No one is going to accuse the Lys region of Flanders of being a tourist hotspot. The Lys valley that stretches from magnificent Ghent to the small town of Deinze has a lot of charm though. The attractive countryside and parkland is dotted with pretty villages, art galleries, medieval castles, ancient churches, old abbeys and nice cafes catering to thirsty cyclists. One of the wealthiest areas of Belgium, it’s also home to extravagant houses.
All that said, I spent the first 10km of the route thinking I’d made a grave mistake. The outskirts of Ghent cannot be described as attractive. Passing over and between large roads, through some less than quaint villages, and finally running alongside a rail line, it wasn’t until I reached Deinze that things started to look up. Deinze won’t win any beauty contests either, but the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwkerk sits picturesquely on the river.
Deinze held a surprise though. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Emile Claus, claimed to be Belgium’s foremost impressionist. He is intimately linked to the Lys or Lele (in Flemish) valley. His best known work, De Bietenoogst (The Beet Harvest), was donated by his widow to the Mudel museum in Deinze. Sadly, the museum didn’t open for another hour and a half, but just along the river was another surprise.
On the banks of the Lys were some lifesize cutouts of cows heading to the river. Next to them a sign explained this was in celebration of Emile Claus. Cows feature frequently in his rural scenes, but his painting Dawn on the River Lys seems very similar. The river and the surrounding valley have inspired many artists over the centuries, and that tradition continues today with some villages designated as ‘artists’ villages’.
A little further along I arrived at Astene sas, a metal bridge across which is ‘t Oud Sashuis, a legendary cycling bar serving a large range of beers. It was too early for that, so I carried on towards the splendid Ooidonk Castle. A 13th century castle rebuilt in the 16th century, it’s considered as one of the finest in the country. The Counts of t’Kint de Roodenbeke bought the castle in 1864, the family still lives there today.
The castle could only be visited on a tour which was fully booked, but the €3 entry to the grounds seemed a fair deal. The gardens to the rear of the castle are small but pleasant, the views over the lake and countryside were lovely, it’s just a shame it wasn’t possible to go inside. A short distance away down a very unpleasant to cycle on cobbled road, was an old farm transformed into a semi-open air art gallery.
Passing by another modern art museum, the Dhondt Dhaenens, I found myself cycling into the village of Sint-Martens-Latem. The village exuded an air of wealth even before I knew that it’s regularly ranked in the top two or three wealthiest places in the country. Here, next to the river, there were sculptures dotted around and the smart looking Boutique Gallery.
I sat by the river for a little while then strolled through the village, it had a very pleasant vibe. On the way out of town was the lovely Koutermolen windmill and Borluut Castle, which also hosts art exhibitions. The route then took a surprising turn. In the tiny hamlet of Afsnee the road ended at a river. Here a free ferry service takes cyclists and walkers across the 10 metres of river to the opposite bank.
The ferryman also runs a pub where you can have a beer while ‘waiting’ for the ferry. Across the river it’s a couple of kilometres to Drongen, where a few weeks earlier I’d been to a Flemish wedding. The main sight is Drongen Abbey, which dates back to 1138. Sadly not open, I walked in the grounds before hopping on the bike and heading across a canal back into Ghent. This is an area to revisit, perhaps on foot next time.
Belgium. must be fantastic for a traveller like you. Such a small country, everything is -almost- within cycling distance…
SOme bits are easier to cycle than others, but you can see a lot of the country on a bike! Hope all’s well with you Brian?
All well, thank you. NO bike for me any more. Not too good for my back, but we just spent a fortnight in a house in the “country” we bought at the end of COVID. Only an hour away form the maddening city. Peace…
It’s nice to have a place to escape the city – luckily it’s pretty easy to escape Brussels.
You’re right on both accounts. In Brussels in an hour, you’re way away.
Here, in one or two hours you can still be in the city. Luckily we live in the South of Mexico city, The highway is 5 minutes away, and in an hour we can be at out place. Nice.
Got to say that lifesize cutout cows strikes me as one of the most Belgian things I’ve heard of in a long time. Magnificently mad!
They came as quite a surprise as I cycled down the river bank. I did laugh when I realised what they were though.