Touring the IJzer Valley

Via the footpath that starts at the church of Haringe and leads us along the hawthorn and privet hedges, we arrive at the fields with a view of the IJzer valley.

We walk further along a lovely meadow lane in the direction of Roesbrugge, a village with a rich past in trade. We walk across the village and take a grass path at the left side right over a bridge that crosses the IJzer.

In the information tower we can obtain facts about this waterway and valley. After that we proceed further over a small bridge that runs over the "Dode IJzer". We walk through rich meadows where cows graze all summer long and explore the valley a bit further. This place is certainly something for nature lovers. It is also a home to many different types of waterfowls (herons, water hens, grebes, etc.) that have made this their nesting place.

A minor deviation from the route brings us back to the agricultural area with its picturesque farms. This area is alive with stories about "smugglers and custom officers", given the short walking distance from the border.

In the distance we have a view of the church tower of Oost-Cappel, where the international boundary actually divided this north French village into two. This is a typical border phenomenon, rich with tales of smugglers' rifts, cockfights, cross-border parties and a great deal of folklore.

A short while later we leave the paved road once more and continue on a meadow lane through a magnificent piece of nature along the Zwijnebeek, which forms the border between Flanders and French Flanders, up until the IJzer. A discerning bird lover will certainly take notice of cormorants, spotted redshanks and godwits.

We cross the stream via a new bridge and come back to the marsh area. On the other side we see hunting cabins, still used by disrespectful French hunters to shoot waterfowls.

Further downstream we come across an old railway shoulder, which also has a long history. The heather brook, which again forms the border, blocks our path so we have to follow the stream upwards until we come to an iron bridge. The little café is a milestone in the smugglers' history. It is said that Karel (Velde) De Blauwer has lived here. We proceed further and follow the old footpath in the direction of Haringe, and passing by the statue of Karel De Blauwer, we find ourselves at the starting point of our walk.

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