Gent area - the Ring Canal and within

Gent has one of the most complex canal systems in western Europe, probably second only to Amsterdam. The area is defined by a bypass canal (ringvaart) that goes 2/3 of the way around Gent, and connects the lower Schelde, the upper Schelde/Escaut, the Leie river, the Leie canal, the Brugge canal and the Terneuzen canal. Within the ring are numerous waterways: the original courses of the Schelde and Leie rivers, and various connections dug during the centuries.

There is no simple way of riding through this maze. To help you navigate, you need another map. Stop at the tourist office in the Belfry and get a copy of the Mobiliteitsplan (no charge).

Central Gent, with the modern reconstruction of the historic castle (Gravensteen) beyond the bridge on the right
photo by Dirk Vande Putte
September 2004

Following are a few of the numerous possible routes to/through/around Gent. Use them or just wander, but do visit Gent. It is probably the finest city in Belgium.

Ring Canal: Mellebrug to Terneuzen Canal (26 km)

The ring runs mostly through open countryside, but it is not the most pleasant of rides. The first 6 km are on or along roads, and then you have nearly 10 km of bike path parallel to the heavily-trafficked Gent ring road R4. Nonetheless, it is safe, and if you want to avoid the built-up part of Gent it is the way to go.

From the north side of the Schelde, climb the stairs to the Mellebrug (bridge) and cross the bridge. The ring canal embankments are not accessible at this point - you have 6 km of road riding, most countryside but also some towns. Follow the LF5 and LF30 long distance cycle route signs. Finally you reach the path along the inner (north) side of the ring canal road, near a lock at Merelbeke. (This is the last lock that water flowing down the Schelde will encounter. From Gent to the sea the Schelde is an open river, tidal the entire way.) Less than a km later you reach the junction of the ring and the upper Schelde. 400 meters later is the Ottergembrug, which you take if you want to continue on the upper Schelde.

Continuing along the ring, one km later you reach the GB Maxi (see access). Another 2.5 km brings Buchtenbrug (road and rail) across the ring. To follow the Leie towards Kortrijk, climb to and cross the bridge. If you want to take the Leie into Gent, just past that bridge angle to the right to the marina. To continue around the ring, go straight and climb the bridge that crosses the Leie. Continue nearly 6 km further along the R4 as it and the ring canal curve right - to the north. (One km past the Leie you pass a lake that was built for rowing competitions.)

Nieuwekalebrug
photo by Dirk Vande Putte
September 2004

As you approach the Nieuwekalebrug (N9 bridge by Vinderhoute) and a ramp you have three choices. To turn towards central Gent on the Gent - Brugge Canal (also known as Brugsevaart), take the right branch down to the road. Follow that road about 600 meters to the Brugsevaartbrug and canal. Turn right along the canal.

To take the Gent - Brugge canal west towards Brugge, take the right branch and go about 200 m to a tunnel on your left. Turn into the tunnel and then follow the paved path maybe 400 m to the second bridge, the Speybrug. Cross the ring canal on that bridge.

To continue on the ring, take the left branch up the ramp and across the bridge. Past the bridge take the first exit ramp (with bike path) down to the N9. At the bottom of the ramp, turn right and follow the bike path along the N9 for half a km across a bridge across the ring canal. Then turn right on the service road. In a couple of hundred meters you are at last in peaceful countryside on a towpath. That eventually becomes a road as you pass some industry and a harbor, but traffic will never be very much. It is a pleasant 6.5 km ride from the Vinderhoute to the end of the canal where it joins the Terneuzen Canal and the Gent docks. Just before that junction the canal is crossed by the Evergem bridge. To get to the bridge, turn up the Access road before you reach the bridge. Going straight under the bridge only takes you to a dead end. Note September 2003: the bridge is closed until about December 2004 for reconstruction. (Karal Roose)

Access: E40 exit 15. Follow the signs to Gent. After crossing the canal (less than 1 km), turn right, right under the bridge, right again and then left into the GB Maxi parking lot.

Old Schelde (14.3 km)

Old Schelde entering Gent
photo by Dirk Vande Putte
September 2004

If you are following the Schelde, this is about twice as long as taking the ring. But it is probably a more pleasant ride. At Mellebrug the river splits. The original Schelde continues roughly NW into central Gent before making a U-turn and heading SW. That section is now closed to commercial barge traffic. Riding westerly from the Melle bridge on the north side of the Schelde, the first 3 km are in need of repaving but ridable. The next 4 km are good path, and then you reach the city limits and a section of street riding. (This can be fairly busy during rush hours.) After a little over 1 km of that you reach a lock. Cross the lock gate and then a narrow bridge, and turn right along the street on the south side of the river. Shortly the river splits again. The street follows the original Schelde.

In about 500 m you reach another bridge. To join the Leie, cross that bridge (or rather two bridges - two channels of the Schelde) and turn right.

Continuing along the Schelde, in another 400 m you reach a major road (Zuidparklaan) with an elevated highway in the middle.

A pedestrian bridge that will allow you to continue following the right bank of the Schelde, under the highway bridge, is under construction. At the moment (April 1998) cross the tram tracks and turn north on the bridge across the Schelde. Cross the next street and then turn left. (Stay on the main road - taking the next left along the river will lead you to a dead end.) In 500 m you reach the bridge over the Muinkschelde canal - Ter Platenbrug.

To go to central Gent from this point, turn right before the canal bridge. (In about 200 m you pass a canal barge pub - the Kaffee de Planck. They serve St Louis kriek on tap, and have a wonderful pizza baguette.) About 600 m later you reach a bridge with a large square to the right. Turn left across that bridge, right at the first intersection, and follow the road as straight as you can to the pedestrian zone and the Belfry (less than 1 km). (The Tourist Office is in the Belfry. You can obtain the Mobiliteitsplan showing bike routes there.)

For the old Schelde, cross the Muinkschelde canal bridge and turn left on the west side of the canal. It soon merges with the Schelde proper. You are on a road with little traffic. In 2.4 km at a railway overpass the road ends and you are on a paved towpath the final 1.3 km to the ring. (To continue on the upper Schelde, turn right on the service road just before the R4 bridge, Where the R4 returns to ground level, cut across the exit ramp to the bicycle path and continue west. In a little over 1 km you reach the ramp you climb for the Ottergembrug, which you take across the ring to connect with the left bank of the upper Schelde.)

Leie inside the Gent ring (8 km)

This route is mostly street riding, with walking required in two places. The northern part takes you through and close to some of the major sights of old Gent - areas you should visit in any case.

The Leie meets the Schelde in two branches, one called the Visserijvaart (fishery canal). That is in fact the route used by all boats - the branch called the Leie is blocked by a road at the Schelde junction. There is a towpath on the left (east) bank of the Leie, but it is currently closed. (Estimated reopening Sep 1999.) Instead, follow the road along the west side of Visserijvaart. There is little traffic. In 700 m you reach a bridge and can cut left to the towpath along the left bank of the Leie. However, that is dirt and cobblestones - continuing on the road along Visserij is more pleasant. The area has many 19^th century commercial structures that have been converted to apartments and some offices.

Another 600 m brings you to a bridge and the point where the Visserijvaart and Leie split. Cross the bridge to the right (west) bank of the Leie and ride north on the street (little traffic). Soon across the river you see the junction with the De Pauw Vertakking (branch), which all water traffic is advised to take. Almost immediately you pass another bridge, and cross a road with the only operating trolley bus line in Belgium. Continue north on the left bank road. 200 m further is a lock which is locked out of commission - the reason boats are advised to turn into the De Pauw branch.

At the next bridge (200 m) cross over to the left (east) bank. The river curves to the left. After 500 m the cobblestone street turns away from the river but you can go through an arcade and then down steps to a walkway built along the river. 200 m of that brings you to a bridge. Look right for some of the more interesting building facades in Gent. Then cross the road and down the steps to continue on the walkway for another 100 m or so where you join a cobblestone road for 200 m to the next bridge. Down the street to your right is the Steen - the fortress. The bridge has a tram line - be careful.

Cross the bridge and go down the steps to the footpath on the right bank. Across the river is the junction with a remnant of the Lieve canal, built in the mid 13^th century. Looming above the former fish market (17^th century, largely rebuilt and enlarged after a fire in 1872) at the junction of the river and canal is the 's-Gravensteen castle.

The footpath is a short 100 m to the next bridge where you join a cobblestone road. This is Grasslei, the main port area of medieval Gent. Here are some of the older buildings in the city - the Stapelhuis (spijker) is thought to date from about 1200. The best view is from across the river, where the embankment is being rebuilt.

As you approach the next bridge (Sint-Michiels), look left at the three towers that define the heart of Gent. For a break, you can turn left to the squares - there are numerous cafés. The tourist office is in the Belfry - the middle tower. Then return to the river and continue south on the right bank. At the next bridge, cross and continue south on the left (west) bank- Ajuinlei (onion quay). Shortly you pass another bridge and enter a harbor stretch with tour boats. One of the boats may be open as a pub. 400 m further you cross the Coupure canal on a lift bridge and leave the historic center of Gent. You follow a quiet street for a half km before reaching a major road and more traffic. Continue along the left (west) bank. 100 m of street riding brings you to a bike lane along the road for 600 m. Continuing south for 1 km brings you to a paved towpath. (Alternately, you can cross the river at the next bridge and continue south on a bike lane along the road, but that is not as pleasant.) You immediately reach the junction with a canal built for drainage. Cross the bridge and continue on the hard-packed dirt towpath. There is a park on your right.

Coupure
photo by Dirk Vande Putte
September 2004

700 m and you come to a rail bridge, and a footbridge across the river. If you plan on turning west on the ring, or turning back, stay on the left (west) bank for 700 m to the junction with the ring.

If you plan to take the ring to the east, or cross the ring to continue on the Leie, cross the bridge and continue on the right (east) bank. For the Leie outside the ring, move from the towpath to the bike lane where the road runs next to the river. In a couple of hundred meters you are on the Buchtenbrug. Otherwise stay on the river and then turn left on a bike path as you approach the bridge over the Leie. That path connects you with the bike path along the Ring. (Jan 1999)

Gent - Brugge & Coupure inside the Gent Ring (6.5 km)

Urban riding, but with a fine bikeway much of the way.

The Coupure (cutting - shortcut) starts at the lift bridge across the Leie. While you can ride either side, the south and west bank is far surperior, a fine bikeway. In about 1,700 m you cross a narrow connecting waterway. The street along that ditch is named "Leiekaai" so this must be an old channel of the Leie. If you stop and look back south, you will see that there is a barrier across the Coupure at the bridge just to the south. There is no through water traffic on the Coupure.

900 m later you pass on the opposite bank the junction with the Verbindingskanaal (connecting canal). This is the end of the Coupure - from here on you are the Gent - Brugge Canal (or Gent - Oostende, or Brugsevaart). The Verbindingskanaal allows barges from the ring to reach the main docks.

Continuing north in a little under 2 km you reach a pleasant new pedestrian bridge. If you plan to continue west on the Lieve, or continue on the Gent ring to the north, cross this bridge and continue on the bike lane along the N9. It is 3 km to the Nieuwekalebrug over the ring.

To continue south on the Gent ring, or west on the Gent - Brugge canal, continue straight on the southwest from the pedestrian bridge. (Jul 1999)

Terneuzen canal inside the Gent ring (8.5 km)

Urban riding, starting with the Gent docks, including views of seagoing ships.

At the bridge across the ring canal at the Terneuzen, go south across the bridge and take the first left down to the embankment. Turn south, unfortunately on cobblestones for about 900 m. You then can move to a sidewalk. Across the water is the branch where the main docks split from the canal. Soon thereafter you join a smooth road, and then a bike lane. At the next bridge go straight for 900 m, to a rail bridge at road level. Cross that bridge and then go right along the canal (separate bike path) as it curves to the left. In 500 m you reach a bridge. Cross and turn left. Follow the road along the embankment as it curves to the south. In a long block at an intersection you pick up a bike lane. 1.5 km later you reach a traffic circle with a bridge on the left. To go to the center, turn right.

Otherwise, continue straight along the bike lane for another half km. At the first traffic light take the right branch with the bike lane and follow it until you cross a bridge. This is the Visserijvaart - fishery canal - a canal parallel to the Leie. After crossing the bridge, turn left - south. In 700 m you have to curve right with the road. You cross the Leie river and then come to an intersection. The Schelde is just to your left. To follow the old Schelde to the east, turn left, cross two bridges, then turn left. To follow the old Schelde west, go straight. In 500 m you reach Zuidparklaan. (Apr, May 1998) (Review by Dirk Vande Putte 12 September 2004)

Last updated 3 November 2004

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