7 Best Sights in Dendermonde, Ghent and the Leie

The begijnhofs (“beguinages” in French) were home to religious-minded women who wanted a life of devotion to God without having to take the Orders (of fidelity and poverty) that nuns were beholden to. This UNESCO-listed begijnhof was originally formed in 1288, and in its 17th-century heyday was home to some 200 beguines. The last beguine here died in 1975, but you’ll find an interesting museum spread across a pair of houses that covers the life of the beguines and local folklore.  

These charming heritage trains (both steam and diesel) only run in the summer, between July and September. The oldest (Cockerill 2643) dates back to 1907, though the steamers mostly come from the early 20th century. Its journey from Baasrode-Noord, a few miles east of Dendermonde, to the small village of Puurs takes you through countryside wrapped by the Scheldt. There is room for bicycles, so if you only want to travel one-way and cycle the 17 km (10½ miles) back alongside the river to Dendermonde, you can. For €200, you can even be the "stoker" of the train for a day and ride upfront. 

This small nature reserve on the western edge of town takes its name from the 11 bulwarks that used to reinforce the city defenses. This was where the eighth once stood, though only parts of the wall still survive here, with bats having taken up residence in the old gunpowder bunker. It makes for a pleasant stroll or picnic spot and is filled with beehives. 

Up until the end of the 1800s, like most towns in Brussels, Dendermonde was still wrapped by ramparts and wide canals, a hangover from its days as an important position on the banks of the Scheldt and Dender. Their remains still scatter this pretty park alongside the water's edge, southwest of the center, where you'll find plenty of locals peacefully fishing.  

This Benedictine abbey is just one of those remarkable sights you find in small Flemish cities like Dendermonde. The building is breathtaking, a vast rose redbrick, gabled facade in the Flemish neo-Renaissance style, interrupted only by the Gothic twin towers of the church. The interior may only be visited once a year, on Whit Monday (2–6 pm). You can, however, buy its tripel-style beer, which is made externally by Brewery de Block, at the Liturgisch Kunstapostolaat on Dijkstraat any time. 

Overlooking the Grotemarkt stands the Stadhuis (town hall) and belfry. It was built originally as a cloth hall in the 14th century. However, like the rest of the town, it was destroyed in World War I, the belfry having collapsed onto the market square below. Only the outer walls and a few paintings survived. It was restored in the 1920s, when a new 49-bell carillon was bought for the belfry, which has recently also opened to visitors. 

The city museum is set within the old butcher's hall, built in the mid-15th century. Over the years, this building has filled just about every function a city requires: cloth hall, aldermen's house, prison, guild hall, theater, guardroom. The current museum was installed in the early 1900s and begins its exhibits in prehistory, working its way up to the end of the ancien régime and France's collapse into revolution in the late 1700s. It's an enjoyable grab bag of history, with a 28,000-year-old mammoth skeleton among its most engaging exhibits.