The best walks and hikes around Zwevegem

The St. Peter's Bridge dates from 1892. In 2019-2020, it underwent a thorough restoration, requiring its dismantling to be transported to the workshop, where it was carefully cleaned and sandblasted. In addition, some sections were replaced and riveted by hand. No fewer than 1,000 rivets are incorporated into the entire structure. Finally, the bridge was also given a protective coat of paint in striking Brunswick green, its original color. Source: vlaamsewaterweg.be

This forest was created in the late 1980s on a former clay dump. Over the past 40 years, the approximately 30-hectare area has grown into a natural gem. Together with the Vaarttaluds (a little further towards Bossuit) and the Oude Spoorweg (a little further towards Kortrijk), it forms a beautiful walking area.

The route of the former Kortrijk-Avelgem-Oudenaarde-Ronse railway (line 85, opened in 1869, closed in 1960) is paved for a total of 9 km in the area between Zwevegem and Kortrijk, reaching the (heavily used by cyclists) Guldenspoorpad. This is where it ends (or begins, depending on how you look at it) and transitions into an unpaved section that briefly gives you the feeling of walking through a forest, while in fact it's a very narrow strip. After the line was closed, over 60 years ago, nature spontaneously developed into an oak forest. A border of thorny shrubs once prevented cattle from walking on the tracks. Ancient hawthorn bushes are a remnant of this. This spontaneous forest development has created a habitat for deer and squirrels. The old oaks you see here are over 100 years old. This natural area, along with the canal embankments and the Orveytbos, forms a pleasant walking area. (As explained further on the information board at the location)

In 1938, Knokke was elevated to an independent parish, and from 1953 to 1955, a church was built based on a design by Jan-Baptist Reyntjens. The church is dedicated to Bernadette Soubirous, whose monastic name was Maria Bernarda. Bernadette Soubirous is the one whose visions gave rise to the cult surrounding the apparition of Mary in Lourdes.

A roadside chapel in disrepair: the cross on the ridge is bent, the cladding of the outer wall is crumbling, and the interior, which contains three Sacred Heart statues, reveals that the last maintenance was several years ago.

Beerbosch is a relatively small wine estate, yet it boasts a wide range of niche wines, made from a wide variety of grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois, Gamay, Merlot, and Gewürztraminer. Veerle Verrue (born 1985) is the winemaker. Veerle's grandparents started a farm on the estate. For many years, Veerle's parents then ran a strawberry farm. Their passion for agricultural culture is reflected today in the exclusive Hereford cattle that graze on the estate. The name "Beerbosch" refers to a section of the Denijs River as recorded in 19th-century cadastral records. Beerbosch, locally pronounced "beir(g)bos," means "mountain." A trained eye can easily recognize this characteristically rolling landscape of "bumps and bumps." Source: beerbosch.be

"Ter Klare" refers to the historic farm (dating from 1779) located on this street, formerly the "Kapittelhof" (Chapter Court) owned by the Bishop of Tournai. From here, you have a panoramic view of the fields.

The Garden of Breath and Food describes itself as "an ecological, social, and educational place with picking days, harvest festivals, and workshops. Everyone can participate and contribute! The food forest, full of fruit-bearing trees and edible crops, is a sanctuary for every living creature. Since 2020, several thousand trees and shrubs have been planted here, including in hedgerows and wooded edges as windbreaks. At the rhythm of nature, this spot is developing into an edible forest. The design took into account sunlight, contours, natural drainage, soil type, and the needs of local fauna. We work partly through natural succession, which means we won't eliminate all the natural pioneer plants we normally label as weeds. We allow nature to develop spontaneously and intervene as little as possible." I took my lunch break there on the filo-sofa. I was there alone, with no one to talk to about the suggestion questions (see photos). A shame... but not really. It was incredibly quiet.