Extension
Would you like to carry on hiking? You can extend this walk by a few kilometres with our walkingcircuit 1 in the Oude Kalevallei. The 2 walking circuits intersect at the coordinates 51°04'36.1"N3°36'37.5"E.
Oude Kalevallei walking route circuit 2
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Oude Kalevallei walking route circuit 2
- Length
- 8,9 km
- Time
- 1u 40m
- Terrain
- 43% Verhard
Kasteellaan, 9921 Vinderhoute
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Extended route description
A stone's throw from Ghent, take a walk through the valley of the Oude Kale, a beautifully preserved area of nature with hay and grazing meadows, old rows of pollard willows, small field forests and numerous ditches. The Oude Kale meanders through the valley, which these days is a stream but it used to rival the Lys.
Intersection of Kasteellaan and Dorsweg
Schouwbroek Castle
Vinderhoute
Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen
The many castles in and around Vinderhoute, including Schouwbroek Castle, Vinderhoute Castle and Gavergracht Castle, were built (or rebuilt) in the 19th century by wealthy industrialists who wanted to live 'in the countryside'. It is not possible to visit, but you can usually catch a glimpse of the estates from the street. Schouwbroek Castle in particular, with its stately lanes, rampart bridge and three monumental chestnut trees at the entrance gate (one of them is the thickest chestnut tree in Belgium!), could be in a fairytale movie.
Van Vlaenderensmolen
Van Vlaenderensmolen
Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen
On the border of Vinderhoute and Lovendegem, you'll walk past the beautiful Van Vlaenderensmolen, which has been thoroughly restored and is today used as a residence. The mill, the ridge and its immediate surroundings are protected as a village landmark. A little further on, the little Oude Kale river meanders through the low-lying meadows.
Valley of the Oude Kale
Oude Kalevallei
Toerisme Leiestreek vzw
Oude Kalevallei
Toerisme Leiestreek vzw
After the mill, turn right, and you will find yourself in the 'Valley of the Oude Kale' area of nature. Most of the natural plots here are managed as king-cup hay meadows. Whitemallow, true cuckoo, meadow buttercup and yellow meadow rue give these plots a fresh colour in the spring. The floral displays provide rich insect life. Orange tips flutter around in abundance in spring; tadpoles and wood butterflies are found mainly in summer. Local water violet flourishes in the ditches. The ponds and former sand-mining pits are home to some special dragonfly species, such as small and large red-eyed damselfly, channel damselfly and brown damselfly. The redstart and the little owl benefit from the numerous pollard willows. In winter, there are large concentrations of winter birds in the valley. Groups of hundreds of tufted ducks and wigeons are no exception here, with the occasional goldeneye, smew or goosander among them.
Cattle gate
Oude Kalevallei
David Samyn
Past the Boris Canal, there is a short climb over a cattle gate, consisting of a fence with steps. Cattle gates were installed here and there in the area in consultation with local farmers, in places where the path cuts through meadows. Thanks to the gates, the cattle can move freely from one meadow to the next.
Marshes
Oude Kalevallei
Justine Bonne
Beyond the wide bridge, you can sit on the bench and enjoy the beautiful view of the Oude Kale and its surrounding low-lying marshes. The marshes are wet river grasslands, intersected by a network of ditches and canals.
In the winter, these pastures often flood. Initially, these were open areas where the land served as a hay meadow; later, the hay meadow was converted to pasture. In the process, the valley changed from an open to an enclosed landscape with many rows of trees, especially pollard willows. During dry summer days, you are still rewarded with the smell of freshly cut hay on this trip.
Castle of Vinderhoute
At the end of Meirestraat, you will see the vast estate of the Castle of Vinderhoute on the left. The seigniory of Vinderhoute was one of the oldest and most significant lordships of the county of Flanders. Vinderhoute and Merendree were united from the 14th century, but the lord remained in Vinderhoute. Behind the current castle, believed to have been built around 1544, lies the Molen Marsh: a fairly new area of nature also managed by Natuurpunt.