The walk starts at Café "Den Overzet" along the Ghent-Bruges Canal and takes you along the banks of the canal to the district of Bellem. Along small streets, you continue through the fields and meadows and can enjoy beautiful landscapes.

Route description

The walk starts at café "Den Overzet." In the Aalter neighborhood of Oostmolen-Noord, there was a ferry to easily reach the other side, to the center of Aalter. This service remained until around the end of the 20th century and was a tourist attraction.

Go left from the café and follow the road along the canal bank. At the end of the housing area, you quickly come onto the unpaved road along the canal bank, which leads you to Bellem. After about 1.5 km, you return to the paved road and see the new Bellem bridge in the distance, and with a bit of luck, you can also admire the sheep and goats grazing on the verge.

Continue walking under the bridge, and soon you will reach the bridge neighborhood. Approximately opposite café "Den Hert," the old Bellem Bridge used to connect north and south. The hamlet around the bridge was especially a place of fun and enjoyment, as there were about ten cafés around this bridge neighborhood. Today, only one remains, café "Den Hert." An ideal stop for cyclists and walkers.

The highlight in this hamlet was the annual water festivities, which had a long tradition. You continue along the canal through the bridge neighborhood. Just before the end of the buildings at the Voeders De Toekomst lofts, turn left onto the first part of Stekelbeekstraat, and you enter the rural setting of Bellem.

Follow this street until the end, and there turn left and continue along the second part of Stekelbeekstraat until the end. At the junction, turn left towards Eksterstraat: be careful, it's a slightly busier road! On the right is the Chapel of Pauwelsbos “Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,” built in 1887 by the Sisters Meiresonne. Continue down this street until the next intersection at GM Metals. Go straight ahead into Zwagershullestraat and continue until you reach the farm "Bachten ’t Kloosterhof."

Take a moment to visit the shop, and with a bit of luck, you might get a tour of the farm. Here, you go straight towards Kerselaarstraat, follow the winding road until the junction of Kerselaarstraat – Vaart-Noord, then turn right at the farm and continue along Kerselaarstraat until Gottebeekstraat. Here, turn left. Continue along Gottebeekstraat until the junction with Vrekkemstraat and continue straight ahead towards Oostmolen-Noord. At the junction of Oostmolen-Noord, keep left towards the canal. After approximately 450 m, you reach the beginning point of your walk, namely Café "Den Overzet."