Weekend nature in Flanders: discover the valley of the Escaut

Created in 2023, the Escaut Valley Nature Park stretches along the Escaut between Antwerp and Ghent. It is formed by numerous nature reserves and wetlands, while being affected by tides.

We start our weekend in Flanders with a visit to the Hemelse Rij nature reserve. Equipped with our rubber boots and accompanied by Dirk, representing the reserve's association (DURME), and Tijs from Tondel Bushcraft, we set off on an adventure in the marshes of this nature reserve. As mowing is done later in the year, the paths are overgrown and our progress is slow.

We learn more about the fauna and flora that surround us and that play a major role in the balance of our ecosystem. Tijs introduces us to wild foraging and we collect some leaves and flowers that will accompany our midday meal. Besides, we'll give you some recipe ideas with these unusual ingredients a little further down.

If you also want to discover the Hemelse Rij nature reserve, the association regularly organizes guided hikes. You can find their next activities here: https://www.vzwdurme.be/activiteiten

After our adventures in the Hemelse Rij nature reserve, we arrive at Tijs's HQ, Tondel Brushcraft, for a bushcraft initiation. On the program, lighting a wood fire (we felt a bit like adventurers in Koh Lanta) and cooking class with our morning harvest.

On the menu: nettle and plantain seed pesto, wood-fired flatbread, Panzanella with tomatoes and Berloumi (our favorite) and to finish, a banana stuffed with campfire. Really, we didn't expect to eat so well with so few utensils and comfort!

A big thank you to Tijs for his kindness and this beautiful moment of exchange in the heart of his small wild Belgian paradise.

Flanders is a cyclist's paradise, with adapted infrastructure including 2000 km of cycle paths. So, we agree that a weekend in this region of Belgium must include a bike ride?

From our side, we did a 40 km circuit, starting from Bornem, along the banks of the Scheldt. A gentle way to discover the region and to stop as we please.

We've included the detailed itinerary in the practical information below. 👇

5 minutes after getting on our bikes, we are already at our first stop: the Saint Bernard Abbey of Bornem. This Cistercian monastery was created in 1833 and for just over 10 years has belonged to the town of Bornem. We spent the first part of the visit learning more about the history of the place, the second part is devoted to visiting the library. A unique place in Belgium which contains more than 30,000 books, some of which date back to the 14th century. We were lucky enough to browse the register with our guide Pia who knows some juicy anecdotes about the place.

In short, Bornem Abbey is a gentle mix of art, history, and architecture. A true Belgian gem that is still too little known. Our advice? Go discover it before it becomes too famous ☺️

The visit to the Émile Verhaeren museum is our second stop on this bike ride in the Scheldt valley. Émile Verhaeren is a French-speaking Belgian poet born in 1916 near Antwerp. The museum located in Saint-Amand, the poet's birthplace, is visited quite quickly.

Of course, after all this effort and a morning full of visits, we went to regain our strength at Den Amandus. A modern brasserie along the Scheldt, and on the route of our bike ride. Estelle was tempted by the famous mussels/fries, as for Romain, he opted for an American fries. We loved the setting of the establishment and the food was excellent and of quality!

We spend the afternoon on the rest of the loop, following the nodes along the water. The added bonus, some atypical passages where we are led to cross the Scheldt. Free ferries cross the Scheldt every 30 minutes, one of the three rivers in Belgium. A moment where time stands still, where we enjoy taking a break and observing the nature around us.

This last day in Flanders begins with the meeting of Dirk, our guide, whom we find at the Lopifit rental point. So, you may be wondering what is a lopifit? It's a mix between a scooter, a bicycle and a treadmill. Thus, avoiding the discomfort of a bicycle saddle, and allowing us to move faster (±25 km/h) than on foot.

It was really an unusual experience to travel by Lopifit, but we weren't won over by this mode of transport, too heavy and less easy to handle than a bicycle in our opinion.

On our itinerary, we come across this magnificent steel structure "Arcade". This is the work of Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, the same artist who made the unmissable Reading between the lines church in Tongeren-Borgloon.

Straight out of a fairytale, the Wissekerke Castle is a Belgian must-see for a weekend in the Scheldt Valley. We left our Lopifit at the entrance before discovering the interior, renovated in 2022. By pushing the doors of this castle, you will have the impression that time has stopped and feel like a viscount/viscountess for the duration of the visit.

The Rupelmonde tide mill is a historical medieval building. It is the last mill of this type still in operation today. Tide mills are actually water mills that use the phenomenon of tides to function.

We were fortunate enough to see the mill in operation, a unique and moving moment to observe the last tide mill in action. Incredible ingenuity to activate all these gears solely by the power of water. A big thank you to Jo the Miller for this magnificent demonstration of local artisanal know-how.

Did you know you could observe waterfalls over 5 meters high on the Scheldt? These aren't natural, but they play a crucial role in the ecosystem of the Kruibeke polders. The Scheldt waterfalls are ephemeral, only lasting a few hours a day, when the tide reaches its maximum height. We arrived 45 minutes before high tide and were able to see the Scheldt waterfalls start, we were mesmerized for a while.

Our accommodations during this weekend in the Scheldt valley were a real surprise. We were lucky enough to discover unusual, very atypical accommodations. Unique discoveries that immerse us in the heart of the Scheldt Valley Natural Park.

We spent our first night on the water at Vlotje Kamperen, in the municipality of Berlare. The experience starts as soon as we arrive. We collect, independently, our equipment for accommodation as well as our canoe to reach our location on the Donk lake. And yes, tonight we are sleeping on the water, rather atypical as accommodation, isn't it ?!

After a few strokes of the paddle, we've arrived at our wooden platform equipped with a lovely tent and a real bed! Around us, nature and time stand still. We observe, from the bed, the different birds present on the lake.

Practical question, we have access to the sanitary facilities of the sports center on the mainland. A little less romantic as a setting, but very practical to cool off quickly during this unusual stay.

After experiencing a night on the water, here we are in the trees at the domaine de Notelaer. In the domain, we discover 5 nests perched in the trees. Inside, a huge round mattress, and two openings to admire the surrounding landscape. Our unusual night in the trees was comfortable, but a little cool on this last weekend of August. Our advice: anticipate the coolness of the nights in Belgium with a good sleeping bag/duvet.

This unusual accommodation was a real favorite, we had never experienced such accommodation before. It must be great to do with family with young children as well 🙂

You can also get a glimpse of the inside in our recap video of our weekend in the Scheldt Valley.