Why should you visit the Scheldt Valley National Park? Why not! Alternate between vast stretches of river nature, picturesque villages, magnificent castles, and wide-open fields. It’s an area that begs to be explored.
The many towpaths, the intertwined slow-path network, and the unique ferries provide endless cycling and walking pleasure. And enjoy the typical waterside experiences: special shipyards, authentic fishing villages, unique tidal mills, old ring kilns, stunning Castles of the Scheldt, ...
Gateway
In the heart of the Scheldt Valley National Park lies Dendermonde. Did you know that from the Grote Markt, you can cycle along the Scheldt in just 5 minutes? In Dendermonde, you can enjoy dining, shopping, visiting museums… The best place to start your visit is the Lakenhalle on the Grote Markt. Climb to the top of the Belfry for a panoramic view over the entire city, the Scheldt, and the Scheldt Valley River Park.
Jens Mollenvanger - Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen
Discover
In the Scheldt Valley National Park, vast stretches of river nature alternate with picturesque villages, magnificent castles, and wide-open fields. It’s an area that begs to be explored. The numerous towpaths, the intertwined network of slow roads, and unique ferries provide endless cycling and walking pleasure. Enjoy typical waterside experiences too: special shipyards, authentic fishing villages, unique tidal mills, old ring kilns, beautiful Castles along the Scheldt, …
Nature
The river nature of the Scheldt Valley is truly unique in Europe. Many nature enthusiasts work to preserve and restore it. Organizations such as Natuurpunt and vzw Durme work to expand and maintain nature reserves. Infrastructure projects – like the Sigmaplan and LIFE Sparc – protect us in the fight against water. Exceptional species are closely monitored through various routes and nature objectives – such as Natura 2000.
Experience
The Scheldt Valley National Park consists of several large natural clusters along the Scheldt, Durme, Dender, and Rupel rivers. In these areas, certain animals, plants, and their natural habitats are protected to preserve biodiversity. Most natural areas are freely accessible from sunrise to sunset. There is no main entrance, gate, or dedicated visitor center. However, we have marked some locations that are ideal starting points for your visit. These often offer public transport, parking, a heritage gem, a tourist information point, bike rental, accommodation, and/or dining. Many places in the park also feature information boards and columns.
Cycling and Walking
It’s a joy to walk through the many natural areas of the Scheldt Valley. To truly explore the vast National Park, hopping on a bike is recommended. A network of cycle paths takes you along the water and from one natural area to another. Be sure to take a ferry or the Waterbus, with or without your bike in hand.
Jens Mollenvanger
History
In 2021, an important step toward a rich future was taken: the application to grow the Scheldt Valley into a “National Park” was submitted. After being included in the candidate shortlist, we had over a year to develop our plans. And on October 13, 2023, it happened: the Scheldt Valley National Park became a reality!
