Dender River & Blaton - Ath Canal: Dendermonde - Blaton (92 km)

Dendermonde

source City of Dendermonde

The Dender is an important tributary of the Schelde, providing a route south to Aalst and Ath. The junction of the two rivers has certainly been settled for millennia. The medieval town of ten Ter monde (now Dendermonde) received city status in 1233. Three centuries later it joined other Flemish cities in revolt again Philip II, and was sacked by Spanish forces. A fortress was then built at the junction of the rivers, and defenses were added or modernized as recently as 100 years ago. Much of the city moat and various remnants of fortifications (including two gates with lift bridges, from 1822) are still visible.

The formal center of the city is the grote markt (market square), a fine collection of buildings including the town hall and Vleeshuis (butchers guild house - used for meat storage until 1862). There are numerous pubs. In the Vleeshuis (which is not marked with any sign) is a local museum. There is a fine collection of early maps, and the skeleton of a mammoth found in 1972 when the new Dender lock was being dug. There are other antiquities, and a section on the decenial Ros Beiaard (giant horse) parade (next in 2010).

Grote Markt with Dendermonde town hall (1350, 1597) and Vleeshuis (1460)

(There is also an annual parade in August, with other giants.)

A short distance west of the Grote Markt is the Church of Our Lady, much of which dates from the late 1400's. Unfortunately it is now usually locked except for services. From Easter to the end of September it is also open on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 14:00 - 16:30. In July and August it is open week days the same hours. Most days there is a mass at 18:00 or 18:30.

OLV Kerk (Church of Our Lady) Dendermonde

Part of the moat has been preserved. One end is just east of the traffic light by the Dendermonde bridge. There is a path on the outer (east) side. In about 900 m as the path wanders you reach an old bridge with a gate at the other end. Cross over and through the gate, then left on the road. Go straight, past the traffic circle and in about 400 m you reach another section of the moat. Follow the path along the inner (north and then east) side of the moat for 800 m to the junction with the old channel of the Dender. Turn right along the south bank of the river for 200 m to the old lock and bridge.

Dender River: Dendermonde - Ath (69 km)

Source: Route 66

The official length of the canalized river from the Schelde to Ath is 65 km, but a couple of detours (particularly and temporarily in the Lessines area) make the cycling length about 69 km. With the exception of 8 km of street and road running around Lessines, the route has excellent paved paths. There are three different types of lock. Most of the canal's kilometer markers (KP), counting up from Ath to Dendermonde, still exist. They are on the inland side of the path.

The original channel of the Dender ran through the center of the medieval city of Dendermonde (Dender mouth). In 1978 this was replaced by a diversion canal to the west of the town. This is a little over 2 km long. You can use either channel, depending on the direction you are coming from and going.

1. From the Dendermonde bridge across the Schelde go upstream (west) on the right (south) bank for about 200 m to a large unpaved parking area. Curve left on the paved path (sign for Ros Beiaard bike route). Cross the highway (N17) and continue straight along another parking area. These large parking areas are the original port of Dendermonde and the junction of the river Dender with the river Schelde, now filled.

200 m from the bank of the Schelde you reach water again - an end of the old Dender. Turn left on the cross road to the south bank of the old river (probably more appropriately called a lake now) and then right along the river. In 400 m you reach a bridge. To reach the grote markt (market square) cross the bridge. Otherwise continue straight. The river bank is now hard-packed dirt for a 200 m. If it is not too wet you can stay on roads, turning right at the first junction to rejoin the river. Another 200 m brings you to an old lock and bridge. Cross the bridge and turn left along the north bank of the river on a fine paved bike path. Most of the 1.3 km to the junction with the new channel is through nature. You reach the new channel 700 m south of the Ooiebrug, just before a bend. It is easy to tell the new from the old channel - the new is perfectly straight. Turn north to the Ooiebrug, and cross to the left (west) bank of the Dender to continue south.

Dender lock to Schelde

2. From the footbridge at the lock at the junction with the Schelde, head south along the left (west) bank. Or you can start down the right bank and cross at the Ooiebrug after 1.5 km. From here to Aalst (9 km) you pass mostly through farms. (April 2000)

700 m past the Ooiebrug the canal turns to the right and you start new (May 2002 - Jempi Ivens) 2.5 km paved path to the Denderbelle lock. (In January 1999 the weir at this lock stuck and threatened to flood the towns upstream. The fire department finally solved the problem by using 8 fire trucks, coupled together, to pull open a lock gate. A previous attempt with one heavy lorry failed when the lorry was pulled back by the gate.) From the lock is 6 km of smooth running to the port of Aalst. Past a cobblestone company you come to a cement plant and must turn away from the canal. Turn left at the first street (by a bus terminal - before the highway) and follow that street back to the canal. (Feb - Mar 1998) (verified by Joe Rine September 2000) (checked by Luk Van de Bossche June 2007)

The street has moderate traffic, including some trucks. After a bit over one km (and after passing under the high bridge of the ring road) you reach a lift bridge. Cross the bridge and continue south on the right (east) bank towpath. If you wish to go into central Aalst, cross at the next bridge and follow the signs for the market. Continuing south on the river, at the next lock is the recently reconstructed (2004 - 2005) Zeebergbrug. Note that the lock is older and smaller than the locks you passed previously - from here on the capacity of the canal is substantially smaller than to the north, and in fact there does not seem to be any commercial traffic. If you are thirsty, cross the street to the Hazard, a nice pub. (August 2001, from Wim Wouters)

Past Erembodegem (about KP 51) you again join a marked bike route, the LF 38. In less than one km you pass under a railway bridge and start 33 km of smooth pavement through peaceful countryside and nature preserves. There are short stretches of quiet street running in Ninove and Denderleeuw, and occasional new industrial and commercial developments - samples of the activity making the Flemish region much more prosperous than Wallonia these days. In June 2007 there were works near Denderleeuw, with a well-marked short detour. (Luk Van den Bossche)

approaching Pollare lock from north
source: Tim Freh 1 March 2003

When leaving Denderleeuw, on the opposite bank of the Dender there is the Rendac factory - an operation with the messy but necessary chore of disposing of slaughter by-products and carcasses in an environment-friendly manner. They clean up carcasses from dioxin contaminated poultry, pigs that died from BSE, etc., sometimes in large quantities (Karel Roose)

In Geraardsbergen you have 1 km of street riding. Cross to the left (west bank) on the third bridge and follow the street to the left along the park to rejoin the tow path. South of town you pass on the opposite bank a sewage treatment plant, and a bit further on the east side what looks like a sawmill. It actually is (or was), but a sawmill with a difference. The trees were reduced to matches. It seems that the wood in this area is particularly good for making matches, and the industry had a long history in Geraardsbergen until March 1998. The current owner, Swedish Match, then announced that it was closing down production.

Just south of KM 17 the pavement ends. You have left the Flemish region and entered the Walloon. The path is hard packed and easy riding until KM 14.5 - the bridge at Deux Acren. From here to Lessines there are some construction projects and soft sections that make following the river difficult or impossible. It is best to take to the road. Cross the Deux Acren bridge (by the Le Stade pub), go east a short distance and then turn right. You will now follow roads to Lessines. Make sure you do not cross the bridge in Lessines. About one km past an impressive porphyry quarry you reach a traffic circle. Make a sharp right on to Ancien Chemin d'Ollignies and follow the road about 1 1/2 km until it reaches the canal. This is Pont Rouge - the Red Bridge. Just before the bridge turn off to join the recently paved towpath. (Karel Roose July 2003)

Pont Rouge (red bridge)
source Dirk Vande Putte

You are now on about 9 km of lovely pavement, the result of a project to strengthen the river embankment. On this stretch, the KM stones are gone, but the distance to the end of the canalized river at Ath is marked every 100 m on the pavement itself.

refurbished footbridge
source: Karel Roose

At KM 1.5 you reach a highway bridge and then a lock. A new section of pavement takes you to a narrow foot bridge. Cross the canal on that bridge (recently refurbished) and continue south on the west bank. At the N7 highway bridge you are again on pavement (sometimes cobblestone). The next lock (marked lock 21) marks the end of the river Dender and the beginning of the Blaton-Ath canal. (Feb - Mar 1998) (verified by Joe Rine September 2000) (updated by Karel Roose 21 July 2003)

Blaton - Ath Canal (23 km)

Blaton - Ath Canal
source: Route 66

This canal was built in the mid 19th century to connect the Dender river to the Pommeroeul-Antoing canal. This pleasant ride through woods, farms and nature preserves is not shown as a bike route on the GeoCart maps. Practically all of it has been recently paved.

While technically not closed, the only boat traffic you are likely to see is a rare (every few days) tourist trip. (More pleasure boats are likely to be seen in the summer.) The canal has come down a long way from its peak years just after WW1, when it carried up to a million tons of coal a year to the north.

Ath St Julian's - 15th C tower, 19th C building

From lock 21 continue along the west and south side of the canal as it loops around the old part of Ath. If you have some time, cross the first bridge and go into the center of the town. It used to be a pretty important place, and has some major structures. The main square is most pleasant, and offers several places for refreshment. On the east side of the square is one of the best tourist information centers I have ever seen - a map in the pavement, with four flanking erect panels. The panels have pictures and descriptions in four languages of the main sights of the town. Each sight has a number which is also shown on the map. St Julian's church is a short distance to the south. A short distance to the east on Rue du Nazareth is the tourist office and Gallo-Roman gallery. The stars of the gallery are two wooden river boats of the Roman era found when the Pommeroeul branch canal was being dug in 1975. The recorded information is in four languages. (Ath description August 2000)

Back on the canal, you alternate between paved path and short sections of road with little traffic.

Beloeil castle and gardens

After a level stretch through farm country, climbing slowly, you reach lock 11. A short distance to the west is the village and castle of Beloeil, well worth a visit. Then continue south to lock 10. You are now 4 km from Blaton and the climbing has stopped. The next 10 locks will take the water level down by 23 meters, from 60 to 37 at Blaton. The hard-packed path is now (20 July 2003) being paved with cement. Just north of lock 3 may someday be a junction with the proposed L81 rail trail. Just past lock four there is a rail bridge, which would be the connecting point to the proposed L78A rail trail to the south. After lock 1 you enter the center of Blaton and reach a bridge. On your right is an 11 ^th century church.

The west bank towpath connects with the not-very-good north bank of the Nimy - Blaton - Péronnes Canal. Cross the bridge and continue south on the east side of the canal.

new bridge in Blaton
source: Karel Roose

) In one km you reach the junction with the Nimy - Blaton - Péronnes Canal. About 200 m to the east is the Porte de Garde de Blaton. This is one of the occasional safety devices you find along the canals where there are long stretches between locks - a gate that can be lowered if there is a break of some kind on one side in order to keep the other side in water. There is a footbridge next to the porte. (Feb 1998) (verified by Joe Rine September 2000) (updated by Karel Roose 20 July 2003) (updated by Dirk Vande Putte 18 April 2004)

Access: E42/A16 exit 28, to Blaton and park in the squares east of the church. (A sign at the east end of the square depicts the binational park which will incorporate the Blaton-Ath canal.) Or E19/E42 exit 23 bis (the one for Chièvres) and N56 north towards Ath. Continue past the Chièvres circle and under the new rail line to a bridge over the canal. Park on the right just past the bridge.

Boat tours of the canal can be arranged with Richard Gilson, 069 54-8000.

Last updated 12 June 2007

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