The Witkap Route

This route takes you through the Dender valley south of Aalst. You will find beautiful quiet nature reserves here, such as the Wellemeersen. You will also pass through Ninove, a beautiful old town.

Aalst city park
Aalst's city park was built between 1911 and 1916 around two fishing ponds. More than a hundred tree species grow there. The card house and garden shed breathe the typical atmosphere of the period around 1900. The leafy towpath along the Dender is wonderful to make kilometers. You pass Gerstjens, a city park on the right bank. Here too you see monumental trees around a pond.

Ninove
The Wellemeersen nature reserve is one of the last flood areas in the Dender valley. You will see reed beds, marsh grasslands, alder forests and sedge fields. You also cycle through Ninove, a pleasant provincial town. The eye-catcher of this city is the leaning tower of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Hemelvaartkerk, which was built between 1635 and 1723. It is one of the largest baroque churches in Flanders and therefore definitely worth a visit. In the countryside you will see beautiful farms and characteristic roadside chapels. You will also pass the Ten Broeck water mill, a sixteenth-century water mill on the Molenbeek. The idyllic surroundings enjoy a protected village view and are beautiful to admire.