH WALK 5.5 KM

The red beech walk 5;5km Start/Arrival Az Sint Blasius

https://www.facebook.com/azSintBlasius/ AZ

Saint Blaise plants red beech in the garden to commemorate deceased patients

On (Tuesday 15 December 2020) some employees of az Sint-Blasius planted a tree in the garden of the hospital. The red beech, whose leaves have a heart shape, symbolizes all people who died in hospital from Covid-19. Forget-me-nots were planted around the beech.
It should be a place in the garden where both family and caregivers can remember the deceased patients.

Trudy, one of the members of the palliative support team, described her feelings about the past period as follows:
"Corona mows quickly, abruptly, took many people's breath away. Life questions us and we have to answer them. What answer is there to so much powerlessness, when people suddenly have to give their lives? People who, normally, would spend this period of Christmas and New Year in the warmth of their family? I think we can contrast the hardness of the virus, the hardness of life sometimes, the hardness of suffering with the hardness of suffering. Cordiality can plant, that we can continue to plant cordiality. Honoring life, above dying. ....
We are all leaves of the same tree. That further care may be taken. Take care of others and take care of ourselves. And that the heart tree may give oxygen!'

In the green area Kalendijk you will find the city park with remains of the former fortified city, water features, planted groves and swamps, and also the subtropical swimming pool Olympos.

SWOGGY Over the years, a swamp has arisen here that turns into a damp hayfield on one side and is bordered by willow bush on the other side. In addition to the numerous plants that can be observed there, this swamp is extremely interesting because of the appearance of the thick hive snail (Vertigo antivertigo). This species is threatened with extinction in Belgium.

BIRTH FOREST The city council of Dendermonde organizes the planting of a native forest on the Kalendijk on Saturday. All Dendermond parents who have a child born in 2007 or 2008 are expected at 10 a.m. on the Kalendijk on Leopold II-laan.

BAT BUNKER The remains of these fortresses are ideal places for bats to hibernate. Troglophilic species of bats, which naturally hibernate in caves, can also do this in structures. To the average layman, bats are small creepy, fluttering animals in the evening twilight, for society they are quite useful as insect exterminators.

BRUSSELS GATE Binnenpoort, identical to the Mechelsepoort and the disappeared Gentsepoort. On raveline V-VI opposite the gate is another bombproof powder magazine. Part of the ravelin, the canals and the outer gate disappeared during the construction of the viaduct (1933-1934) and the construction of the city park (1940-1941).

THE PARK The park area consists of two parts in which you can walk freely. On one side of the viaduct you will find the Daniël Schellekenspark with the Brusselse Poort as a monumental entrance. The main attractions of the park are a sundial and a bomb-proof vault.

On the other side, along the Stationsstraat, is the William Bruynincxpark, which shows off the Ros Beiaard statue of Marc De Bruyn.

MECHELSEPOORT This inner gate in neoclassical style was one of the city gates. Perpendicular to this we find the remains of the outer gate with outer bridge. Along the vanished raveline of Bastion III, we see the remains of a bombproof powder magazine and shelter. The profile wall recalls the former railway line "Dender en Waes" (mid-19th century) that entered the city here.

http://www.toerismedendermonde.be/product/671/stadsparken

http://www.toerismedendermonde.be/product/659/zwem--en-recreatiebad-olympos

http://www.toerismedendermonde.be/product/650/brusselse-poort

http://www.toerismedendermonde.be/product/652/mechelse-poort

Also possible to add this hiking trail !

Tiki pad

Dendermonde is a new walk for the little ones richer. The tiki path is a fun, playful walk of about 600m.

https://www.dendermonde.be/product/5751/tikipad

Happy hiking Emiel Peeters