Waterways

Articles on Discovering Belgium that include references to rivers, canals, ponds, lakes and other waterways.

Memorials and watermills in Rebecq

The museum display includes the tailplane of the Lancaster

Until May 29th, in the village of Rebecq, 25 km south-west of Brussels, the local museum is hosting an exhibition to commemorate the loss of an RAF Lancaster shot down over the village in the Second World War. During the night of 27/28 May 1944, the Lancaster was returning from a bombing mission over Aachen when it was attacked by a German night-fighter. The Lancaster, which belonged to 550 Squadron, crashed at Rebecq. Five crew were killed and are buried in Evere cemetery, Brussels; two crew survived.

The memorial to the RAF Lancaster which was shot down over Rebecq in 1944

On May 7th this year a memorial to the crash victims was unveiled and dedicated in Rebecq. Representatives of RAF 550 Squadron Association were present at the ceremony, along with guests from the UK, Canada and Italy. The display at the museum includes part of the tailplane on which one of the wounded airmen was carried to the local hospital. It was found in a loft when part of the building was demolished recently.Read More »Memorials and watermills in Rebecq

Saeftinghe

The Drowned Land of Saeftinghe

Saeftinghe is not to be explored without a guide, but can be viewed from its perimeter, which offers a lovely walk

First, a word of caution. If you are looking for a gentle Sunday afternoon stroll in a pretty park with a conveniently located waffle-van, then the Verdronken (Drowned) Land of Saeftinghe near Antwerp isn’t for you. It’s muddy, it’s exposed, and there’s no waffle-van for kilometres. But if you are looking for a huge dose of fresh sea air, some peace and solitude, and a touch of wilderness, then it’s definitely worth a visit.

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Breskens (NL) and its lighthouse

Someone asked me recently if I could recommend a walk along a coastal path in Belgium that is free from high-rise apartments and amusement arcades. I began to explain how Breskens fits the bill perfectly — and then realised to my embarrassment that Breskens is actually in The Netherlands, not Belgium. It’s an easy mistake to make if, like me, you forget that the stretch of “Belgium” along the southern bank of the River Schelde is actually part of The Netherlands. Anyway, as it’s so close to Belgium, it’s worth including in Discovering Belgium! So travel to Breskens, park in or nearby the Breskens-Vlissingen ferry terminal, and Go West!

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