The best traffic-free bike rides around Kloosterbos

Het Groot Eiland has something mysterious about it — a place where water and land merge and nature truly runs its course. Creeks embrace the central, secluded area, giving the landscape an almost magical atmosphere. In the southeast, you'll find a quiet walking path that leads you to the so-called 8th Shortcut. A little further west, a pleasant surprise awaits: a bird hide from Staatsbosbeheer. From here, you have a panoramic view of the creeks, meadows, and forest edges — a perfect spot to pause and enjoy. With a bit of luck, you might see a buzzard or a marsh harrier soaring gracefully above the fields. In spring, it buzzes with life here: lapwings, curlews, and oystercatchers perform their courtship displays, while the song of reed warblers and perhaps even grasshopper warblers can be heard from the reeds. An ideal place for those who love tranquility, nature, and a touch of wonder.

Information about the Stadsmolen This grain mill was built in 1750 for the city council of Axel according to specifications by Pieter Telle. Contractors were Pieter Paulus and Jan Hoelands. This mill was built on the site of a wooden city mill that burned down in 1747. Axel has a rich history, but unfortunately much has disappeared due to the urge for renewal. This mill was dismantled to its shell in 1911, after which a mechanical mill (with two pairs of millstones) was set up inside. Around 1980, the first plans for a complete restoration were made, but it took some time before more happened. In 1995, the municipality bought the mill from Mr. Misseghers (who had been operating the mill for years). In 1998, the large-scale restoration started. First, the masonry was carefully restored and in some places completely renewed. The next step was the new stage. In the autumn of 1999, the cap, windshaft, tail and gears were mounted. The pair of 17-inch millstones comes from the mill in Ossenisse; the 16-inch English millstones come from a mechanical mill in St. Jansteen. A very remarkable historical component in this otherwise largely new mill is the windshaft, the PvO no. 616. This was ordered in 1869 for the lower mill of the southern three-stage gang of the Driemanspolder in Stompwijk (near the present-day Leidschendam), but disappeared from there as early as 1877, when this gang was demolished and replaced by a steam pumping station. Before ending up in Axel more than 120 years later, this windshaft served two other mills. Source: https://www.molens.nl/ontdek-molens/alle-molens/stadsmolen-te-axel

quiet

On Friday, April 5, 1867, the Spletterenbrug was officially opened. Between Moerbeke and Lokeren, trains stopped in Daknam and Eksaarde. In Moerbeke, travelers could transfer to railway line 77 towards Zelzate or towards Sint-Gillis-Waas. That the intention was to one day double the 9-kilometer railway line to two tracks is still visible on the Spletterenbrug. Both bridge abutments are indeed twice as wide as the bridge deck itself. It never came to that. On the contrary. The railway line suffered during both world wars, causing traffic to be suspended for months. For example, retreating German soldiers blew up the bridge at the end of World War I. Less than a year after the armistice, in September 1919, the line was already restored and trains could run on the route again. In 1940, the Belgian army, in turn, tried to slow down the German advance by destroying the bridge. The bridge was repaired again. In 1971, the last train chugged along the route. After more than a century of train traffic, the tracks were dismantled and the route was redeveloped as a cycling and walking path from Lokeren to Moerbeke. The Spletterenbrug itself was preserved and restored in 2017. The seven layers of paint were removed, and the bridge regained its original, dark gray color. Source: industriecultuur.be

Very beautiful, calm, greenery.

pearl of Flemish architecture (!)

Enjoy a refreshing drive on warm summer days

When there is enough wind, the Axel mill from 1750 turns on Saturdays. The flour is used by the Axel bakers to bake the delicious mill bread.