Along the Canal from Schipdonk to Aardenburg

Get a breath of fresh air on the beach and enjoy the reclaimed Zeeland, that's what you do with this cross-border route. You pass through the old fortified town of Sluis, which was created when the Zwin nature reserve started to silt up. As a result, the direct connection with the trading city of Bruges was blocked and Sluis was given the opportunity to flourish further. Sluis became the most important outer port of Bruges and due to its strategic location, the city, which received city rights in 1290, became a fortified city in 1392. Three hundred years, and many battles later, Sluis became less important, but no battle was as devastating as the Allied bombardment on October 11, 1944, which reduced Sluis to a smoking mess in which 61 inhabitants were killed. After World War II, the city was rebuilt in traditionalist style. The ramparts have remained intact and the small cozy, historic center has been restored.