The best cycling routes around Wachtebeke

The wooden arch bridge over the Stekense Vaart, named after Frans Coppens, was receiver-clerk in the municipality of Sinaai for almost a quarter of a century. He played an important role in "de Groote Watering van Sinay", the name given to the project launched by the Boerenbond in 1926. This project was initiated after repeated floods and aimed to make the polders 'dry'. The construction of the pumping station near Hondsnest was one of the first achievements within this project. During the Second World War, the unemployed were employed to clean or widen ditches. Under the impetus of dike reeve Jozef "meester" Maes and... receiver-clerk Frans Coppens (!), major reclamation works were carried out in the 60s, continuing into the following decades. Thus, Hondsnest got a new pumping station in 1975. In the meantime, the watering area had been converted into a polder, pursuant to the polder law of June 3, 1957. source: info file "Polder Daknam-Sinaai"

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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

The Sint-Annakerk is located in the Heirbrug district. This district originated from 1880 onwards, when workers' houses were built. In 1931, a parish was founded. Church services were temporarily held in a practice room at the school. Lack of money and economic stagnation, and later the Second World War, prevented the construction of a definitive church. The church was built in 1949-1950 according to the design of Adrien Bressers. It is striking that the tower is not integrated into the building, but was built next to it, on a square floor plan. Source: Wikipedia.

Very beautiful, calm, greenery.

Enjoy a refreshing drive on warm summer days

The pumping station at the Frans Coppens Bridge serves to pump excess water from the lower surrounding area into the canal.

It is well worth stopping on top of the bridge. The view from the Stekense Vaart looks like a landscape painting. The bridge is named after honorary citizen Frans Coppens from Klein-Sinaai. As receiver-clerk he made a great contribution in his career. The canal used to be an important connection between the Dutch Hulst and Ghent.