Temse - Dendermonde (24 km)

Schelde Left Bank

This route requires about 2.2 km of riding on a road, but the traffic is moderate. After that, the route is excellent paved towpath through wetlands, farmlands and wood - a fine ride.

Temse bridge (built 1955) - longest in Belgium

Central Temse lies west of the north end of the bridge. This has been an important settlement for millennia, in part because of the slightly higher ground and in part because the Durme (see below) joined the Schelde here until the 13 ^th century. For about 400 m you ride along the kaai road, with several good restaurants on your right and a sand/gravel port and then a park on the riverside. Near the south end is a dock for tour boats.

Temse Church of Our Lady

Along the way you pass on the inland side the old water mill from the 16 ^th century - now a restaurant. Then you reach a large (mostly dead) industrial zone and harbor and are forced away from the river. Follow the road inland, in quick order turning left, then curving right past the main door of the church (parts 11 ^th century - but not one of the more interesting interiors), up hill along the Markt, and left 600 m on the main road following the signs for Tielrode. All that is on streets. You then reach a junction. Turn left (sign to Tielrode) and have a bike lane on the left sidewalk.

Schelde towpath north of Tielrode

You climb a bit, realizing that there are in fact hills in the Waasland. About 1.3 km later the bike lane crosses to the other side of the highway, just before the sign for the Waesmeer recreation area. 100 m later you reach the Old Timer pub. Turn left and then at the end of the road right on to a dirt path. Less than 100 m of that takes you to a dyke with steps. This dyke is not for the river, but rather an area used to drain water from the river to reduce strain on the dykes in times of high water. Usually the area is used for farming or grazing sheep. (Note: if it is really wet you might want to continue on the road to Tielrode.)

On the far side of the dyke there is a paved farm road that takes you to the river dyke (700 m). On the dyke turn right (south) along the fine paved towpath. For 1.3 km there are wetlands on your left, fields on the right. Then the dyke turns inland - you are now along the Durme River. 700 m brings you to the Durme pedestrian/bicycle ferry - or officially the Tielrode -Hamme ferry. According to the signs, service is every 30 minutes, from 08:00 - 18:00 Oct - Mar, and 08:00 - 20:00 Apr - Sep. There is a pub across by the old ferry landing. The ferry now uses a new (1999) landing bridge about 50 m west. (May 2000)

If the ferry is not operating, you can make a very pleasant detour up the Durme to the Hamme bridge. If you stay on pavement to cross the bridge, the length of the detour is 7.4 km. That can be reduced by a little over 2 km if you scramble up and down the embankments by the ends of the bridge.

From the south ferry landing, follow the path inland for 400 m. Turn left to continue to Dendermonde, or right to follow the Durme.

Following the Schelde, you have an outstanding ride for 19 km to Dendermonde. The first section is in a nature reserve, de Schoren van de Durme (the shores of the Durme). 850 m brings you to the mouth of the Durme into the Schelde, and a piece of modern sculpture. It is dedicated to Filip de Pellecyn, 1891 - 1962, who apparently did much to promote this area.

1300 m further south you reach the Driegoten - Weert ferry. Just past that you have to detour for a short distance around a house by the dyke, and past a few pubs. At the first road junction, turn left to continue along the dyke. The next section had construction work to strengthen the dyke in March, 1999, but it did not interfere with my ride in any way.

4.5 km through lovely nature brings you to the next ferry, Mariekerke - Moerzeke, and less than a km more to the next ferry: Sint-Amands - Moerzeke. All these ferries are for pedestrians and cyclists only, and are posted to run every 30 minutes from 8 to around dark. 4 more km of farmland brings you to the Baasrode ferry - the last. Note the water pollution measurements posted at some of the ferry landings.

The next 5 km are farmland with some woods, and little distraction. You then pass under the N41 (Vlassenbroek) bridge and development starts to appear. 1.5 km later you reach the Dendermonde (N47) bridge. (March 1999) (reviewed by André Maes August 2003)

Access : A 12 to Puurs exit, then NW to Puurs and Temse. You can park in Temse, or follow the signs to Tielrode. In that town, follow the signs to the Durmeveer and park in the lot by the ferry.

Schelde Right Bank (24 km)

't Sas pub

This is one of the prettiest sections of the river, with mostly nature. Just past the Temse bridge is a pub, 't Sas. It is named for, and is next to, an old lock that connected the current main channel of the Schelde with an older channel that loops to the south. The lock was built in 1592, and according to the sign is the oldest remaining water control structure in Belgium. The lock was used until 1950, and then cut off from the river when the dyke was raised after the 1953 floods. There is a stone dated 1816, indicating that the lock was rebuilt about that time. The front section of the pub may have been built at that time, but the rear section is obviously much older - perhaps built when the original lock was built. The back section is now a lovely dining room - 't Sas is surprisingly large inside.

Just past 't Sas you turn right to regain the dyke. The marked LF 5 cycling route goes straight, following a meandering country lane for 4.6 km roughly following the old Schelde until you return to the main dyke at Weert. Much of the route is nature, and there are several pubs. However, if there are any cars to speak off (probable on weekends with good weather) this route is not to be recommended. Better to stay with the dyke towpath, which is also shorter (3.8 km).

St Amand's church

About 5 km from the Temse bridge you reach the Weert - Driegoten pedestrian ferry. Another 5 km brings you to the Mariekerke - Moerzeke pedestrian ferry. The church was built in 1925, replacing a church destroyed in WW2. There was a church here at least as early as the 12th century.

About 1.4 km later you reach the town of Sint Amands, with a selection of refreshment facilities. The church tower is from 1786, and is currently being repaired. Just past the river front road of the town (a fairly recent addition - the town front was for centuries a "beach") is the St Amands - Moerzeke pedestrian ferry.

2.4 km later the wonderful paved towpath ends at Briel. The next 1.8 km are a mixed bag - street, cobblestones and hard-packed dirt with potholes. You then come to a highway with bike lanes, opposite Voeding van Gucht, (a food store).

BVS steam museum

At this point a detour may be in order. 600 m to the south is the BVS steam train museum. It is usually closed, but there is a variety of old equipment (including 3 locomotives) stored outside.

Continuing upriver, there is bike lane for 600 m to the edge of central Baasrode. The road then narrows and you have to ride on it for about 500 m to and past the church (tower 16th century), to the ferry landing.

construction platform

Upriver from the ferry you might see a construction platform - a barge with legs. It is used for construction projects in or by the river, and the legs keep it at a constant level despite the great tidal range.

By the ferry landing you again join a bike path, here marked polder wandeling , and later Ros Beiaard route . You soon reach the edge of Baasrode and over 5 km of nature with only occasional pubs and farms to mark man's presence - a truly delightful ride on fine path. Part of the route is in a formal nature preserve, with various signs to points of interest. (They seem to refer to a guide which is probably available in Baasrode and/or Dendermonde.)

6.5 km from the Baasrode church you again are assaulted by modern technology - the Vlassembroekbrug, which carries the N41 over the Schelde. The next 1.5 km, to the Dendermonde bridge, are increasingly developed. One item to store for future reference is the dock for Ambiance boat tours (03 722 58 00). They charter boats for parties.

At the Dendermonde bridge you have three options:

1. Cross the bridge.

2. Continue straight along the Schelde.

3. Turn on to the old Dender river if you plan to go south.

Access: To central Antwerp, E19 north to the Antwerp ring, towards Gent on the ring, exit 5A towards centrum, then follow the signs to the Schelde. Turn right up the kaai (riverside road). You can usually find parking anyplace along the road. For the closest parking to the center and Sint Anna tunnel, continue about 1 km along the kaai to the pay parking in the hanger by the Zuiderterrasse (that is a tower) restaurant. (You have to turn left through the flood wall. There is a traffic light.) About opposite the north end of the hanger is Suikerrui - your entry into the center.

To Temse bridge: A12 to the Willebroek/Puurs exit. Turn towards Puurs and follow the N16 towards Temse. There is a McDonald's in Puurs, just to the left of the highway at a traffic light. As you approach the river you pass under a railway overpass. The railway then runs next to the road on the right. Just before the Temse bridge (combined road and rail bridge) turn left and then left again in a few meters the first place you can. Park by the old lock, near the pub.

To Briel or Dendermonde: A12 to Willebroek/Puurs exit. Exit towards Puurs. Just west of the A12, at the traffic light, turn left on the N16. (There is a McDonald's just east of Dendermonde.) (April 2000) (Both sides checked by Pierre Taverniers September 2000)

Dendermonde - Melle bridge (34 km)

From the Dendermonde road/rail bridge to the Schoonaarde bridge, neither bank offers continuous running on the dyke, and both include some riding along and on roads. The south bank is probably the better of the two. Continue along the right (south) bank of the Schelde. Past the town of Dendermonde (well worth a visit - see Dender River route) you reach the new canal which now connects the Dender River with the Schelde. (The old course of the river flows along the north side of the town.) You have to turn off the Schelde to the lock at the mouth of the new Dender. Here you can take the pedestrian bridge over the south end of the lock, or make a detour of about 4 km south to the first road bridge and back. If you do the latter, you have a couple of km of road riding with mostly light traffic.

From the west side of the lock you have about 400 m of road riding back to the Schelde, and then a paved path on the dyke as you continue westerly. After about 6 km that path ends - dead-end sign on the dyke as you approach a highway and the boundary of Oudegem. Take the paved path down to the path along the highway. After about 2 km that path ends and you have to ride on the highway for 1/2 km to the road junction (traffic light) in Schoonaarde. Turn right (north) on the bike path along the road and cross the bridge. At the north end of the bridge, cross the road and go down the stairs to the towpath.

An option at this point is to return to Dendermonde on the north bank. This includes some riding on minor roads, and on a path along a highway. The last few km are on a road below the dyke. Stay along the river until you get to the Dendermonde bridge. There are steps on the near side of the bridge, provided with a convenient channel for pushing bicycles. The complete loop, if you use the pedestrian bridge across the Dender, is about 25 km.

From Schoonaarde to Gent (19 k to Melle junction, 23.5 k to E17 bridge) you use the north (left) bank of the Schelde, following the LF 5 bike route most of the way. The north bank is essentially all farmland with some woods. The south bank is more developed. From the Uitbergen bridge to Schellebelle there are 2.7 k of unpaved but hard packed gravel road. Not bad for riding. At Schellebelle there are two pubs that offer a view of the water while you enjoy a beer: De Schelde and Scheldebries. The former also runs a small ferry across the river.

Schellebelle ferry
Left Marianne Bogaert on ferry - photo by Linda Bogaert; right photo looking from north bank south by Karel Roose

Further along, notice across the river the extremely high church at Wetteren. (It is mid-19th century, built on the site of a much older church.) You then reach a footbridge and have to briefly ride the sidewalk by the road. A couple of km further you pass a large industrial building across the river - with the body and wings of a commercial airplane next to it!

The next bridge you reach is at Melle. Here you have the choice of continuing along the north bank of the old Schelde into Gent, or crossing to take the Gent ring canal around the south side of the city. (Dec 97, Jan 98) (reviewed by André Maes August 2003) (reviewed by Karel Roose 18 Oct 2003)

last update 3 November 2003

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