The best MTB trails around Hulst

The Perenboomsgat is one of the creeks that is silting up to some extent, creating striking reed lands. The entire southern part of the horseshoe-shaped creek has silted up. In the northern part, there is still an open water section in the west, although strong silting is already occurring here too. Part of this creek remnant lies on Dutch territory, where the banks are managed naturally. The Grote Kreek and Pereboomsgat creeks contain little brackish water and therefore have a lower salt content than, for example, the Sint-Elooiskreek located slightly further west. Source: Inventory of Immovable Heritage

This is the 292nd of 369 (or 388 if you count the double posts on the Grensmaas as two each time ;-)) border posts. The 291st is slightly to the east on the Beukendreef/Oude Karnemelksstraat, and no. 293 is to the west, near the Kruisstraat & Provinciale Weg. Between posts 292 and 293 there are no fewer than 5 auxiliary border stones (292a to f). Furthermore, in the middle of the Perenboomskreek, below the waterline, there are wooden posts marking the border. Apparently, it has to be quite precise to the (centi)meter here. Discussion about where the border lies is clearly excluded here. A striking detail on post 292 is the somewhat strange design of the two 2's, as if they are reversed S's (see photos). source: grenspalen.one

The Wullebos is located on a former sand drift ridge and is 69 hectares in size. The name comes from "wulle", meaning "long-eared owl". The Abelebeek and Wullebosbeek streams run through the forest, both in a northerly direction. The Papdijk, built in 1691, also runs through the area. A checkerboard pattern of avenues is present both in the forest and in the agricultural area to its south. It indicates reclamation in the second half of the 18th century. The agricultural area was deforested in the course of the 19th century, preserving the checkerboard structure. The Baggaarthof is located in the area, around which numerous ghost stories circulate. source: Wikipedia

An ideal stopping point on your cycling or hiking experience: Step back in time and discover a hidden piece of history: Fort Sint-Jacob. This fascinating remnant from the Eighty Years' War takes you back to a period when borders were still fought over and waterways made the difference between safety and danger. Located on the Passageule, this fort once formed a crucial link between the Spanish Netherlands and the States' territories. As part of the impressive States-Spanish Lines, Fort Sint-Jacob guarded the border and held back enemy infiltrations from the north. After the Peace of Münster, the fort lost its military function and slowly faded into obscurity. Nature took over, until around 2010 it was restored with care and respect for the past. Today, you can once again experience the contours of the past, including a replica of a cannon that symbolises the struggle that was once waged here. But Fort Sint-Jacob is more than just history. It is a place where peace and nature meet. The ramparts and moats now form a unique landscape where special plants and animals feel at home, typical of the brackish Zeeland area. Whether you are walking or cycling, this is an ideal place to pause, enjoy, and let yourself be carried away by the past. Let yourself be surprised and experience Fort Sint-Jacob for yourself.

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

Nice gravel path runs parallel to the Oude Durme. Benches invite you to linger.

rust!

Beautiful avenues in the Wullebos