6 Best Sights in Leiestreek Villages, Ghent and the Leie

Of the 3,000 or so castles found in Belgium, Ooidonk still numbers among the most eye-catching. It stands on the site of a 13th-century fortress that was destroyed when Ghent rose up against the Habsburg ruler Maximilian I. It was, again, razed during the social upheavals of the 1500s, before its transformation into a residential estate by the wealthy Antwerp merchant Martin della Faille. In doing so, its Hispanic-French architecture broke away from the “murder holes” and pragmatism of the early Middle Ages, adding Renaissance flourishes like its “onion” towers. It has been in the family of owners Count and Countess t'Kint de Roodenbeke since 1864, and they still live in residence. For part of the year, the castle interior can be visited on guided tours (April–October), revealing magnificent tapestries, antiques, and artworks; the rest of the time you can only visit the park and gardens, though these are sufficiently grand to make the trek worthwhile. The best way to reach the castle is to walk, or cycle, the 6 km (4-mile) riverside trail from Deinze.  

The museum is named after its two founders, Jules and Irma Dhondt-Dhaenens, whose private collection of modern art is exhibited piecemeal throughout the year. Temporary exhibitions fill the rest of the schedule, typically leaning towards more challenging works. It offers a fascinating counterbalance to the fiercely antimodern Latem Schools, for which the region became famous. 

The painter, poet, writer, and composer Edgar Gevart married the daughter of George Minne, one of the central figures of the first Latem School of artists, in 1916. They built their home soon after, a charming mix of Gothic and traditional cottage styles. When he died, his wife, Marie, opened his studio to the public, showing not just her husband's work but that of her father. Today, its collection on display is much broader, ranging from Xavier de Cock’s early paintings to the arrival of the prewar Expressionists. Its "sheep stable" also holds temporary exhibitions. Note: visiting hours can be a little eccentric here, with doors only opening between 2 and 5 pm.

Before his death in 1943, this was the home and studio of the artist Gust De Smet, one of the later stars of the Flemish Expressionists who found their way to the villages of the Leie in the early 1900s. On the bottom floor, his home is kept as it was; upstairs, his work hangs in situ, charting the various stages of artistic development. There is even a Gust De Smet "wandelroute" (walking trail), which starts at the house and offers a pleasant stroll around Deurle and its sights. 

The star of this museum is its collection of regional artworks from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including two masterpieces: Emile Claus's Beets Harvest (1890), which fills an entire wall of the gallery, and Gustave Van de Woestyne's The Wilful Blind and the Lame Who Wants to Teach a Child How to Walk. It's probably the most rounded collection in the area, with works by the De Cocks, Servaes, De Smet, Raveel, and others scattering the walls. The second floor is given over to the city’s industrial history and its heroes, such as 1926 Tour de France winner Lucien Buysse, but with little in the way of English translation. 

This whitewashed church on the banks of the Leie likely dates back to the 11th century. Built using limestone from Tournai, shipped via the rivers Scheldt and Leie, it was heavily renovated in 1900, creating its current neo-Gothic hall. In the graveyard, you’ll find the resting places of many of the artists who made the village their home, including Albijn van den Abeele and George Minne, whose grave lies beneath a bronze cast of a mother cradling her child. Inside are a number of impressive works, including a large panel by Gustave van de Woestyne. Behind the church, you’ll also spy a much-admired 17th-century farmhouse linked to the old abbey, which has been featured in many classic paintings. Stroll the waterside for one of the more peaceful, scenic stretches of the river.